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Off Topic => General Discussion => Topic started by: Glom on January 25, 2021, 10:37:07 AM

Title: Plumbing question
Post by: Glom on January 25, 2021, 10:37:07 AM
I happen to unscrew the cap on one of my bathroom taps, which is caked in scale. On top, I found this fetching pile of bluish coarse powder loosely sitting on top of the plastic mesh. Is this supposed to be there? I would assume this is debris that should be cleared but it looks like no debris I've seen. It's not some all-natural filtration thing, is it? Seems unlikely, but I thought I'd check.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: molesworth on January 25, 2021, 04:24:16 PM
I happen to unscrew the cap on one of my bathroom taps, which is caked in scale. On top, I found this fetching pile of bluish coarse powder loosely sitting on top of the plastic mesh. Is this supposed to be there? I would assume this is debris that should be cleared but it looks like no debris I've seen. It's not some all-natural filtration thing, is it? Seems unlikely, but I thought I'd check.
Without knowing exactly the type of tap, or what the "powder" looked like, it's hard to say, but if it's bluish then it may be corrosion of copper piping in an electrochemical reaction with steel in the tap body.  Or it may be a disintegrated plastic washer within the tap mechanism (less likely, as I'd expect it to leak if it was that badly broken.)
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Peter B on January 25, 2021, 05:48:24 PM
I happen to unscrew the cap on one of my bathroom taps, which is caked in scale. On top, I found this fetching pile of bluish coarse powder loosely sitting on top of the plastic mesh. Is this supposed to be there? I would assume this is debris that should be cleared but it looks like no debris I've seen. It's not some all-natural filtration thing, is it? Seems unlikely, but I thought I'd check.

When you say "the plastic mesh", where in the tap is this mesh? Do you mean the aerator at the nozzle of the tap? If not, could you post a picture (just a generic picture) and point to where the mesh is?
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: VQ on January 25, 2021, 06:19:47 PM
Sounds like corrosion from copper pipes. Likely nothing to worry about. No, if you have the strainer off you can brush the loose flakes off into the garbage can.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Obviousman on January 25, 2021, 10:31:01 PM
I'm guessing copper sulphate / carbonate (I can't remember which)? I've seen it heaps on hot water systems.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: VQ on January 26, 2021, 01:24:08 AM
I'm guessing copper sulphate / carbonate (I can't remember which)? I've seen it heaps on hot water systems.
Copper carbonate is bluish green; copper sulphate is bright blue.

I think.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Glom on January 26, 2021, 02:37:38 AM
Here's the stuff. The view shows the top of the cap that is inside the tap.

BTW, it is lovely to see the stream of water from a freshly descale thingy.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Obviousman on January 26, 2021, 02:54:44 AM
Hmm - not what I was expecting.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Obviousman on January 26, 2021, 03:10:10 AM
BTW, it is lovely to see the stream of water from a freshly descale thingy.

Did you use CLR?
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Zakalwe on January 26, 2021, 03:49:32 AM
Somewhere, on a plumbing forum, someone is asking about unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine....  :P ;) ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Zakalwe on January 26, 2021, 03:52:54 AM
On a more serious note, do you live in a hard water area? If you do then it's probably just lime deposits building up. Wrap a rag around it and splash some vinegar on it. It'll come up a treat.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: molesworth on January 26, 2021, 06:14:06 AM
Somewhere, on a plumbing forum, someone is asking about unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine....  :P ;) ;D ;D ;D
That got a literal laugh out loud from me!  ;D
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Glom on January 26, 2021, 06:39:59 AM
Hmm - not what I was expecting.

Oh?

BTW, it is lovely to see the stream of water from a freshly descale thingy.

Did you use CLR?

Viakal mostly and finger nail.

On a more serious note, do you live in a hard water area? If you do then it's probably just lime deposits building up. Wrap a rag around it and splash some vinegar on it. It'll come up a treat.

This is the South of England. The water is so hard it's always asking me for a fight in the car park.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Jason Thompson on January 26, 2021, 07:38:17 AM
This is the South of England. The water is so hard it's always asking me for a fight in the car park.

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Certainly the water here in the south of England is rock hard. The crud on your filter is probably limescale coloured by minor corrosion in the pipes over the years. I can wholeheartedly recommend these guys though:

Harvey's water softeners (https://www.harveywatersofteners.co.uk/water-softener/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=harveys%20water%20softener&utm_campaign=HWS%20-%20Retail%20-%20TM%20-%20Exact&utm_id=go_cmp-931329726_adg-50483602510_ad-236160982951_kwd-298922104535_dev-c_ext-_prd-_sig-EAIaIQobChMIk9DL9M257gIVAbbtCh2spgT6EAAYAiAAEgLDN_D_BwE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk9DL9M257gIVAbbtCh2spgT6EAAYAiAAEgLDN_D_BwE)

We got one fitted years ago and the difference was amazing. Use of detergents for laundry, dishwashing, bathing etc. has dropped a lot, we haven't had to descale a kettle or shower head in years, and skin irritation is reduced. Worth a look. Feel free to DM me if you want to know more.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Zakalwe on January 26, 2021, 07:39:56 AM


On a more serious note, do you live in a hard water area? If you do then it's probably just lime deposits building up. Wrap a rag around it and splash some vinegar on it. It'll come up a treat.

This is the South of England. The water is so hard it's always asking me for a fight in the car park.

Did you spill it's girlfriend or look at it's pint?  ;D ;D

It'll be crud building up from the hard water. Get your central heating flushed out sometime and be amazed at the quantity of utter filth that's been circulating round in there for years!
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: JayUtah on January 26, 2021, 12:14:38 PM
Somewhere, on a plumbing forum, someone is asking about unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine....  :P ;) ;D ;D ;D

Which actually does pose a not-insignificant problem for its plumbing.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Peter B on January 26, 2021, 06:26:55 PM
Somewhere, on a plumbing forum, someone is asking about unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine....  :P ;) ;D ;D ;D

But isn't there a vague Apollo connection?

I have this memory of a problem with hydraulic fluid in either the Saturn vehicle or the Apollo spacecraft which kept producing crystals that had the potential to block up the plumbing?  :o

Or do I have it wrong?
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: VQ on January 26, 2021, 07:03:54 PM
Here's the stuff. The view shows the top of the cap that is inside the tap.

BTW, it is lovely to see the stream of water from a freshly descale thingy.

Looks like a mix that includes copper carbonate and maybe Fe3O4, to the extent that it's possible to tell these things from a photo.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: gwiz on January 27, 2021, 06:45:59 AM
Certainly the water here in the south of England is rock hard.
Not everywhere.  Ours comes from rain on granite moorland and not much of that gets dissolved.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: molesworth on January 27, 2021, 06:48:34 AM
Looks like a mix that includes copper carbonate and maybe Fe3O4, to the extent that it's possible to tell these things from a photo.

Have you tried the Firefox Spectroscope plugin?  ;)
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: Glom on January 27, 2021, 10:22:58 AM
It reminded me of miniature blue slate I've used in garden. Thought it looked quite nice.
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: VQ on January 27, 2021, 02:56:11 PM
Looks like a mix that includes copper carbonate and maybe Fe3O4, to the extent that it's possible to tell these things from a photo.

Have you tried the Firefox Spectroscope plugin?  ;)

I get distinct peaks at around 490, 580, and 640 nm.  :D
Title: Re: Plumbing question
Post by: LunarOrbit on January 30, 2021, 10:14:45 PM
Here's the stuff. The view shows the top of the cap that is inside the tap.

BTW, it is lovely to see the stream of water from a freshly descale thingy.

It's not lead, I hope.