What has caused the corrosion?

[snowdrop]

Asking for some help….

Would anyone be able to tell me what has caused the green corrosion on the pipe in the first photo?

This particular pipe leaked soon after the photo. The installers are saying it is caused by hard water.
But the pipe was installed 17mths before. In my view it is flux - from what I have learnt.

There are a lot of patches and spots of green on other pipes. I understand that the green is excessive flux from handling and tools, but the installers do not agree, although they cannot tell me what it is.
They have admitted that there is a lot of flux left on the pipes around the joins.

To me the green corrosion shown in the first photo looks the same as that in the other photos which is on the outside and therefore could not be hard water.

In my view it is odd that the leak is caused by hard water according to the installers, whereas all the other patches of corrosion can only be caused by flux.

These are just my views and I am grateful for any views and comments from those with experience.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

It looks like flux that's not been wiped off. You also get a green marking when a pipes been leaking for a while.

Where's it leaking from?

 

[Old Account]

Flux definitely .... They may havnt flushed the system too

 

[snowdrop]

Rocketmanbkk, thank you for your reply.
The green corrosion was cleaned off, but it wasn't leaking at the time. It leaked after it was cleaned, so it was not leaking for a while. The leak was from at the top of the green areas, just under the bracket. The photo is sideways, the bracket is at the top.

 

[gmartine]

An intermittent leak may coming from somewhere so your installers might be correct in that it's hardwater and not flux, does all the additional staining appear on the pipe that has the motorised valve (pic 2)?

 

[rpm]

It could be worse! lol

 

[rocketmanbkk]

View attachment 25018

It could be worse! lol

Nasty

 

[snowdrop]

gmartine, thank you for your reply - no there was no intermittent leak. It was not leaking before it was cleaned. It only leaked for the first time 3wks after it was cleaned, and the pipe was pitted at that point. Therefore it seems to me that the corrosion was on the outside rather than coming from the inside.

Not sure what you mean by:

does all the additional staining appear on the pipe that has the motorised valve (pic 2)?

 

[Riley]

cleaning pipe will not make it leak. It was either inferior quality, damaged or has been corroded as said before I would say flux

 

[plumben]

Looks like flux to me, are these Central heating pipes?

 

[snowdrop]

It seems to me from the replies, for which I am very grateful, that the corrosion on the outside of the pipe could only be caused by hard water, if there was a leak for some time either continuously or intermittently. Would that be correct?
But it was not leaking for some time, the leak came after the green area had developed.

I didn’t mean to say that cleaning caused the leak, rather that when it was cleaned we saw that it was not leaking.

The corroded pipe in the first photo is cold water, the others are heating pipes.

 

[Staffy85]

I would say flux based on picture two, it shows small splatter spots and a small leak would run not splatter..

 

[chris watkins]

An intermittent leak may coming from somewhere so your installers might be correct in that it's hardwater and not flux, does all the additional staining appear on the pipe that has the motorised valve (pic 2)?

Come on, you can't really believe that it is hard water which caused the trouble in stead of flux? Calcium and magnesium minerals do not attack copper if anything they coat & protect the inside copper surface.

If the leak was from under the clips (brackets) why would the hard water inside choose that place to come through?
Joint has been soldered above clips self cleaning flux has run down the pipe & gone under the clip where it has remained and corroded its way through helped if it is hot water by the heat.

Too much flux & not correctly washed off.

 

[chris watkins]

PS. ask the plumber to call in the Copper tube manufacturers if it British / EU tube it should have a 25 year guarantee again corrosion,

I bet they won't get them in cos they know they would just laugh.

 

[snowdrop]

PS. ask the plumber to call in the Copper tube manufacturers if it British / EU tube it should have a 25 year guarantee again corrosion,

I bet they won't get them in cos they know they would just laugh.

That is a very interesting point that you make, because their first excuse was that they could not guarantee the life of the pipes, although they had only installed them 17mths previously.
I will ask them.