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Pipe Corrosion

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  • 17-07-2006 11:59am
    #1
    FrinkDink
    Closed Accounts Posts: 57 ✭✭


    Hey,

    I have a couple of questions... the water in my house appears to be slightly acidic and aggressive, hence green stains sometimes. Would Qual-PEX be an option to install throughout the home to replace the old copper pipes, or would it be worth it? Should I be worried about health issues etc?
    Also, does anyone know the best way to clean an attic tank, or if anyone provides such a service?


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    #2
    FrinkDink
    Closed Accounts Posts: 57 ✭✭FrinkDink


    bump.... anyone?


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    #3
    311
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,332 ✭✭✭311


    In relation to your tank question ,if it's steel you should change it and if its plastic and is very dirty, then there may have been stagnation.
    Be careful with a really dirty tank ,especially if there is any growth on the surface of the water.

    If your not sure about the tank ,get someone to check it out for you and have a look at your pipes.


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    #4
    Pocari Sweat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,106 ✭✭✭Pocari Sweat


    FrinkDink wrote:
    Hey,

    I have a couple of questions... the water in my house appears to be slightly acidic and aggressive, hence green stains sometimes. Would Qual-PEX be an option to install throughout the home to replace the old copper pipes, or would it be worth it? Should I be worried about health issues etc?
    Also, does anyone know the best way to clean an attic tank, or if anyone provides such a service?


    The incoming pH level will probably be less than 7 (or lower than 6.5 which is then falling foul of the Health Board drinking water requirements), and the acidity is leaching copper from the pipes.

    To raise the pH back to acceptable levels, a pH dosing cylinder can be introduced into the incoming mains supply, which uses food grade synthetic dolomitic limestone, and buffers the water with a small adjusted dose of calcium ions to improve pH to usually between the 7 and 9.5 pH band.

    A pH of 7.5 is about the optimum level.

    These systems cost anything from 200 euros and can be installed easily DIY and save a lot of money on re-piping and all the stains etc.

    An adjustable pH unit will be a little more but will last a lot longer and is more accurate in dosing ions to get exact pH figures.


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    #5
    FrinkDink
    Closed Accounts Posts: 57 ✭✭FrinkDink


    I had one of those a while ago, but it made the water taste like crap after a couple of weeks, like a bland cereal taste, and it was awful to shower with.
    Maybe it was badly put together. Im fairly narked by this, as I live in Dublin, so there really shouldnt be these sort of problems. The pH tested at 6.7 I think. Is that decent?


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    #6
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users Posts: 9,807 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    One thing it just might be is if you have a mix of iron and copper in the plumbing. This results in oxidation due to electrolysis and copper oxide in the water, giving it a reddish colour. I don't know if this is consistent with what the problem you are having.

    I wouldn't be too keen on the idea of replacing all your copper pipework with qualpex. A hell of a job, and might not help.

    If it is a really old tank, maybe it would be easier to just replace it rather than investing time in cleaning it? I'm not sure, I am not a plumber and I don't play one on the 'net.


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    #7
    flocker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 139 ✭✭flocker


    If the green stains are around any soldered fittings, it could be flux residue that wasn't properly cleaned away and may have run down the pipework.


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    #8
    Pocari Sweat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,106 ✭✭✭Pocari Sweat


    Flux is the usual cause where green/blue stains appear after new house is plumbed, and the electrolytic effect is effectively at risk with low pH in all houses with steel radiators and copper pipes.

    The pH cylinder you had frink was the usual idiots who supply them without having a bypass dosing pipe. What happens is companies sell a basic pH unit with a straight in / out head and it whacks up the pH right up until you have high (9 to 10) buffered alkaline hard water, often over 400 ppm of lime, which is seriously hard and will feck up yer shower.

    As mentioned in my othe post it needs to be finely adjusted to get the balance preferably to aroung 7.5 pH but still well within the soft water band if possible at 0 to 50 ppm of lime.

    6.7 pH aint so bad. It passes drinking regs, and has a mild acidic quality.

    Wine and cola drinks are as low as 3 to 4 pH, very acidic in comparison, although not affected by health board regs regarding pH levels.


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    #9
    FrinkDink
    Closed Accounts Posts: 57 ✭✭FrinkDink


    Beautiful Pocari mate, I finally know what the feck was going on now! That is insane about the high pH fluctuation, after a couple of weeks you could already see chunky yellow limescale coating everything!
    Any idea of a company that actually knows what theyre on about? The first crowd were EW Technologies... dunno if I should say that. Cheers.


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