green crystallized matter on copper pipe

[Scott Schultz]

What would cause one side of a soft water loop to have a thick amount of green crystallized matter on the copper pipe? I could not see if there was a dissimliar metal attached to the copper that would have cause this or would a leak have caused this buildup? thanks.

[William Warner]

Active leak and corrosion.

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

It's called verdigris, not to be confused with ambergris.

[David P. Valley]

If it's crusted up like the picture William is showing, it's seepage from a leak.

If it's only a light coat of this substance, it's usually caused from flux build-up that the plumber never cleaned off after soldering the connections (some Plumbers are actually lazy). They're suppose to clean the soldered area with steel wool once they're completed with soldering.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by wwarner

Active leak and corrosion.

Attachment 15258

Acidic water is needed to cause that much corrosion in connection with the slow leak.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Patinated=

One example of a patina is a green surface texture created by slow chemical alteration of copper, producing a basic carbonate. It can form on pure copper objects as well as alloys which contain copper, such as bronze or brass.

Exposure to chlorides leads to green

patina

pa·ti·na

1 a: a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its color

Similar to a copper roof turning green after 7-10 years of acid rain on it.

JMO

Marcel