Green hair. Copper Pipe Corrosion - Diagnosis/Treatment?

[kingtut68]

Hey everyone. My name is Zach and I'm new to this forum. I'm twenty-six years old, a first-time homeowner, and I have a serious problem. To top things off, I have no experience in plumbing or any other "handyman" skills for that matter. Anyways, on to the problem.

My girlfriend and I have been in our new place for just over two weeks now. Around week one she started complaining about her naturally bleach-blonde hair turning green. Initially I thought she was insane but after week two it became readily apparent I was wrong. I took to Google and realized I may have a much larger problem on my hands. I immediately called our small town water company. They acted like I was crazy but to my surprise they came by the house. They gave me a copy of the water quality report and took samples. They claim everything is within normal ranges and that they haven't had any similar complaints but they also said the would try lowering the chlorine levels and raising the pH. They told me to give it a few days and call back if I'm still having problems

So that brings us to now. I've just paid to have the greenish mineral buildup removed from my girl's hair at a salon. But now I'm more concerned about the source of the problem and bigger problems under the surface. My house was built in 1972 and has copper pipes. My girlfriend's hair turned green within two weeks of showering here and I've also noticed some light blue staining in the bathtub. At this point I'm extremely concerned about copper pipe corrosion. My goal is to pinpoint and treat the problem but I'm not sure how to go about it.

I've saved up some money and was looking at home water filtration systems but I'm not sure if that's the answer. The water company claims the city water is fine and even if I did buy one, would it help? I mean it might be good for the pipes, but even if the water is perfect at the point-of-entry, isn't it going to pick up copper sediment as it travels to my shower heads and faucets if the pipes are corroded? I really don't want to blow that much money and not have the problem corrected. There's also filters that go right on the aforementioned shower heads and faucets but then it's really not saving the pipes is it? I suppose the best answer would be to replace the old plumbing pipes with PEX tubing or something similar but that is extremely costly and as a new homeowner there are a lot of other things I'm trying to buy for my place.

Can anyone help me out? I have no idea who to call, what to do, or how to spend my money. From the research I've done there are many potential causes and I'm not sure how to pinpoint the specific problem without spending a lot of money and individually testing each one. I just want a firm diagnosis and treatment plan. Thank you guys so much and I will gladly provide additional information if need be.

 

[Reach4]

I would start with a pH test. Maybe get one from a pool store. I have used Hydrion (067) Urine & Saliva pH Paper 5.5-8.0 for checking pH during sanitizing and for well water checks. I found that it took a few seconds to get the color I expected rather than the right color being instantaneous.

There are more complete tests, but that seems like a cheap way to start.

See if you can get the hardness and corrosivity numbers from the water department.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

I just had to add the Green Hair avatar. Sorry, that was me.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/green-hair-well-water-turning-wifes-hair-green.73887/

 

[JohnCT]

I just had to add the Green Hair avatar. Sorry, that was me.

LOL! Well played.

OK, I'm in the same boat. I built my house in 1993 and have had the green/blue stains and my wife's hair has also had a tinge of green (she's Irish so I initially ignored that part). I thought it was part and parcel to well water (never having been on it) so I ignored the stains and just cleaned them as needed, and her hairstylist sold her some clarifying shampoo that is designed for such things.

It was the pinhole leaks in my copper though that got my attention. I have well water and it's nearly perfect except for lowish pH. It's seasonal but ranges from 6.2 to 6.5. I bought and installed an acid neutralizer from midatlanticwater.net. The owner (Aiden) will answer his cell or texts if you have an issue installing it, even on weekends. The whole kit was very reasonable and complete. Took a couple of hours to install. My pH yesterday (I check it often) was 7.0.

So the advice to get your pH checked is sound. If it's low, you need to raise it. I waited too long and now I'll be repiping my house, a pain in the backside because it's a colonial and I have two baths upstairs.

John

 

[kingtut68]

I got a water quality report from the water department and everything is supposedly within normal ranges and not in violation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2018 Annual Water Quality Report (Testing Performed January - December 2017)

Contaminates

Copper - at Consumer's tap = 0.486 ppm
Nitrate (as Nitrogen) = 0.59-0.81 ppm

Secondary Contaminants

Chloride = 3.38-3.69 ppm
Hardness = 2.87-31.5 ppm
Iron = ND-0.06 ppm
pH = 6.51-8.16 S.U.
Sodium = 1.17-1.36 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids = 40.0-60.0 ppm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So is the problem definitely a pH issue? I have acidic water, it's eating away my old copper pipes from the inside out, and I'm getting sediment through my shower heads and faucets? The water company swears the pH levels are fine but still said they would raise them. A few more questions:

- Say I buy a home pH test and everything checks out fine. What then?

- Assuming the water is acidic, what should I do?

- Is a home water filtration system (I've been looking at the Aquasana Rhino) a good idea for my particular problem? On their website they claim it raises pH levels among other things. I just don't see how it helps because sure it "fixes" the water coming into the house but then it still passes through those same nasty pipes, no?

 

[Reach4]

- Say I buy a home pH test and everything checks out fine. What then?

- Assuming the water is acidic, what should I do?

Rather than enumerate the possibilities, seek out the number first.

Most common to deal with mildly acid water is to use a calcite neutralizing tank. Do not buy equipment until you know what you are dealing with. Orthophosphate (if I got that right) can keep the water from joining with the copper.

For now, maybe collect rain water or buy drinking water for your girlfriend to use as a final rinse.

 

[kingtut68]

Hmm, okay then. I'll report back with a pH reading in the near future and go from there. Anymore tips or insight would be much appreciated though.

 

[Jadnashua]

Any pH lower than 7 is acidic. The lower the number, the more acidic. 7 is considered neutral. For pipes, 7-8 is probably the more desirable range. If yours is below 7, neutralizing it would probably resolve the problem. You can't filter out acid, but you can neutralize it by adding stuff to the water (it may look like a filter, but it's adding, not removing something).

 

[JohnCT]

I got a water quality report from the water department and everything is supposedly within normal ranges and not in violation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2018 Annual Water Quality Report (Testing Performed January - December 2017)

Contaminates

Copper - at Consumer's tap = 0.486 ppm
Nitrate (as Nitrogen) = 0.59-0.81 ppm

Secondary Contaminants

Chloride = 3.38-3.69 ppm
Hardness = 2.87-31.5 ppm
Iron = ND-0.06 ppm
pH = 6.51-8.16 S.U.
Sodium = 1.17-1.36 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids = 40.0-60.0 ppm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So is the problem definitely a pH issue? I have acidic water, it's eating away my old copper pipes from the inside out, and I'm getting sediment through my shower heads and faucets? The water company swears the pH levels are fine but still said they would raise them. A few more questions:

- Say I buy a home pH test and everything checks out fine. What then?

- Assuming the water is acidic, what should I do?

- Is a home water filtration system (I've been looking at the Aquasana Rhino) a good idea for my particular problem? On their website they claim it raises pH levels among other things. I just don't see how it helps because sure it "fixes" the water coming into the house but then it still passes through those same nasty pipes, no?

That pH listed in the report is a WIDE range. Is that water report a general report from your local water utility for your town/city and not at your particular tap? On the other hand, if 6.5 is the lowest your pH goes, that's manageable.

From what I've read and what pros have told me, anything above 6.0 or so can be easily neutralized with a calcite neutralizer. My water went from low 6's to 7.0, and the blue/green copper staining ceased. I waited too long though and I'm ripping out all the copper in a few weeks because my pipes are wafer thin.

The nice thing about calcite is that if the pH of the water coming into your house should rise above 7.0, the neutralizer does nothing. It's when the water becomes acidic that the calcite naturally dissolves into the water raising your pH so the copper doesn't dissolve.

I have something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/VANTAKOOL-Ac...UTF8&qid=1528206178&sr=1-3&keywords=pH+tester

I test my water weekly.


John

 

[Reach4]

I test my water weekly.

I presume you re-calibrate with a 6.86 pH buffer solution each time.

 

[JohnCT]

I presume you re-calibrate with a 6.86 pH buffer solution each time.

Not quite. My brother is a research chemist and he gave me a bottle of liquid 7.0 buffer. He said it's good for about 6 months. I check the calibration about once a month, and the cheap tester I have is holding calibration. Once it dies I probably won't replace it as the calcite neutralizer I bought is keeping my pH right at 7.0 with the tank just under half full of calcite. The kit I bought also included a bag of corosex (Flomag) that I did not add to the tank.

John

 

[kingtut68]

UPDATE: Okay, so my pH tester finally came in the mail. It's an Apera Instruments AI209 PH20. I calibrated it and my initial reading was 6.3 followed by 6.4. Then I found out my dad already had a Milwaukee brand pH tester and got him to double check behind me. He got 6.2. Either way it's looking like my water is definitely acidic. So... what's phase two? I'm presuming a calcite neutralizer? Anyone have any tips or recommendations concerning those? If I buy one of those do I automatically need a water softener as well? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[JohnCT]

Either way it's looking like my water is definitely acidic. So... what's phase two? I'm presuming a calcite neutralizer? Anyone have any tips or recommendations concerning those?

I bought mine from this company:

https://www.midatlanticwater.net/

It's a small company, and the owner Aidan answers calls or texts 7 days a week. I chose an upflow non-backwash system and so far it's been working perfectly. I chose a larger tank to ensure better flow. I keep the Calcite below half and get 7.0 every time I check it. The kit came complete with calcite and flomag (which I don't use). Everything was included including a pre-tank strainer filter.

Calcite by nature is self-regulating. That is, if the water is acidic the calcite dissolves to raise pH. If the pH should rise naturally (seasonal or maybe your utility may make adjustments), then the calcite won't dissolve to over compensate. That's the way it's been explained to me anyway.

John

Edit: I haven't tested for hardness even though the calcite adds a few points, but there has been no change to the way soap lathers (which I understand is difficult with hard water). The way it was explained to me is that soft water is low pH and hard water is high pH. My water tested low for pH but no hardness issues which makes sense. You can have the water tested after the neutralizer is installed.

The only change discernible with my water after I the neutralizer was the green/blue staining stopped.

 

[Reach4]

It's a small company, and the owner Aidan answers calls or texts 7 days a week. I chose an upflow non-backwash system and so far it's been working perfectly.

It seems to me that by running the water fast enough, you could fluff up the media and wash out light debris. So with a 10 inch tank... maybe 6 or 7 gpm for 5 minutes. I presume your tank is unpainted, and you could backlight the tank in the dark to check the media level... but you could also see if the backwash was fluffing the calcite.