Okay to use brass fitting?

[ReneL]

Is it okay to use a brass fitting in my fresh water top off tank? I couldn't find a 1/4 female with a barb end in plastic at my local store. No coppper in brass, is there?

 

[asm481]

Yes copper in brass. I believe it is copper and nickel to make brass. I wouldn't use it in my top off!

 

[MeuserReef]

It will do serious damage. Look online for the correct part if your local hardware store doesnt have it.

 

[jbarone]

Yes there is copper in brass. Do not use it.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Looked online
General Brass Information
Chemical Formula: Cu3Zn2

Cu = copper
Zn = zinc

But then again, its for the fresh water top off, doesnt your water come to your home through copper pipes? I would still not use it though.

 

[asm481]

your RO/DI filter removes metals and such leaving a very "hungry" water. Running it through brass would make it pull hard to get the metals from the brass.

 

[lavith]

I wouldn't use it.

 

[amike5]

Check at an ACE hardware or similar store. Brass is a no no.

 

[MeuserReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10476809#post10476809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pmolan
Looked online
General Brass Information
Chemical Formula: Cu3Zn2

Cu = copper
Zn = zinc

But then again, its for the fresh water top off, doesnt your water come to your home through copper pipes? I would still not use it though.

You are right. Most older homes have copper pipes.... but the water that you use for fresh water top-off has (hopefully) gone through the RO/DI unit and has been stripped of any copper that may have come from your pipes.

Brass is perfectly OK to use as long as it is BEFORE the RO unit. (I have a brass "Y" valve used for garden hoses that allows me to hook my RO and washing machine to the same cold water source)If you attempt to use brass after the RO, you are defeating the whole purpose of filtering the water before adding to your tank.

 

[AmosUSA]

I would not put any kind of metal in the tank itself. But a copper metal fitting no problem I have one on my system for 6 years I don't see any problems with it .

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

Even with copper pipes, tap water does not typically have anything but perhaps the most miniscule amount of copper in it. It just doesn't degrade the copper and therefore does not carry it with it. However, RO/DI water is much more corrosive than regular tap water. Since it has been stripped of its ions, it will be much more likely to uptake new ions from metals it comes into contact. Saltwater is similarly corrosive to copper/brass, but for different reasons. Either is a bad idea to mix with brass/copper. If you are just using tap water top-off or even RO (and not RO/DI) water, you would probably be ok, but why risk it?