Asbestos Water Tank, Pipe and Flue Removal
Asbestos was a very popular construction material back in the day. It was used for most of the 20th century in many parts of the world, including the UK, to construct many residential and commercial buildings. It was used as reinforcement for cement, adhesives, insulating materials, corrugated roofing materials and much more, including asbestos water tanks. Asbestos is an inert and fibrous material, meaning it doesn’t react with its surroundings. Asbestos was water resistant as well as flame resistant, so that’s why it was so regularly used in construction, including in asbestos cement and reinforced asbestos water tanks, pipes and flues.
Asbestos Water Tank Removal
Asbestos water tanks in the loft are common in older buildings. They are likely to have been constructed with asbestos if they were in houses that were built before 2000. If there are any disturbed fibres from the water tank, it can cause them to be released into the air. The water tanks are usually constructed with cement, and the cement used most likely contains asbestos. Asbestos water tanks typically have around 5-10% asbestos content. As the tanks are usually stored in the loft of a home, they aren’t at any risk of being disturbed, but if you use water from an asbestos water tank, then you should get it removed.
Asbestos Pipe Removal
City lines that were constructed in the early 1930s through to the 1970s featured asbestos cement pipes as their primary water and sewage systems. At the time, these pipes were initially thought to be durable and corrosion-proof, but since then, they have begun to degrade. This releases the asbestos fibres into the water supply. In some cases, the asbestos fibres can form large enough clumps that it can cause plumbing systems to become blocked and also contaminate washing machines. These pipes are not a big issue for homeowners but more for the people working on them. If they are cut or removed, it can cause the fibres to become airborne.
Asbestos Flue Removal
Flues generally contain white asbestos, which was commonly used in the 1970s. It is one of the lower-risk asbestos types but is still dangerous. Should the flue be damaged or cracked, it should be removed to prevent any asbestos fibres from being released into the air.
Contact us at Clearaway Asbestos today, and we can work on surveying and removing your asbestos-contaminated water tank, pipes and flues.
