Green copper supplies

[Bryce W. Jeffrey]

This is a 15 year old semi-detached with copper supply lines. This photo was taken in the main floor bathroom adjacent to the party wall. There is no indication of discoloured copper anywhere else in the house. Comments sure will be appreciated.

B.

[KEVIN WOOD]

Chemical reaction to sulfur, oxidation or some form of high moisture source.
Judging from the rust under the basin high moisture would be my guess.

[Bryce W. Jeffrey]

Thanks Kevin but moisture does not seem to be the problem. Home was in excellent condition and well maintained. My thoughts were a chemical reaction to some product stored in the vanity? The colouring is perfectly even and no evidence of the same anywhere in the house.

[KEVIN WOOD]

Did you do a moisture reading near the penetration of the wall. There is too much rust on that basin.

[Bryce W. Jeffrey]

Did that but I am leaning towards chemical reaction

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by bjeffrey

Did that but I am leaning towards chemical reaction

Appears to be a chlorine base chemical to me being in a refinery for many years seen that reaction to copper most every day

[Jae Williams]

Bryce, you seem intent on ignoring the presence of moisture. Why?

It's a sink--water runs in the sink and sometimes leaks slowly--so slowly that it doesn't puddle, but its presence will still be known by the rust.

Some domestic water suppliers add chlorine in the water. If there is a small leak, over time the combination of all the factors involved could lead to green copper.

[David A. Andersen]

Stuff stored under the sink..

[KEVIN WOOD]

Stuff stored under the sink will not cause that much rust on the basin.
There can be a stack effect at the vent stack area of the wall that is pulling moisture into the cabinet. This can be tested with a smoke pencil.

[Lawrence W. Losciale]

I'd say the chlorine or some other strong oxidizer. I've worked with pools for over 30 years, retail, construction, service and repairs. Chlorine fumes could edfinately do that (including the rust on the sink). Perhaps the used those 1000 flushes tabs, they're just chlorine, and stored them under the sink.

[KEVIN WOOD]

Good point Lawrence!

[Bryce W. Jeffrey]

Thanks for all the input. Jae, I was not ignoring any posssibilities. The house was absolutely immaculate. No moisture or leaking was evident and the green patina was very evenly distributed over the supplies. It appeared to be a vapour issue and or chemical reaction of some sort. The chlorine issue seems appropriate in light of the overall condition of the home and I lean to the storage suggestion. Thanks to Lawrence and Charley.

Again thanks to all who contributed.

[David A. Andersen]

Stuff stored under the sink will not cause that much rust on the basin.

Don't f u c k with me this week, your a simple *** if you stand behind that!

Give me some damn facts that it will not.

I have scars on my face from oxidents in a pool room.
Go back to Nick School dumb ***.
It can kill your sorry ***, but not turn copper green!?

Yea, right!

[Lawrence W. Losciale]

Calm down Dave. We're talking from experiance, he obviously is not.

[Chuck Evans]

Originally Posted by kwood

Stuff stored under the sink will not cause that much rust on the basin.
There can be a stack effect at the vent stack area of the wall that is pulling moisture into the cabinet. This can be tested with a smoke pencil.

You're wrong. It most certainly can.

Chlorine will cause far more oxidation than water. Also, I have never seen moisture cause that perfect green patina evenly around all surfaces of the copper tubing (water will leave drip marks as it runs down the pipe). Chlorine gas, on the other hand, will envelop the tubing evenly from top to bottom.

This was caused by stored chemicals, almost surely chlorine.