# New water heater-copper corrosion



## bambam (Mar 25, 2014)

Went on a service call today for a Bradford white installed in January by one of our installers. The copper hot side was piped with about 3 ft of copper from tank to cpvc. The entire piece of copper was covered in corrosion. No sign of leaking, dielectric had some corrosion, and anode rod was pitted and black. 

I was a little baffled to how this happened so quickly and to this extent. What I'd like to know is how this could happen? I noticed the dielectric was in contact with the galvanized draft hood. I replaced the rod with an aluminum alloy rod, but would still like to hear your 2 cents.


----------



## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

could it be bad air quality, an extremely damp basement, leak that is no longer leaking, bad copper, was cpvc used for a reason because of something corrosive? just throwing out ideas. i might be way off on all of them but....


----------



## ironandfire (Oct 9, 2008)

Pictures.


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

it can also be poor grounding or no grounding of the electrical system that totally corrodes the copper going into the water heater....


----------



## Hoosier Plumber (Nov 28, 2013)

My first guess would be a leak that reseals itself. If the cpvc and copper were joined by male to female threads you could have a situation where when expansion creates a tighter seal, and when there is contraction. 

I've seen this happen on heaters when cpvc is in use as mentioned and the heater has failed to stay lit and warm. 

What type of transition did your guys use to join the CPVC and copper? 

There could also be a small crack in the CPVC is a female adaptor was used to join to copper. Which is why I won't use one under any circumstance, they break to easy.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Why are u wasting your money with the die electric unions??


----------



## bambam (Mar 25, 2014)

Sorry no pics. There was a copper female to cpvc male. I noticed the corrosion stopped at about 1/4in above the dielectric. I ended up using a sharkbite for the repair. 

We use dielectrics on all our installs with at least 18" of copper above


----------



## Hoosier Plumber (Nov 28, 2013)

Another possibly is someone did not clean the flux off the copper after sweating. Due to the humidity around here is doesn't take long for copper to turn green if flux was left on the copper.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

I fail to see why die electrics unions are needed for a short piece of copper from water heater to cpvc pipe??


----------



## Hoosier Plumber (Nov 28, 2013)

rjbphd said:


> I fail to see why die electrics unions are needed for a short piece of copper from water heater to cpvc pipe??


Unions are code here, no matter what you use to connect, or some means of easy disconnect like a flex connector. 

Code reads something like within 12" of the appliance. Not that anyone cares or bothers putting them on.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Hoosier Plumber said:


> Unions are code here, no matter what you use to connect, or some means of easy disconnect like a flex connector.
> 
> Code reads something like within 12" of the appliance. Not that anyone cares or bothers putting them on.


Even when there are die electric nipples on water heater??


----------



## Hoosier Plumber (Nov 28, 2013)

rjbphd said:


> Even when there are die electric nipples on water heater??


Yes, code states having a disconnection within 12", doesn't say it has to be dielectric but some form. 

If I remember to look later I will try and find the wording.


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Hoosier Plumber said:


> Yes, code states having a disconnection within 12", doesn't say it has to be dielectric but some form.
> 
> If I remember to look later I will try and find the wording.


Still bs for us... the new water heater won't be the same height and you'll have to cut it out anyway.. I won't even bother installing them..


----------



## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

Hoosier Plumber said:


> Unions are code here, no matter what you use to connect, or some means of easy disconnect like a flex connector. Code reads something like within 12" of the appliance. Not that anyone cares or bothers putting them on.


Why? To make it easier for a homeowner or handy hack to install? Just use a sharkbite for that. Rolleyes.

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


----------



## Nathan901 (Feb 11, 2012)

Code is code, but aren't the dielectric nipples on heaters stainless steel? Shouldn't matter lol


----------



## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

bambam said:


> Sorry no pics. There was a copper female to cpvc male. I noticed the corrosion stopped at about 1/4in above the dielectric. I ended up using a sharkbite for the repair. We use dielectrics on all our installs with at least 18" of copper above


Anyone who uses a shark bite for a repair doesn't deserve any advise around here


----------



## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Nathan901 said:


> Code is code, but aren't the dielectric nipples on heaters stainless steel? Shouldn't matter lol


The nipples have a plastic insert, or waterway, that lines the inside of the nipple.


----------



## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Michaelcookplum said:


> Anyone who uses a shark bite for a repair doesn't deserve any advise around here


I'm not a fan of using Sharkbites but will sometimes use them when working with CPVC.


----------



## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

Shark bites have their place in repairs I have installed thousands on jobs I've been on ( it's a UPC approved transitional fitting. Also after an epipe no heat technology is allowed so shark bites are used from time to time


----------



## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

Definitely a flux issue


----------



## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

titaniumplumbr said:


> Also after an epipe...


Most Plumbers doing epipes don't go past 20 posts without an intro.

An intro is requested from all new members. In case you missed it, here is the link. http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/.


----------



## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

You didnt mention gas or electric heater? Proper grounding could be issue. As for Unions on the conections Id say about 95 percnt of the time I dont use them on t&p It pretty much has to be a high dollar job or the inspector has to call me on it or Im working for a company that either lets me or tells me to put unions on My personal home is hard piped with no unions any where. Its code but I dont think it makes much differance. I mean when I go change a w/h you dont hear me cussing that its gona be a tough one cuz there aint no unions on it!


----------



## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

I have already posted an intro under Titaniumplumbr


----------



## MNplumb1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Cpvc is a union cut couple done also don't like dielectric unions.


----------



## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

I still have some old QEST transition fittings in the collection... :yes:


----------



## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

plumberkc said:


> I'm not a fan of using Sharkbites but will sometimes use them when working with CPVC.


I'm just like you on shark bites and will use them if all else fails,ran into some wirsbo pex on a job and I only install zurn pex and had to use a shark bite to make the transition


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

sparky said:


> Ran into some wirsbo pex on a job and I only install zurn pex and had to use a shark bite to make the transition


Why? Your Zurn fittings will crimp on Wirsbo just fine...:yes:


----------



## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Redwood said:


> Why? Your Zurn fittings will crimp on Wirsbo just fine...:yes:


Man I did not know that,are you sure??i didn't know and even called my supply house and they didn't really know either,so I can put a zurn fitting in wirsbo pipe and crimp it and it not leak or blow out???learn something new everyday

THANKYOU


----------



## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

TMI for me.... I'll just whip out one of my old galv. Dresser couplings


----------



## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

You can pretty much use any Pex with different crimps, it all comes down to warranties if something should happen.

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

mtfallsmikey said:


> I still have some old QEST transition fittings in the collection... :yes:












So do I. Transition from old Poly Butylene to PEX.


----------

