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glycol leaks...

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Timco
Timco Member Posts: 3,040
in THE MAIN WALL
So I replaced several ftgs & a couple y-strainers with blue sludge & crystals growing from tiny glycol leaks. What makes the blue deposits and what are they actually? Harmful? Some may have cleaned up, but once the blue deposits were large & slimy, I replaced the while ftg.

Tim
Just a guy running some pipes.

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  • Doug_7
    Doug_7 Member Posts: 244
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    Blue Deposits with copper and glycol

    The blue deposit is the corrosion product of copper and glycol. Oxygen from the air oxidizes the glycol into an acid which corrodes the copper. Glycol-Copper corrosion forms copper compounds that are blue in color. Slimy is from the glycol.

    Tiny water leaks such as porosity in cast bronze valves and fittings will cause a small white patch on the outside of the fitting. The water does not corrode the copper, it only evaporates.

    With glycol, which is much more prone to find tiny leaks, the glycol oxidizes and some copper is corroded, which gives you the blue crystals.

    More unsightly than harmful - but good to fix those leaks.

    Doug
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