Piping Damage

Bill Campbell_2

We replaced a boiler two years ago. Went to do some service work yesterday. We built the headers from black iron. Several of the fittings, both on the supply and return side are severely rusted and pitted (on the outside). Looks like electrolysis damage I have seen before in other applications. The electric service is older and does not appear to be earth grounded. It is grounded to the incoming water supply. Any thoughts, ideas?

nicholas bonham-carter

electrolysis

i have seen a case where when the neutral wire was broken,people were getting low level shocks in the shower!
have you taken off the relief to look inside?--nbc
P.S.--why not take a sample of the water and test it for PH.
keep it around until you know what the cause is--who knows what "uncle joe" might have put in the boiler to make it work better?

nicholas bonham-carter

pitted piping

could there also have been a flood [or constant dampness]in the boiler area? the outside pitting must have resulted from outside [the pipe] conditions--nbc

kpc_43

I was @...

a job recently and I noticed the same thing. I belive it was in a dampo basement and during the summer the boiler was not used for hot water... the fittings and had a coat of rust.