Green crystals coming out all the hot taps in the house? help please

[Els]

Hello, the house was refurbished over a year ago and now we have Green crystals coming out all the hot taps in the house? The water board say it's not limescale

These green crystal like pieces are coming out of all the hot water taps and showers: we collect them from the tap filers: there are also some black pieces among them. If we take off the tap filer and put a tea strainer under the water we get the same crystals collecting in the strainer. Our hot water system is almost all plastic pipe. We first noticed a problem when, following the water mains renewal on the road, our pressure in our showers decreased: we thought they had turned the water pressure down whilst they were carrying out the works. But it very gradually got worse. They have been and tested the mains water and that is fine.

Many thanks as we are stumped and so is our plumber , thanks again

 

[snowhead]

Have the Water board analysed the substance or just looked at it / photograph?

Is it only from the hot taps?
Is the hot water from a Combi boiler or Storage cylinder?
If cylinder do you know if it's mains water into it or do you also have a storage tank in the loft?

Do you have a Water softener and do you have Solar heated hot water?

 

[SimonG]

Do you have combi boiler, invented cylinder or conventional vented cylinder?

 

[Els]

Have the Water board analysed the substance or just looked at it / photograph?

Is it only from the hot taps?
Is the hot water from a Combi boiler or Storage cylinder?
If cylinder do you know if it's mains water into it or do you also have a storage tank in the loft?

Do you have a Water softener and do you have Solar heated hot water?

Hello, Still waiting to hear from the waterboard, Anything hot, showers and and hot taps, There's no tank in the loft, it is a system boiler/pressurized system.

We don't have a softener yet, although looking into it and no solar. thanks again for your thoughts, appreciated.
[automerge]1587930823[/automerge]

Have the Water board analysed the substance or just looked at it / photograph?

Is it only from the hot taps?
Is the hot water from a Combi boiler or Storage cylinder?
If cylinder do you know if it's mains water into it or do you also have a storage tank in the loft?

Do you have a Water softener and do you have Solar heated hot water?

Do you have combi boiler, invented cylinder or conventional vented cylinder?

Hello, Still waiting to hear from the waterboard, Anything hot, showers and and hot taps, There's no tank in the loft, it is a system boiler/pressurized system.
Source URL: Green crystals coming out all the hot taps in the house? help please - https://www.plumbersforums.net/threads/green-crystals-coming-out-all-the-hot-taps-in-the-house-help-please.115347/

 

[Brambles]

That looks like copper chloride. I am surprised that the local water company did not tell you.

To test it, put the crystals on a plate in the oven at 120 degrees for an hour or so until all the moisture is removed. It should turn into a brown powder. If you then burn it it gives a very bright blue green flame.


Do you have a hot water storage tank (as oppose to a combi boiler)?

It forms when there is copper sulphate forming in your system reacting with chlorine in the water - it can form in hot or cold water, but is faster to grow the warmer the water.

It is a system design / installation issue. It is most unlikely to be related to mains supplied water.

You need to find what in your system is causing copper sulphate to form. Look for any galvanised or iron fittings / pipe in the system. The system should be completely cooper, brass, possibly stainless steel and plastic - anything else may cause bimetallic corrosion a by product of which is copper sulphate. Once the reaction gets going it can produce a lot of crystals very quickly.

An alternative to improve the situation, but not fully resolve it is to flush the system with citric acid and then instal a magnesium anode into system ( preferably in the storage tank).

Conventional cleaning out the system will ( in my experience) have minimal effect, unless the source is identified and removed.

 

[Els]

That looks like copper chloride. I am surprised that the local water company did not tell you.

To test it, put the crystals on a plate in the oven at 120 degrees for an hour or so until all the moisture is removed. It should turn into a brown powder. If you then burn it it gives a very bright blue green flame.


Do you have a hot water storage tank (as oppose to a combi boiler)?

It forms when there is copper sulphate forming in your system reacting with chlorine in the water - it can form in hot or cold water, but is faster to grow the warmer the water.

It is a system design / installation issue. It is most unlikely to be related to mains supplied water.

You need to find what in your system is causing copper sulphate to form. Look for any galvanised or iron fittings / pipe in the system. The system should be completely cooper, brass, possibly stainless steel and plastic - anything else may cause bimetallic corrosion a by product of which is copper sulphate. Once the reaction gets going it can produce a lot of crystals very quickly.

An alternative to improve the situation, but not fully resolve it is to flush the system with citric acid and then instal a magnesium anode into system ( preferably in the storage tank).

Conventional cleaning out the system will ( in my experience) have minimal effect, unless the source is identified and removed.

Brilliant thanks i will try that, thanks again , really appreciated

 

[Blue green crystals]

Hi Els,

we are havino the same issue!

did you find a solution?

 

[Blue green crystals]

Brilliant thanks i will try that, thanks again , really appreciated

Did you find a solution?
it’s such a nightmare and we cannot figure it out !

 

[king of pipes]

You have electrolysis going on in your system most likely caused by the depletion of the sacrificial anode allowing copper chloride to build up in your system . Early Valliant unvented cylinder required the anode to be replaced every three years? only guessing to the type of system you have put a couple of pictures up for further guidance . Kop

 

[Blue green crystals]

You have electrolysis going on in your system most likely caused by the depletion of the sacrificial anode allowing copper chloride to build up in your system . Early Valliant unvented cylinder required the anode to be replaced every three years? only guessing to the type of system you have put a couple of pictures up for further guidance . Kop

Thank you for your reply.
We have a grant oil system which is a combi. the Crystals are a greeny white - picture attached. The combi has stainless pipes inside and we have all new copper and plastic pipes throughout the house. We have had our heat exchanger changed and had a water softener installed but this has not cured this issue. it Sounds like you can hear debris in the pipe when you run a bath full blast.

 

[king of pipes]

Measure the pH value of your water simple kits are available online you need 7 to 8.5 - 7 is pH neutral any thing lower is considered acidic water and can lead to problems higher than 8.5 can lead to a build up of deposits in your pipework ? Please check and report back . Kop