Great care should be exercised when installing compression couplings, as installation errors can cause pipe failure resulting in expensive property claims. To process water damage claims accurately while identifying subrogration opportunities, adjusters need to know the basics of why fittings can fail.

Figure 1 to the upper left is a view of a typical plumbing compression fitting used to splice plumbing pipes. In some installations with long pipes and limited access, replacement of a section of pipe is accomplished with two compression couplings at each end of the replacement pipe.

The following case study illustrates the importance of precise installation. Plumbers repaired a pipe that was leaking, as a result of corrosion, on the third floor in an old historic building.

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