# What causes black sludge in an electric heater?



## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Seen this twice now, same place.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Back story: 1920's apt building, so we have a mix of copper, galvanized, and now pex. In many cases cu to galvi.

City water is very good from the source.

When a unit sits vacant for as short of a time as a weekend they sometimes can get the skunky smell. A flush takes care of it, usually.

I pulled one the other day, inspection date was '10 and almost the same black **** came out, but the constancy was more gel like with a tint of black sludge.

I deleted the pic on my phone, but the crap from the latest heater can be seen on top of the heater here: http://www.plumbingzone.com/f21/when-youve-used-up-all-your-pex-68201/

I'm starting to wonder if they may have some potential health issue going on. No sickness reported.


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## singingplumber (Sep 10, 2014)

*Questions*

The black sludge in the bathtub looks like what comes out of a fire sprinkler system or a boiler. Is it possible that black malleable pipe has been installed on the building's cold water supply?

Is the smell more like the stale water odor the comes from boiler or sprinkler water or is it like the rotten egg smell that comes from an anode rod reaction?

The types of bacteria growing in the sludge of water heaters are usually a wider range in electric heaters than they are in gas. Gas heaters 'cook' the sludge when they are heating. The sludge in an electric heater can stay below the static water temp of the tank and can be a better breeding ground. What temp are the electric heaters set for?


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

singingplumber said:


> The black sludge in the bathtub looks like what comes out of a fire sprinkler system or a boiler. Is it possible that black malleable pipe has been installed on the building's cold water supply?
> 
> I can't say the two systems haven't been somehow tied together at one point over the years. To prove it/trace it down would be almost impossible without a complete move out and remode... Which ain't happening.
> 
> ...


I never checked the set temps of the ones I've pulled, but the one I've installed was left at factory. In many cases 3/8 cu is used before it meets up again with '20's galvanized.

You gave me more to think about and look for next time I'm there.

Building is on boiler steam heat, so no cross on that side...


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

The tub we had to plunge to get it to drain. It was the closest drain point and had to shopvac it to drain.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Bacterial growth ,chlorinate and let set for 24 hours then flush until chlorine levels are correct also look for black iron in the water line.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Flushing will remove the growth but doesn't kill the bacteria also turn the temp up to no less than 140. Then add a temperig valve.


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## rwh (Dec 17, 2014)

Looks like carbon


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

That Premere brand of water heater always seems to build uplime and junk in them...

basically that unit is a American heater and I believe they use a very crappy anode rod that seems to give off a nasty bi-product that fills up ALL their units..... especially the whirlpool electric units....we have taken out many of them that literally weighed a ton .

you just need to turn up the temp on the heater to above factory settings
Factory settings are basically just a few degrees above "piss water" and this 
will simply grow bacteria in the unit over time... Turn it up to 130-135.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

If your water provider uses chloramine to disinfect the water, that black stuff is rubber. Chloramine attacks rubber (washers) aggressively.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Plumbus said:


> If your water provider uses chloramine to disinfect the water, that black stuff is rubber. Chloramine attacks rubber (washers) aggressively.




thanks .....for the info... That is probably the reason a lot of water softeners in our town and going bad fast compaired to 15 years ago... the chloramine is attacking the rubber in the distributers inside the water softeners..... not a dam thing can be done but buy a chlorine filter


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Master Mark said:


> thanks .....for the info... That is probably the reason a lot of water softeners in our town and going bad fast compaired to 15 years ago... the chloramine is attacking the rubber in the distributers inside the water softeners..... not a dam thing can be done but buy a chlorine filter


they sell chlorine/chloramine neutralizer chemicals I use for filling my koi pond, unknown if they sell an injector that can be hooked up to a domestic water system to neutralize the chloramine before it destroys rubber parts..and makes you wonder what it does to the inside of your body


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> they sell chlorine/chloramine neutralizer chemicals I use for filling my koi pond, unknown if they sell an injector that can be hooked up to a domestic water system to neutralize the chloramine before it destroys rubber parts..and makes you wonder what it does to the inside of your body


I like koi ponds, please post a picture of it in the "show your pet" thread.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

Mark
Chlorine filters won't remove chloramine. However, there are filters that do "partially". When purchasing a whole house filter, I would check to see if it claims to remove chloramine and what third party certification it has to prove it does as it claims.



ShtRnsdownhill said:


> makes you wonder what it does to the inside of your body


http://chloramineinfocenter.net/


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

Debo22 said:


> I like koi ponds, please post a picture of it in the "show your pet" thread.


ok will do. either new pics or I gota find ones I already have..I have a few koi over 2 ft in my pond here and in my pond upstate there some coming close to about 3 ft long..


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

Plumbus said:


> Mark
> Chlorine filters won't remove chloramine. However, there are filters that do "partially". When purchasing a whole house filter, I would check to see if it claims to remove chloramine and what third party certification it has to prove it does as it claims.
> 
> 
> ...


 Well, I'll be danged. I didn't know about this crap, looks like it has been in use for many years, but has the use of it become more widespread?


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## annmary (Nov 29, 2016)

I had the same problem about three months back. and I think that the black slime may be due to the bacteria that can be seen growing on hair,soap film,body lotion and shampoos..So, in my opinion I dont think that its the problem with the electric heater and this could ne nothing but a water chemical condition.Now by seeing the picture I think that its time to clean the heater and its better if you follow some chlorinatiion techniques.And if that does not work out you can take the assistance of a professional plumber.Hoping to hear from you soon and always take the right decision in choosing the expert...


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

annmary said:


> I had the same problem about three months back. and I think that the black slime may be due to the bacteria that can be seen growing on hair,soap film,body lotion and shampoos..So, in my opinion I dont think that its the problem with the electric heater and this could ne nothing but a water chemical condition.Now by seeing the picture I think that its time to clean the heater and its better if you follow some chlorinatiion techniques.And if that does not work out you can take the assistance of a professional plumber.Hoping to hear from you soon and always take the right decision in choosing the expert...


Who the **** are you?! Not a plumber as shown by your idiotic post.

Hope a mod adjusts your link as I did. Spam *****.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Plumbus said:


> If your water provider uses chloramine to disinfect the water, that black stuff is rubber. Chloramine attacks rubber (washers) aggressively.


Some of the first water heater flex water supplies in the late 80's and early 90's were made by Watts. They looked great and were wrapped in flex stainless just like todays versions are. The problem was the inner tube was just a rubber hose, unable to hold up to municipally treated water.

The rubber would start breaking down as soon as a few weeks to as long as a year. The hoses turned into black greasy jelly like an old flapper, only much faster. Probably because of the heat. Those pics don't surprise me at all, ESPECIALLY if the tank has not been used much for a long time.


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## MDservices (May 9, 2016)

The zinc coating on galvanized pipes wears out after 15-20 years and then basically what you have is a regular steel pipe. Lots of interior blockage and corrosion. You're making your hot water tanks anode work overtime probably


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