What is this material?

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Dave Swatloski

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This came through my soaker tub hot water side of the faucet. It's pretty tough stuff and feels like a plastic. Any ideas? I ruled out dip tube, it is paper thin. H/W Heater liner? Is it just a sick joke played by the plumber that helped build the house putting the material in the pipe? House is 1999 construction all copper on the high pressure side.
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Reach4

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I don't know what that might be.

Is the water heater the same one that was put into the house in 1999? If yes, you might want to flush the water heater. If no, you still might want to flush the water heater, but that also offers a potential cause that does not date to 1999.

You might want to check your faucet aerators and the hot water filter on your washer.
 

Dave Swatloski

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I don't know what that might be.

Is the water heater the same one that was put into the house in 1999? If yes, you might want to flush the water heater. If no, you still might want to flush the water heater, but that also offers a potential cause that does not date to 1999.

You might want to check your faucet aerators and the hot water filter on your washer.

Original in the house. I flushed it last summer.

I will check the washer and other faucets. Go some out of a sink in the same bathroom as the tub.

Thanks,

Dave
 

Dave Swatloski

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It came through the hot water faucet on the tub. We have pulled the strainer off the nozzle of the outlet and cleared it a few times. It didn't allow the hot water to shut off a couple of times. I had to open and close the faucet to get it all through to get the faucet to shut off. It is like a sheet of plastic. See additional photo. I thought it was a dip tube too, but it is too thin for that, I think. Could it be some sort of inner lining in the Hot water heater?
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Dave Swatloski

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How could I check the dip tube? We do get good hot water. Although my wife tells me we get less of it than we use to.
 
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Smooky

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Do you have access to the cold water inlet of the hot water heater? The dip tube is in the cold water inlet, if the cold water inlet enters at the top of the tank. If the heater is up under the house, right under the floor, it want be easy.
 

JerryR

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About a year ago I had the same White Plastic shaved stuff in the tub and several sink aerators. I drained my water heater and there was lots of white-ish plastic sandy material on the driveway where the hot water was flushed out.

The washing machine supply hoses have a screened washer on them. There was the same shavings/debris only on the hot water side hose screen.

I replaced the Water heater and about a week later no more debris.

I think it was the dip tube.

Check out this thread:
https://terrylove.com/forums/index....lastic-debris-in-aerators-bad-dip-tube.55085/


Jerry
 
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JerryR

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Here is a picture of my shavings:
 

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JerryR

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Jerry,

Thanks. That is the same material. I appreciate it.

Smooky Thanks as well.

Dave,

Mine last year was from an original builder install tank that was 16 years old. That's about the age of your tank. I seem to remember it was a tall, 50 gallon, ekectric, A.O. Smith tank.

I suggest you replace your hot water tank before too long. It only gets worse and the debris will eventually clog up anything that uses hot water. I had to pull every faucet aerator, shower head and remove and replace shower cartridges.
 

MichaelBukay

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I also have found the same material in a water system. A customer complained of a shower valve restriction. Sure enough, when I removed the cartridge, this material was clogging the valve body. Still don't know what it really is.
 

Reach4

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JerryR, if you do change out your hot water heater, could you pull your dip tube and post a picture? Some us are curious.
 

JerryR

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JerryR, if you do change out your hot water heater, could you pull your dip tube and post a picture? Some us are curious.

Too late. I replaced mine last year.

Perhaps Dave could post pictures if he replaces his.
 

Dave Swatloski

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Nope going to replace the hot water heater... If I am here I may pull it if the plumber I hire has time to let me mess with it.
 

Dave Swatloski

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I'm replacing it with a Kenmore with a 12 year warrantee. If the guys pulling it will let me mess with the old one, I will see if I can pull it for pictures.
 
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