what causes pipes to do this????????

[DetroitHomeinspector]

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more photos

http://inspectionnews.com/ubb/Forum11/HTML/000773.html

 

[hj]

joints

Usually bad solder joints. Not bad enough to leak, but bad enough to seep water and when it evaporates it leaves the minerals behind. But it could be excessive flux on the joint, although flux is usually "burned" off during the process of soldering the joint.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Plumber1]

pipes

It started out as sloppy soldering.
The pipes were never wiped at that time of soldering.
Sweaty pipes over several years will look like that.
And some of those spots will develop pin holes.

 

[DetroitHomeinspector]

detroit home inspector

i agree that some of those spots will develop holes...but why does that happen??

 

[SteveW]

i agree that some of those spots will develop holes...but why does that happen??

See HJ's and plumber1's comments above -- flux wasn't properly wiped off at time joints were made and it can be corrosive over time (as I understand it).

 

[Gary Slusser]

The spots in line on the underside of the tubing is from water droplets caused by humidity and 'sweating' pipes. I've never seen them lead to leaking. But flux that is acid based, and left on the copper, eats holes in the tubing and provides an excellent place for bacteria to live; which have an acidic waste, and both cause pinholes in copper tubing. Non water soluble flux happens to be the second most common cause of pinholes in copper tubing. The first or most common cause is not reaming the end of tubing that has been cut off with tubing cutters which allows for erosion corrosion caused pinholes.

The white/gray residue is caused by water from 'sweating' corroding the solder; especially lead based solder.

Gary
Quality Water Associates