How does the process work?
pinholes in copper plumbing pipes
- Thread starter chip pampalon
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How does the process work?
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
One mechanism is that very turbulent water produces an actual negative pressure region in which a small bubble forms and then collapses, causing a hydraulic shock wave that produces very high surface velocities and forces.
A similar mechanism causes cavitation in poorly designed propellors or ones which are used at too high a speed. Again the symptom (besides inefficiency) is corrosion to the metal surface.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
I can't see this happening at water pressure levels in a house. Google "aggressive water" if you want to learn about a more likely explanation.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
And get a comfortable chair and few months worth of snacks.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
What he said.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
May not be related to the OP's problem, but if you run RO water through copper pipes, the RO water corrodes copper piping.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
RO?
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
Reverse Osmosis
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
What is your source for that information?
RO is just a filtering process at the molecular level. It's about the purest water you can get. How can anyone say that's detrimental to copper piping?
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
Google it. This is from Cornell University: "The storage tank, tubing, and dispensing faucet should be made of plastic, stainless steel, or other nontoxic materials. The low pH and mineral content of RO-treated water may corrode copper pipes and allow lead to leach into the drinking water from brass components."
http://waterquality.cce.cornell.edu/publications/CCEWQ-04-ReverseOsmosisWtrTrt.pdf
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Seems logical if you remove or at least significantly remove minerals from the water it will be more likely to want to collect more minerals again, and pure element metals seem to be easily taken.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
We do a lot of car washes. The "spot free rinse" is RO water. Thats where I learned that RO water eats copper. All the piping after the RO filter is plastic or stainless.
mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
That's incredible. I always thought RO water was neutral pH. (7 I think?).
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
A plumber told me a disaster story where someone thought RO water would be awesome for his entire house. The homeowner devised a RO system, where the water collected in a large drum and then the RO water was then connected to his plumbing system with a water pump. Yeah, the entire house had to be replumbed because all the copper pipes turned to crap. High $ mistake.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Correct. I think they are comparing RO water with un treated water. More important is the low mineral content. Pure water is more 'corrosive' because there is nothing in it to reach a saturation point. High mineral content will leave deposits, low or no mineral content will do the opposite and leach from the surroundings.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I don't think pH is much of an issue, it it the fact that pure water (or nearly pure anyway) has more room for dissolving things then water that already has dissolved content in it.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
That's what I was trying to say. You said it better. Thanks
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
I feel like I am at Terry Love's plumbing forum reading this thread. 
Not a bad thing, just unexpected.
Not a bad thing, just unexpected.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Never been there, is he the Mike Holt of the plumbing trade?I feel like I am at Terry Love's plumbing forum reading this thread.
Not a bad thing, just unexpected.
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