Galvanic Corrosion when pipes aren't in contact

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Maureen Connors

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I have a weird thing going on with my gas line. It is corroding at a spot that is about an inch away (photo is deceptive) from a dielectric union from my main galvanized water line to a closed off copper water line. The rest of the gas line looks good. Copper water pipe looks good. The pipes have never been in any other configuration where they could have come into contact.

Black gas line was installed about 26 years ago. The copper water line has never been used.

This defies my knowledge of the laws of physics. Obviously I'm missing something.

Advice?

Thanks.

Maureen
 

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Sluggo

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I don't have a definite answer, but I'll make a guess. If you wouldn't have given any info but the photo, I would have said that looks like corrosion from long term exposure to external moisture. Is it possible that over a long time there has been water dripping from somewhere? Not necessarily a continual thing, perhaps intermittent. It looks like I can see a spot of rust on the wall, which could happen if a rusty drop of water splashed there. Where is this located and is there any possibility that you could be having a leak hitting this, e.g., during the rainy season? Do you have any idea over what period of time this has occurred?
 

Maureen Connors

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I don't have a definite answer, but I'll make a guess. If you wouldn't have given any info but the photo, I would have said that looks like corrosion from long term exposure to external moisture. Is it possible that over a long time there has been water dripping from somewhere? Not necessarily a continual thing, perhaps intermittent. It looks like I can see a spot of rust on the wall, which could happen if a rusty drop of water splashed there. Where is this located and is there any possibility that you could be having a leak hitting this, e.g., during the rainy season? Do you have any idea over what period of time this has occurred?


That's very, very possible, Sluggo. I looked at it again and there is corrosion at the top of the copper pipe that suggests that there was water dripping. It's also just under the shutoff valve, that surely could have leaked until it gunked up enough. I truly haven't looked at it since we had the gas line installed 26 years ago. It's in a storage cabinet. It isn't leaking now. Maybe the laws of physics are behaving, after all.

Thanks!
 

Sluggo

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I'd simply suggest, then, that you monitor it for a while, just to make sure you don't have a periodic moisture issue.
 

Fletch1

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That dielectric union is leaking at the soldered joint on top of it, and possibly below the nut of the union. The whole union appears corroded. The dark area on the union appears to be moisture. I believe the union to culpable.
 
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