Re: Mysterious white plastic debris plugging faucets

Posted by Craig Erickson on May 05, 2004 at 17:26:08:
In response to Re: Mysterious white plastic debris plugging faucets
: Try putting a few pieces in vinegar to see what happens. : If it dissolves, it's calcuim. If it doesn't, it's plastic. : We can go on from there. Vince, that's a good thought, but perhaps in my lengthy original note, you didn't see that I'd confirmed this white material is definitely a thermoplastic because it melts and chars when I touch a hot soldering iron to it. We are definitly dealing with plastic and not calcium here! Since I have strong doubts that this plastic could be from my 1966 AOSmith water heaters dip tube, which I replaced with the Thermar tankless heater in 1984, I am still baffled.

Posted by Craig Erickson on May 05, 2004 at 17:26:08:

In response to Re: Mysterious white plastic debris plugging faucets

: Try putting a few pieces in vinegar to see what happens.
: If it dissolves, it's calcuim. If it doesn't, it's plastic.

: We can go on from there.

Vince, that's a good thought, but perhaps in my lengthy original note, you didn't see that I'd confirmed this white material is definitely a thermoplastic because it melts and chars when I touch a hot soldering iron to it. We are definitly dealing with plastic and not calcium here!

Since I have strong doubts that this plastic could be from my 1966 AOSmith water heaters dip tube, which I replaced with the Thermar tankless heater in 1984, I am still baffled.

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