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AC condensate 3/8 soft copper piping cracks

flowpro
flowpro Member Posts: 5
edited July 16 in THE MAIN WALL

I have come across a repair today where for no apparent reason the 3/8 soft copper piping from a AC condensate pump discharge had cracked in ceiling and leaked through sheetrock.

A year ago August I repaired 3/8 soft copper piping from a AC condensate pump discharge with almost exact same circumstances. The odd thing about this copper is that it has seemed to have lost all its original annealed properties in large sections and becomes brittle and will crack before you can bend it.

Has anyone come across this or have an explanation on how AC condensate can preform this Chinese sorcery on soft copper piping?

Please do not reply with "The piping must be supported" answer.…It has nothing to do with it.

See picture from today and two others from last August.

7-24.jpg
8-23 a.jpg
8-23.jpg

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,876

    Is the condensate sufficiently neutralized? It must be at 7 or higher, or it will attack copper. Test some — I'll bet it's acidic.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,854

    ac condensate is acidic also ?

    known to beat dead horses
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,955

    i'm betting it was damaged when it was drawn at the factory though it could have been damaged as it was installed. I know brass will harden over time, maybe copper with the right impurities also will. maybe that is why it got defects as it was drawn

    CLamb
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,876
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1806262#Comment_1806262

    Not as much as from a condensing furnace, but yes it is. Carbonic acid. It's a weak acid, but… persistent.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,492

    I have never seen copper do that. If it had frozen it would have bulged.

    Something weird going on.

    Check out the Copper Development Association. Maybe they can help

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,298

    Please do not reply with "The piping must be supported" answer.…It has nothing to do with it.

    How do you know that? 35° condensate going through a piece of copper that's what 100, 120, 140°F. Thats a lot of movement, Anything's possible.

    Why 3/8"? I'll assume you're using a condensate pump, correct? Pump it up into a 3/4" PVC drain that's gravity fed.

  • flowpro
    flowpro Member Posts: 5

    Yes, the 3/8 piping is from a condensate pump on AC that only runs in summer. I edited post to clarify.

    This has nothing to do with the pipe being stressed….The properties the copper has changed to a hardened brittle state.

  • pedmec
    pedmec Member Posts: 1,067

    is there another drain also dumping into the condensate pump? maybe condensing furnace or boiler dumping into pump?

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,298

    This has nothing to do with the pipe being stressed…

    As soft copper moves from heating and cooling it becomes hardened. Anneled!

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,316
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1806322#Comment_1806322

    hardened and annealed are complete opposites.

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,298
    edited July 17

    OK

    Hardened!

    Big Ed_4
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,020

    Yes the copper will get brittle , vibration will do it . Best off replacing the full line rather then repairing.. You would end up chasing leaks if you don't ……

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

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