Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

I have a theory about...

I've replaced a number of those corrugated flexible copper pipes used to
connect the hot and cold on water heaters, and have noticed that often
the leak will be in a pit hole very close to the end where they hook on
to the nipple of the water heater or coming from the house piping.

My theory is that the plastic bushing used at the end of the corrugated
pipe stops electric flow thru the pipe system, and so the charge jumps
the gap by passing thru the water - then creates a pit where it
re-enters the copper piping.

Baloney, or brilliant?

Jim

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:36:15 -0700, Jim
wrote:

I have a theory about...

I've replaced a number of those corrugated flexible copper pipes used to
connect the hot and cold on water heaters, and have noticed that often
the leak will be in a pit hole very close to the end where they hook on
to the nipple of the water heater or coming from the house piping.

My theory is that the plastic bushing used at the end of the corrugated
pipe stops electric flow thru the pipe system, and so the charge jumps
the gap by passing thru the water - then creates a pit where it
re-enters the copper piping.

Baloney, or brilliant?

Jim

My solution:

Buy braided rubber lines ( for hot water) as they have brass
connections. Easy to install and forget using the copper lines.

After years of use, there are no leaks, corrosions or any signs of
failure.

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

On Jun 6, 4:10�pm, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:36:15 -0700, Jim





wrote:
I have a theory about...

I've replaced a number of those corrugated flexible copper pipes used to
connect the hot and cold on water heaters, and have noticed that often
the leak will be in a pit hole very close to the end where they hook on
to the nipple of the water heater or coming from the house piping.

My theory is that the plastic bushing used at the end of the corrugated
pipe stops electric flow thru the pipe system, and so the charge jumps
the gap by passing thru the water - then creates a pit where it
re-enters the copper piping.

Baloney, or brilliant?

Jim

My solution:

Buy braided rubber lines ( for hot water) as they have brass
connections. Easy to install and forget using the copper lines.

After years of use, there are no leaks, corrosions or any signs of
failure.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

whats wrong with regular copper lines? takes a little longer but much
better job

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

On Sat, 6 Jun 2009 16:23:58 -0700 (PDT), bob haller
wrote:

On Jun 6, 4:10?pm, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 12:36:15 -0700, Jim





wrote:
I have a theory about...

I've replaced a number of those corrugated flexible copper pipes used to
connect the hot and cold on water heaters, and have noticed that often
the leak will be in a pit hole very close to the end where they hook on
to the nipple of the water heater or coming from the house piping.

My theory is that the plastic bushing used at the end of the corrugated
pipe stops electric flow thru the pipe system, and so the charge jumps
the gap by passing thru the water - then creates a pit where it
re-enters the copper piping.

Baloney, or brilliant?

Jim

My solution:

Buy braided rubber lines ( for hot water) as they have brass
connections. Easy to install and forget using the copper lines.

After years of use, there are no leaks, corrosions or any signs of
failure.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

whats wrong with regular copper lines? takes a little longer but much
better job

Nothing wrong with copper, if you feel like working with it. I just
used the braided rubber hose, twisted it a bit and then connected.

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

Jim,

All water heaters have electrolysis with copper plumbing. The tank is
steel and where it connects to copper you have electron flow. That's
why you should install a dielectric nipple between the two. Years ago
they used dielectric unions, but the nipple gets you about 3" of
separation.

Also, copper can wear whenever there's excessive swirling going on.
Plumbers are busy these days replacing copper in 50-year old
buildings, expecially near 90 degree fittings. That's where you find
the most swirl. It's worse if the plumber used too much solder and
there's a bead of it inside the fitting--makes the swirl even worse.

Turns out copper piping isn't the wonder material everyone thought it
was. It's still better than galvanized though. And who knows when
we'll start seeing problems with Cpvc.

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

On Jun 6, 1:36*pm, Jim wrote:
I have a theory about...

I've replaced a number of those corrugated flexible copper pipes used to
connect the hot and cold on water heaters, and have noticed that often
the leak will be in a pit hole very close to the end where they hook on
to the nipple of the water heater or coming from the house piping.

My theory is that the plastic bushing used at the end of the corrugated
pipe stops electric flow thru the pipe system, and so the charge jumps
the gap by passing thru the water - then creates a pit where it
re-enters the copper piping.

Baloney, or brilliant?

Jim

Check the PH of your water.

Replace the corrugated copper lines with corrugated STAINLESS STEEL
lines.
No galvanic effect and no dielectric union needed.

http://www.falconstainless.com/

Braided rubber lines are a flood waiting to happen.

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

bob haller wrote:
My solution:

Buy braided rubber lines ( for hot water) as they have brass
connections. Easy to install and forget using the copper lines.

After years of use, there are no leaks, corrosions or any signs of
failure.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

whats wrong with regular copper lines? takes a little longer but much
better job

The biggest problem is that it takes a little longer. And copper is not very
flexible which might be of concern in earthquake-prone areas. And, with
copper, you need a greater variety of tools and more skill than "Does you
hand fit a wrench?"

Pitting of water heat flex connectors
 

On Sat, 6 Jun 2009 19:45:00 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Replace the corrugated copper lines with corrugated STAINLESS STEEL
lines.
No galvanic effect and no dielectric union needed.

http://www.falconstainless.com/

Braided rubber lines are a flood waiting to happen.

I'll consider SS lines next time.

Right now there is a race between my braided rubber lines and the WH.
My odds are the WH fails first.