Plumbing question

[WHNJ701 4,165]

We have been in this house for 3 years.  The plumbing water pipe layout is as simple as you can get and 95% is new mostly pex.  On the hot water side I keep getting pin holes in the shut offs.  The hot shower one I see has a slight drip and was replaced a year ago.

 I do have a acid neutralizer tank with the marble sand, which was serviced a year ago.  The hot water heater is electric almost 20 years old and is set to 130 degrees.  Are these new pex shut offs cheap junk? If it was an acid issue wouldn't I  have issues with cold side too?.  

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

27 minutes ago, jabelman said:

pin holes in the shut offs

 

Can you elaborate a bit?  What do you mean by 'shutoff'?

 

Pics?

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Ed Kennell 38,182]

42 minutes ago, jabelman said:

The hot water heater is electric almost 20 years old

That must be 100% stainless.    Mine last 4-5 years max.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

23 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Can you elaborate a bit?  What do you mean by 'shutoff'?

 

Pics?

 

 

 

You can see the little corrosion spot.  It's about a year old.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

9 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

That must be 100% stainless.    Mine last 4-5 years max.

Knowing my grandparents they put the cheapest GE one in.  It's still going 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

54 minutes ago, jabelman said:

corrosion spot

 

That is very bizarre.  I would suspect a porous casting to begin with.  What's the brand on those valves? 

 

"Wolverine Brass" ?

 

I might write to the manufacturer.

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Snoopy11 5,714]

I ain't no plumbin' expert... although I do know what male/female is... 

 

Anyhoo... A while ago... the old man bought some really good ones...

 

 

Don

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

3 minutes ago, Snoopy11 said:

good ones...

 

Wolverine Brass is an old American company and generally well regarded.

 

Maybe they've moved production off-shore now...

 

I can't think of any water quality issues that could eat through solid brass in a year!

 

[Darb1964 1,042]

I'm thinking it's a ph  problem, the age of your hot water heater is a indicator that that's not your problem though.

[Snoopy11 5,714]

3 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

I can't think of any water quality issues that could eat through solid brass in a year!

Perhaps low TDS water... via reverse osmosis?

 

Don

Edited February 11, 2022 by Snoopy11

[squonk 41,125]

I worked in a facility that had one building that would develop pinholes/corrosion in the hot water recirc line only. Miles and miles of 3/4 copper. Some of it was replaced more than once in the 14 yrs. I was there. We weren't allowed to use any plastic at the time (health care.) I know one guy I worked with was very happy that hardened cool solder picked right off the wall paper with no damage! 

[formariz 11,987]

https://www.erplumbing.com/blog/problems-with-pex-pipes-with-brass-fittings/

[EB-80/8inPA 1,641]

24 minutes ago, formariz said:

https://www.erplumbing.com/blog/problems-with-pex-pipes-with-brass-fittings/

Egads, dezincification!

[WHNJ701 4,165]

I checked the shark bite website and they use dezincification free brass.  

[Ed Kennell 38,182]

Just now, jabelman said:

shark bite website and they use dezincification free brass.  

I keep shark bites in stock  for quick repairs to all the pin holes in my copper and brass fittings.   My well water tastes good, but it has an appetite for brass and copper.

[squonk 41,125]

Brass has been an issue for a long time. American STD. knee action mixing valves for OR scrub sinks. OR docs are about the fussiest people on earth. They WANT the water at a certain temp and  flow rate. Doesn't help that one doc wants it at 96­­° and the next one at 102°. We were constantly adjusting the stops to adjust the temps and flows, wearing out the stops. Then the water would leak by the seats and drip all the time. Can't have that. Order new parts and they were worse than what was already in the valve. I ordered 6 dozen sets of seats, got out the magnifying glass and sent back 5 dozen. They were so pitted on the seat area they looked like the moon.

[WHX?? 48,821]

Plunge @JCM yer the only guy I would listen to.... what say ye about Jabel's issues? 

Edited February 12, 2022 by WHX??

[lynnmor 7,307]

I have acidic water that will eat anything but stainless steel and plastic.   It only took a few years till all the copper and brass needed to be replaced.  Brass toilet tank bolts turn red and crumble, so I replaced them with homemade stainless steel bolts.  Faucets hold up if they are made with no brass parts, outside hose bibs need the washer screw replaced with stainless steel when replaced.

 

My anode rods in the water heaters need replaced every two years.  That is often neglected by folks that have short water heater life.

Edited February 12, 2022 by lynnmor

[pfrederi 17,741]

6 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

That must be 100% stainless.    Mine last 4-5 years max.

  I guess I will curse myself but my Water heater was here when we moved in 21 years ago...doubt it was new then.  Had had a water softener for most that time...

[pfrederi 17,741]

Maybe the fracking chemicals protect it???

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

12 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

I have acidic water that will eat anything but stainless steel and plastic

 

Why would you not treat that?  Gotta be less trouble and cost than replacing your entire plumbing system every few years!

[roadapples 6,983]

I replaced everything with cpvc 15 yrs ago. So far so good. I have hard water, I think it's 17, if that makes sense. I've been told I need a softener, but I've had hard water all my life so I don't see any problem with it.

[Pullstart 62,902]

Water heaters heat water.  Hot water heaters… well… I’ve never seen one.  They must boil the water?

[lynnmor 7,307]

6 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Why would you not treat that?  Gotta be less trouble and cost than replacing your entire plumbing system every few years!

I replaced everything once using the proper materials.  If you look into what is needed to neutralize, soften and filter acidic water, you will see that it is expensive, wastes space and is troublesome.

[Handy Don 12,232]

On 2/12/2022 at 12:14 AM, Pullstart said:

Water heaters heat water.  Hot water heaters… well… I’ve never seen one.  They must boil the water?

When I worked for a company that built power generation plants, the wet steam coming out of the high pressure turbines got "super heated" before a trip through the low pressure turbines. So I guess those were kinda like hot water heaters!