Blackish blue copper pipes?

Hi All,

I live in Northern Nevada.

Had to take a trip under the house. I noticed that all my fresh water copper pipes are covered, elbows and all, with some very dark blue compound, as if they were painted. A bit of sandpaper reveals copper.

Any one have any idea what this dark blue stuff is and what it is used for?

Many thanks,

-T

Reply to
Todd
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Todd wrote in news:jr8id0$tvm$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

Copper oxide. Or rust.

Reply to
Sjouke Burry

Copper oxide is light blue (cyan) and is cakey. Not iron pipes, so no rust. It has definitely been painted on -- have stroke marks.

Of interest, the plumber that went down to repair the leak in the pipe comes from three generations of plumbers and they could not figure it out either.

-T

Reply to
Todd

Sjouke Burry wrote in news:XnsA071FE8DBEA2sjoukeburrysoesterbe@213.75.12.10:

blue on copper could be copper sulfate. copper oxide is dark brown/black.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Oxides, sulfide, carbonate, sulfate - all colored.

Reply to
Frank

The plumber did say it smelled slightly of sulfur under the house

Reply to
Todd

This is just a wild guess: Is it possible that it may have been applied by an exterminator. Many bugs drink the condensation that forms on pipes.

Reply to
Molly Brown

From my chemistry days, copper sulphate is intensely blue. Can't remember about sulphide.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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The plumber did say it smelled slightly of sulfur under the house

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

intensely blue to the point of being black

Reply to
Todd

Ah ha! I bet you are right! The plumber comes back tomorrow. I will mention it to him.

Thank you!

-T

Reply to
Todd

Might be sulphide.

Sulphate has a middle blue color. Very intense, and I rather like the copper sulphate color.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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intensely blue to the point of being black

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Perhaps it was painted in an attempt to prevent the greenish colored oxidation that copper is wont to produce.

Reply to
willshak

But who sees it in the crawl space?

Reply to
Todd

...to prevent, not necessarily to hide.

Reply to
willshak

Preemptive painting?

BTW, not many people can use "wont" in a sentence, and do so correctly. Well done! I wont to see that more often, and I wont bore you with examples of using it wong.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Perhaps it was painted in an attempt to prevent the greenish colored oxidation that copper is wont to produce.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

People with OCD, of course!

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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But who sees it in the crawl space?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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