copper turning black

jaydevries

i was in a house and all the copper was black on the outside. it is on a well and there is no galvanized pipe in the system. i was wondering if it is a ph balance issue. or something else

__________________
be careful my advice only comes from general knowledge i know about the 4 rules it takes to plumb and they are
1 poop needs to flow down hill. 2 hot on left cold on right
3 i get a pay check on Mondays 4 do not chew finger nails at or after work.

VIPlumber

I believe that the well might have a high hydrogen sulphide content. Does the water have a strong rotten egg smell?

jaydevries

not that i could smell. i did see that they had a magnetic filter then xx-large whole house filter,then water softener. would that get ride of smell.

__________________
be careful my advice only comes from general knowledge i know about the 4 rules it takes to plumb and they are
1 poop needs to flow down hill. 2 hot on left cold on right
3 i get a pay check on Mondays 4 do not chew finger nails at or after work.

gregzoll

Reminds me of the Chinese drywall issue. Are the electrical wires also turning black, along with the piping? Can you post pictures.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
: Now listen, Cadet. I've got a job for you. See this button?
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
: Don't touch it! It's the History Eraser button, you fool!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
: So what'll happen?
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
: That's just it. We don't know. Maybe something bad, maybe something good. I guess we'll never know, 'cause you're going to guard it. You won't touch it, will you?

VIPlumber

From what I understand when trying to get rid of H2S (hydrogen sulphide), it all depends on the amount present (ppm). If it's a fairly low concentration then I believe that a carbon activated filter should work. Other fixes include changing the anode in the water heater to magnesium, greensand filtration, aeration of the water, or chlorine injection/shocking the well with chlorine.

Or, as gregzoll mentions it could be the Chinese drywall issue. I haven't any experience with this however.

dogris

How would the water inside the copper pipe affect the outside surface of the pipe run?