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Copper plating in steam boilers

Elgordo_2
Elgordo_2 Member Posts: 1
One of the rants against the use of copper pipe for wet returns is that the copper plates out on the cast iron and causes it fail at or near this plating, or some such notion.

Are there any studies on this in peer review journals, i.e. is there proof, or is this one of those "it's-the-lime-in-the-concrete-that-causes-pipes-to-corrode" beliefs that everybody "knows" is true, that in fact is not so.

Comments

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,450
    not plating exactly

    Hello: small, even microscopic bits of copper from the lines can get into the boiler. There they form cells that corrode away the iron, forming pits. The copper is noble to the iron and the latter must corrode away to protect the copper. That's basically how anodes in water heaters and boats work. Hope that helps.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,578
    Very

    true.
    Retired and loving it.
This discussion has been closed.