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Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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Posted by mareho (My Page) on Thu, Feb 4, 10 at 21:08
I was recently checking the pipes clips in the basement to replace old ones, and when I moved a ceiling tile, I noticed the 2 valves that go up to the kitchen/bathroom sinks - are completely green and almost fuzzy with corrosion. There is no current leak, but at one point there was (I've been in the house for 5years). How bad is this and how quickly should I think about repair? I don't know if it's something that is no sweat or should I get right on it!?! I looked up flux and associated content, but it's much more lumpy patina green than just on joints, it covers and runs down the whole valve.
thank you in advance for advice. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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| The green is a natural oxide of copper created from the leaking water. It's why the Statue of Liberty is green. The issue is the leaking water. |
RE: Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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| "The green is a natural oxide of copper created from the leaking water. It's why the Statue of Liberty is green." What type of piping? Flux from soldering copper pipe makes a nice green corrosion if not wiped off after soldering. The reaction is self limiting, so it is an appearance issue, not a long term damage problem. |
RE: Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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| Fuzzy, though, I'm thinking is probably corrosion from a slow leak. Very slow leaks in copper will often self-seal after a while from the corrosion building up - unfortunately it's easy to knock the crud off and then the leak starts up again. Actually operating the valve is usually enough in my experience. I wouldn't worry about it in the short term, but do change them out at some point. |
RE: Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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| Water leaks usually leave behind white residue, not green. The white is calcium based and depends on how hard the water is. |
RE: Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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| The green stuff is corrosion, and the color green means it's the copper that is corroding. Flux left on copper will result in a small area of green corrosion, but not big fluffy areas of cauliflower type corrosion, which is what you describe. That is definitely a slow leak, and the valve will eventually corrode to the point of failure and you may have water damage, no doubt when you're on vacation. I agree this is not an immediate emergency as it probably won't happen tomorrow, but you definitely need to replace these. The old screw-gate type valves commonly leak like this, I have replaced all the 50 year old valves in my house with the more modern and reliable teflon ball valves. I had the same corrosion/cauliflower type stuff you describe. Mine were all solder-sweat connections...not that bad to handle and very reliable. Best,
Soto |
RE: Green/Fuzzy Shut off Valve
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| Flux corrosion is self limiting. There is just not enough flux left behind, and once each molecule of flux reacts it cannot react again. |
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