corrosion on joints

Wayco Wayne_2

We have a Phoenix water heater in an ince rink that has corrosion developing on the copper joints around it. Any idea why this is happening and what can be done about it???

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening and what can be done about it.

nicholas bonham-carter

Is it an ammonia refrigeration system-maybe there is a leak.--NBC

keyote

is there a swimming pool or hot tub near by or a janitor that loves him some bleach

Fred

That top picture looks like the corrosion is on a cast iron fitting. Not the copper. The bottom picture looks like the corrosion is on the shut off valve, which doesn't look like brass. Looks like someone may have used the wrong fittings and there is a reaction between the copper and those fittings to me. There is one copper to copper fitting in that second picture that looks like maybe a tiny leak in that solder joint.

ChrisJ

Fred said:

That top picture looks like the corrosion is on a cast iron fitting. Not the copper. The bottom picture looks like the corrosion is on the shut off valve, which doesn't look like brass. Looks like someone may have used the wrong fittings and there is a reaction between the copper and those fittings to me. There is one copper to copper fitting in that second picture that looks like maybe a tiny leak in that solder joint.

They're soldered.
They're brass.

Fred

ChrisJ said:

Fred said:

That top picture looks like the corrosion is on a cast iron fitting. Not the copper. The bottom picture looks like the corrosion is on the shut off valve, which doesn't look like brass. Looks like someone may have used the wrong fittings and there is a reaction between the copper and those fittings to me. There is one copper to copper fitting in that second picture that looks like maybe a tiny leak in that solder joint.

They're soldered.
They're brass.

I saw they were soldered but they just don't look like brass

ChrisJ

Fred said:

ChrisJ said:

Fred said:

That top picture looks like the corrosion is on a cast iron fitting. Not the copper. The bottom picture looks like the corrosion is on the shut off valve, which doesn't look like brass. Looks like someone may have used the wrong fittings and there is a reaction between the copper and those fittings to me. There is one copper to copper fitting in that second picture that looks like maybe a tiny leak in that solder joint.

They're soldered.
They're brass.

I saw they were soldered but they just don't look like brass

it's either your monitor, or a combination of the camera that took the pictures and your monitor.

They're soft soldered and you're not going to soft solder cast iron or steel. Silver solder with the proper rod and flux yes but I'm sure that's not the case especially considering all of the propress going on there.

bob_46

Dezincification. Somethin in the water is leaching the zinc out of the brass. These newfangled brass alloys with no lead have more zinc. Ol' Hot Rod should know a bunch about this.

kcopp

Dezincification was the 1st thing I thought of and then bob mentioned it...

hot_rod

I would suspect something in the water also, check ph first

Gordy

Quite amazing how water is the most universal solvent on the planet........

ChrisJ

Gordy said:

Quite amazing how water is the most universal solvent on the planet........

And you have a ton of it all through your floors under pressure just waiting to do damage.