# Oily / Greasy feeling water



## luv2plumb

I sent a crew out on Thursday to a co-worker's grandparents house to replace the galvanized pipes in the attic with CPVC. They replaced both hot and cold horizontal runs ONLY. Friday we replaced the water heater. Today they called and said the hot water has an oily/greasy feel to it and when they fill up a glass they can see an oily residue in the water. I have never heard of this before; anyone have any ideas? Thanks for any advice


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## SlickRick

Is this on city water?


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## luv2plumb

slickrick said:


> Is this on city water?


Yes city water; this issue didn't show until we did the re-pipe. The galv. still runs inside the walls


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## Epox

Any chance a piece of the new material was not new off the shelf and may have been contaminated somehow? Sometimes it's right in front of us. Can do samples preferably from a 2 handle faucet of hot and cold to narrow it down.


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## luv2plumb

mpsllc said:


> Any chance a piece of the new material was not new off the shelf and may have been contaminated somehow? Sometimes it's right in front of us. Can do samples preferably from a 2 handle faucet of hot and cold to narrow it down.


 
Everything was bought at the supply house that morning; shelf-life of material is unknown. I don't stock CPVC at the office because I hardly mess with the stuff. They say it is only from the hot water side; I am going over there Monday just wanted to see if anyone might have an idea


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## Epox

luv2plumb said:


> Everything was bought at the supply house that morning; shelf-life of material is unknown. I don't stock CPVC at the office because I hardly mess with the stuff. They say it is only from the hot water side; I am going over there Monday just wanted to see if anyone might have an idea


Let us know what you find.


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## OldSchool

the problem is more than likely coming from the hot water tank... did your guys drain the tank and refill it... it could be crap laying in the tank that got stirred up when you refilled it.


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## luv2plumb

OldSchool said:


> the problem is more than likely coming from the hot water tank... did your guys drain the tank and refill it... it could be crap laying in the tank that got stirred up when you refilled it.


It was doing it Thursday after new pipes were installed and old water heater was still in place. Friday we installed a new heater. If it was with the old heater you would think the issue would have been present before we did any work


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## Tommy plumber

luv2plumb said:


> I sent a crew out on Thursday to a co-worker's grandparents house to replace the galvanized pipes in the attic with CPVC. They replaced both hot and cold horizontal runs ONLY. Friday we replaced the water heater. Today they called and said the hot water has an oily/greasy feel to it and when they fill up a glass they can see an oily residue in the water. I have never heard of this before; anyone have any ideas? Thanks for any advice


 
You need to go to the cust. home to confirm the condition of the water. Take samples from different faucets, hot and cold. If you definitely see oily residue in a clean glass container, then I would tell cust. that they need to contact water purveyor. You as the plumber are not responsible for the quality of the water, only getting it into their home. My 2 cents.
I wouldn't think that the pipes you installed had oil or grease in them, but hey, ya never know.


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## Epox

I've never heard of a water heater causing oily residue but that would be the easiest fix for you. Manufacturing oopsie maybe but I doubt it. They say hot only so I would sample the cold supply to water heater for the oil, as well as the hot coming out. They are probably saying it was fine before new work was done. And it may be so but no matter your name is on it as the last one to touch it. Man good luck dude.


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## user2090

Call you manufacturer and find out if they are doing something different when it comes to manufacturing. Now that I read this again, it seems to me I noticed this problem while installing some heaters earlier this year. Must have been Bradford White, but not sure. I can't recall, but I thought manufacturers were doing something different.

Last ones I did before I went solo, got chlorinated with first filling to eliminate this problem.


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## plbgbiz

In the early 90's I had this happen on several water heaters. It was a new brand of braided stainless steel supply lines at the time. Inside the stainless was black rubber hose. The black rubber was breaking down like a toilet flapper causing an oily/greasy residue in the hot water.


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## OldSchool

tell them it should be fine..... you don't drink the hot water anyways


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## luv2plumb

OS - :laughing::laughing:

Indie and plbgbiz - you might of hit the nail on the head.....the heater is a new Bradford and SS flex lines were used.

I will let ya'll know what happens when I go by there Monday


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## Pipe Rat

But didnt you say it was doing it Thursday after the repipe before the new heater on Friday?


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## luv2plumb

Pipe Rat said:


> But didnt you say it was doing it Thursday after the repipe before the new heater on Friday?


 
I did say that...but that was what they told me Saturday morning. If in fact it did happen Thursday you would think they would have mentioned it Friday to my guys. At this point I stumped until I see it for myself and able to investigate.


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## plumbpro

maybe it's something coincidental and easy, like they have a bibb without a vacuum breaker with a hose laying in a bucket of oil and there was a break in the main thursday evening. :blink::laughing:


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## luv2plumb

plumbpro said:


> maybe it's something coincidental and easy, like they have a bibb without a vacuum breaker with a hose laying in a bucket of oil and there was a break in the main thursday evening. :blink::laughing:


Nice Try


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## Hillside

plbgbiz said:


> In the early 90's I had this happen on several water heaters. It was a new brand of braided stainless steel supply lines at the time. Inside the stainless was black rubber hose. The black rubber was breaking down like a toilet flapper causing an oily/greasy residue in the hot water.


 

i've ran into this a few times also, it was like a sooty oily substanse coming outta the hot water, ive ran into it with the black flex hoses they used to have also, could also b the o-ring on the flex line when the water runs through it, like touching a old korky that crap gets everywhere, test it before the water heater and straight outta the water heater...good luck :thumbsup:


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## Pipe Rat

I always hard pipe my heaters with copper and have never had this problem. :whistling2:


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## luv2plumb

UPDATE

After speaking with the homeowners it appears the issue started after the heater was installed.....problem seems to have resolved we drained and flushed the new heater and treated it as well. PITA but atleast they are happy. Thank you for all your ideas


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