copper pipes rusting away

[billy72]

Im sure many people may have the same problem.

My tank is in front of a base board heating element.

Rust has formed very quickly on the base board cover.
I wonder though I cant see a close up of the copper pipe inside if that is degrading as well.

One day in the near future I will come home to a flood caused by this corrosion.

Is there a product to prevent this from happening?
Or just cover it with a towel or something.

Any advise available?

 

[reefnetworth]

oh dude! billy72, the coper needs to be relaced with PVC a.s.a.p. the tank in front of the baseboard is also an extermely bad idea. i hate to shoot you down before your off the run-way but i forsee major problems very soon. sorry to be such a bearer of bad news, but.....

John M. :smokin:

 

[Smitty750]

Billy Im a plumber and the best thing to do is call a local plumber and have him install a piece of SLANTFIN baseboard heat for bathrooms. The outer shell is made of rust resistant material that will hold up to youre moisture problem. As for the copper pipe inside, chances are its degrading faster than the metal jacket on the outside. Youre best bet would be to replace the short piece of pipe inside with a product called Fosta Pex. Its a plastic pipe that is used in the industry for heating purposes. No rust or corrosion issue with it and it is much more durable than copper. Any reputable plumber in youre area should be able to this for you, if youre not to far from CT give me an e-mail. Hope this helps.

 

[artman18944]

i dont think copper or brass are affected by saltwater but check with a havc guy or call a plumber

 

[reefnetworth]

i owe an appology to billy. i was thinkin he meant the coper pipe he was using was feeding the tank. please, accept my appology, sorry dude.
as far as artman18944: if you are speakin of "in your tank with copper and brass" you are wrong. you need to be a little more specific before an acceptable answer can be given.

John M. :smokin:

 

[amike5]

Or do it the easy DIY way; Scrape all the rust off, including on the pipe, repaint the heater housing and then coat inside and out including the pipe with urethane or poly. Save alot of money and it can't corrode.

 

[Smitty750]

Ya but the copper pipe will

 

[DgenR8]

Salt effects copper in a big way, and it acts fast. I would take the plumber's advice, and consult a local plumber. As for coating the pipe in Urethane or Poly, I'd be concerned about how much heat they could handle. It may be a solution, but I honestly don't know for sure.
Your tank really shouldn't sit right over a heat register of any kind, any way. It will cause temperature swings. I actually eliminated a radiator in my house for my tank.

 

[billy72]

Thanks to all for your insight.

I also noticed my basement refugium has bare 3/4"copper lines above it that have turned a petina colored green especially on the underside of the pipe. The pipes are situated 3' above the sump tank.

This also appears to be potential because they are the feed and return to the lower half of my split level house.

 

[billy72]

Sorry , potential trouble

 

[billy72]

Is there a solution to use to clean the pipes for now other than water to slow/prevent furthur corrosion.

 

[billy72]

Vinager?

I use it for alot of cleaning purposes for my equipment/powe rheads etc.

 

[DgenR8]

I'd just use water, and then be sure to dry well, but you may get better suggestions from someone else.
In any case, what ever you use to clean the pipes above your tank(s), make sure you cover your tank(s) completely through the process.
I wrapped all the pipes in my basement (sump and 'fuge live there) with insulation. I should probably open some of them up to see if I protected them, or just hid the damage from view.

 

[billy72]

I hope that pre caution you took for your pipes worked.

When you have the opportunity to check please let us know because I will try to clean all the pipes including the base board.

Then I will protect the pipes down stairs and consider my my options upstairs

Do you wrap with HD rigid pipe insulation or some other product.

 

[Smitty750]

Use WD-40 and steel wool it will take the corrosion off of the pipes. Armaflex pipe insulation will help to keep the evaporated water from touching youre pipes in the basement, and its farely cheap, you can get it at HD or Lowes. The green color is oxidation the first stage of corrosion on copper.

 

[DgenR8]

Gotta LOVE that WD-40! I didn't even think about that, but I'm sure it's a good option.

 

[1010]

not that this matters but like smitty said it is oxidation not rust.
copper does not rust.

 

[billy72]

Yes,thank you.

COVER THOSE TANKS!!!

May want to spray into a rag first, then apply.

 

[billy72]

I used the steel wool like Smitty750 mentioned but it was the brillo kind. The oxidation came off rather easy but time consuming due to 75% of the pipes were above my tanks.

Any way i purchased the Armaflex from HD @ 5.25/6' lenght. Total cost 50 dollars +/- 5 hrs.

Now have a piece of mind.

The Armaflex is a soft plyable form slit down the lenght, maybe petrol based.

What I really liked is that upon wrapping the pipes you tear away clear seals and the edges have adhesive which bond the entire lenght.

HD sells another type 3/4 the cost 3.50'/6'. Looks like a closed cell product with no seal at all. Pass that up.

What I also did at the 6' joints and help at the 90 degee turns was use an HVAC tape, like a specialized duct tape but better.

 

[amike5]

Great, I hope that works for you. You did remove any oxidation first though, right? What did you end up using to remove it?