Uponor discolored

[GL77]

The Uponor that connects to the line from my water heater is turning yellow. Is it normal for it to discolor from heat or is this a sign of trouble? It's a couple years old. I keep the water heater (tankless) at 125. You can see the normal color of the other line in the photo.

 

[Reach4]

That is probably iron from the water. I expect you do not have a water softener. Well water, right?

The pipes upstream of this pipe are probably not translucent.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[GL77]

This is the only place the pipe has become discolored. I don't have a problem with iron in my water. I'm on city water. I do have sediment but I have a sediment filter before the pipes branch off to anything else. Could it be something within the tankless that is causing staining?

 

[GL77]

PS. No softener, my water is pretty soft as it is.

 

[Reach4]

This is the only place the pipe has become discolored. I don't have a problem with iron in my water. I'm on city water. I do have sediment but I have a sediment filter before the pipes branch off to anything else. Could it be something within the tankless that is causing staining?

If it were heat, I would expect the effect to be larger nearer the WH. On the other hand, you normally don't put pex within 18 inches of the WH.

Is there any galvanized pipe in the path, including before the WH? Galvanized pipe attracts a magnet.

 

[Jeff H Young]

if flex is an 18 incher it meets code.

 

[GL77]

if flex is an 18 incher it meets code.

Thanks, yes it's 24" of flex bent in a loop that connects to the Uponor.

I do have some galvanized fittings where the line from the meter comes into the house but this is the only place the Uponor is discolored, right after the WH.