Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - Black Buildup in Water Heater Connections
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bacchus_1
01-02-06, 05:59 AM
Hello all,
I installed a new electric water heater about two years ago and it has given me great service. I am now replumbing my entire house getting rid of PB and replacing it with CPVC. In the process, I disconnected the water heater and was very surprised to find a jet black material built up in the elbows that connected the water heater iron connections to my plumbing system. Some of it ran on to the water heater during disconnection and it looked like black motor oil. The remainder stayed in the copper elbows as a sludge-like material. It reduced the internal diameter of the elbows to aboiut 25% of the original clean flow.
When I replaced the water heater the first time, I wanted to do it right and asked for dielectric fittings. Not knowing exactly what they were, I installed the fittings to the water heater connections then connected copper elbows to them, then connected to the ball valve and house plumbing. I went to Home Depot and asked to see the dielectric fittings and they look much different than what I was given two years ago. As a matter of fact, I think that the fittings I installed two years ago were simply copper connections that made the transition between the water heater fittings and the copper elbows.
My question is: is this black sludge-like buildup in the fitting connections harmful to the water and the heater? Is this stuff throughout my water heater? Is this caused by not using dielectric fittings or is the black buildup normal?
I installed a new electric water heater about two years ago and it has given me great service. I am now replumbing my entire house getting rid of PB and replacing it with CPVC. In the process, I disconnected the water heater and was very surprised to find a jet black material built up in the elbows that connected the water heater iron connections to my plumbing system. Some of it ran on to the water heater during disconnection and it looked like black motor oil. The remainder stayed in the copper elbows as a sludge-like material. It reduced the internal diameter of the elbows to aboiut 25% of the original clean flow.
When I replaced the water heater the first time, I wanted to do it right and asked for dielectric fittings. Not knowing exactly what they were, I installed the fittings to the water heater connections then connected copper elbows to them, then connected to the ball valve and house plumbing. I went to Home Depot and asked to see the dielectric fittings and they look much different than what I was given two years ago. As a matter of fact, I think that the fittings I installed two years ago were simply copper connections that made the transition between the water heater fittings and the copper elbows.
My question is: is this black sludge-like buildup in the fitting connections harmful to the water and the heater? Is this stuff throughout my water heater? Is this caused by not using dielectric fittings or is the black buildup normal?
Polydorus
01-27-06, 02:06 PM
It doesn't sound like the dielectric fittings to me but I could be wrong. Where do you get your water from i.e. city or a well? Do you have any water filters in your house and do they show any signs of the black buildup material? Has any of it come out of your water taps?