Melting Abs
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Cleaning person putting strong drain cleaner into the drain? How about a photo of the replacement piece in place and identifying where the effect is seen most... on the bottom side?
Are these pieces from the trap or what?
Somebody disposing of strong chemicals into that sink?
Are these pieces from the trap or what?
Somebody disposing of strong chemicals into that sink?
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DougB
Member
The only thing I can think of is someone poured ABS solvent down the drain?
leaks
New Member
Thanks for your response - no chemicals down the drain we have been here for 10 years.
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Where was the melted place?
Thinking outside of the box, suppose you spray a bit of lighter colored paint on the underside of the pipe. If somebody is putting something hot under there at times? I can't imagine how that would happen accidentally. And it seems unlikely to happen intentionally.
I would expect a strong chemical to have the biggest effect at spot "B".
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Bluebinky
Member
Maybe some kind of heating going on where the copper pipe crosses the galvanized drain? It seems like there would be other major symptoms, though...
leaks
New Member
Leak is at H-I part of your diagram, where pipe goes in wall. The copper pipe on top is the cold water. No heat of any source it has been bare for 3 weeks ,that's when the second leak started at the same spot (melted part faces down and is only at the point where the two pipes meet.
Standardairconditioner
HVAC'ker
The heat from the hot supply will soften any ABS, but other factors like water hammering can deform it. The iron rough you have will also pick up and keep any radiant heat from the hot supply.
Generally it is good practice to not have any pipes, supply and DWV, touch one another.
Your situation is easily solved by replacing that section of your hot water supply. This can be easily done with Sharkbite/PEX.
I would also remove that iron rough, and replace it with a male threaded ABS DWV fitting. I'm very surprised that wasn't done, and the banded coupler was used instead.
Generally it is good practice to not have any pipes, supply and DWV, touch one another.
Your situation is easily solved by replacing that section of your hot water supply. This can be easily done with Sharkbite/PEX.
I would also remove that iron rough, and replace it with a male threaded ABS DWV fitting. I'm very surprised that wasn't done, and the banded coupler was used instead.
leaks
New Member
Hot water supply is not in contact with the pipe in question.
Bluebinky
Member
I am thinking more of an electrical issue (bonding/stray currents) but hesitate to really say it for fear of being laughed out of town. Oh well, it won't be the first time...
leaks
New Member
That may be it, would changing it all back to the iron piping be the way to go? or into the wall to check for the electrical issue?
While the electrical current thought was good, that would have caused the heat to be generated on top of the ABS rather than the bottom. I will go with a "practical joker" with a
Widgit Maker
Member
Suggest that you check that the electrical grounding system is properly connected to the cold water piping and that there is no breaks in the connection of the path to the ground like a non conducting valve. Perhaps cold water piping is touching galvanized drain and providing path.
leaks
New Member
While it would solve the issue if it were a joke, but its just my husband and myself and unless he has started some new grooming technics that cant be it.
leaks
New Member
Nothing, this place is a storage facility that was built in the early 70's and was converted into an apartment for the managers, stucco walls. Do you think just going back to the galvanized piping would be best? We had no problem before we remodeled.
I think you are saying that this is a single story building, and that the only thing above there is the roof. People don't have access to the roof, so no one can be pouring acid down the roof vent.
I am not a plumber. I am intrigued as to how this could be happening to your ABS.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
How long does it last before you notice? Not that that would point to a specific cause, but it might trigger someone's thought process.
Those connectors should be torqued to within a relatively small range. They make a special torque wrench to make that easy. If it was way overtightened, eventually, it might kink like that. More of a good thing doesn't apply here.
Those connectors should be torqued to within a relatively small range. They make a special torque wrench to make that easy. If it was way overtightened, eventually, it might kink like that. More of a good thing doesn't apply here.
leaks
New Member
It seems to hold up for about 3 weeks then the leaking starts.We have had to have it replaced 3 times. After the remodel we didn't notice any leaking due to the angle of the cabinet, but it must have been leaking for some time due to the amount of mold and the water damage to the cabinet. My regular plumber says he has never seen anything like this, he also thought it was some kind of chemical.
The next time it is taken apart, I would have some wide range (3 to 12 or wider) pH paper handy to measure the moist pipe pH when it first comes out. Maybe slightly moistening the old removed fragments that you have would let you check the pH to see if the moisture becomes acid or base. That could be a clue. Some acids evaporate away, others don't.
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