• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Levco Care

Levco Care

Home Care

  • Portal/Login
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Testimonials

Galvanic Corrosion

August 24, 2012 by joe Leave a Comment

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 26 seconds

Copper to Galvanized

Today’s topic is a not so uncommon plumbing problem. While remodeling in Boise, we at Levco see all sorts of things. This problem was discovered in the utility room. The effects were carried throughout the daylight basement ceiling.

Usually, what people are really referring to when they say electrolysis is galvanic or dissimilar metal corrosion. Galvanic corrosion is caused by self-induced current created by the electrical potential of two dissimilar metals in contact with an electrolyte. The more noble metal attacks the less noble. This occurred on a recent project when two dissimilar metals, copper tube and galvanized steel pipe, were connected in the presence of an electrolyte solution also known as water.

Noble metal chart

Typically, a homeowner will go pick up some plumbing parts to fix a problem. Hey, if the threads fit together that must mean they were meant to screw together. Turns out it is a little more complicated than that. Connecting dissimilar metals, which is commonly done by accident in residential plumbing, can start a chain reaction leading to pipe failure and leaks in the less noble metal. (the galvanized pipe in this case)

One form of proper connection is called a dielectric connection. They can be purchased at most hardware stores. It keeps the metals separated by a rubber piece. Another fix is to use a brass bushing between the galvanized pipe and the copper pipe.

The smoking gun we found had a direct copper to galvanized pipe connection, a recipe for disaster. We also found copper to bronze to galvanized which is OK. When we took the ceiling down, we found a ticking time bomb (so to speak) with multiple pin holes in the galvanized pipe, which we would expect from the bad connection.

Pin Hole form Corrosion

Fixing the problem involved ripping out the down stream pipes and replacing them. In addition to the outward signs of corrosion, we also found what looked like massive mineral build up in the pipes which reduced its water carrying capacity.

Water heaters are a common place for this corrosion to occur, so they all have a sacrificial anode in them that will dissolve instead of eating a hole in the tank.

Although these principles seem obvious, they are the cause of countless headaches and occasional pipe failures. It may not be the manly thing to do to ask for plumbing advice, but make sure that when you do, it comes from a trusted, knowledgeable source.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, email me directly or visit our contact page.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

Related Posts

  • The Leaky Faucet Gets the New PartsThe Leaky Faucet Gets the New Parts
  • Dryer not working well solutionDryer not working well solution
  • What Does Hail Damage Do to a Roof?
  • How Old is My Water Heater?How Old is My Water Heater?
  • Natural Gas
  • Laminate Countertops

Filed Under: Plumbing, Understanding your home, Water Awareness

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • ►Aged Home Upgrades (7)
  • ►Appliances (10)
  • ►Architecture & Design (5)
  • ►Basements (3)
  • ►Bathrooms (1)
  • ►Concrete (5)
  • ►Customer Service (3)
  • ►Deconstruction (1)
  • ►Doors (2)
  • ►Egress Windows (1)
  • ►Electrical (10)
  • ►Energy (7)
  • ►Engineering (2)
  • ►Environmental Awareness (2)
  • ►Excavation (1)
  • ►Finish Carpentry (2)
  • ►Fire Damage (1)
  • ►Fixing things (9)
  • ►Floors (3)
  • ►Framing (2)
  • ►Good Deals (1)
  • ►Green Remodeling (9)
  • ►Historic District Homes (3)
  • ►Home Evaluations (9)
  • ►HVAC (16)
  • ►Indoor Air Quality (9)
  • ►Insulation (5)
  • ►Insurance Work (3)
  • ►Interior Walls (2)
  • ►Lead Safe Work Practices (2)
  • ►Masonry (2)
  • ►Memoirs (3)
  • ►Moisture Protection (7)
  • ►News (2)
  • ►Plans (2)
  • ▼Plumbing (34)
    • Braided Steel Water Heater Supply Lines
    • Building Code Updates
    • Can you flip a p trap?
    • Delta Shower Valve Not Getting Hot Enough
    • Electric Water Heaters
    • Failed Toilet Tank Seal
    • Faucets Should Not Leak
    • Faulty Shutoff Valve Floods Home
    • Frost Proof Faucets
    • Galvanic Corrosion
    • Gas Water Heater Failure
    • Hissing sound turns out to be serious
    • Hot Water Circulation Pumps
    • How Come My Water Pressure Is Low?
    • How Old is My Water Heater?
    • Hydronic Heat
    • I Bought A Cool Tool
    • I can't turn the HOT water off
    • I Got up on the Wrong Side of the Bed
    • Natural Gas
    • Sediment in your pipes?
    • Sewage Ejector Pump Problem
    • Shower diverter problems?
    • Sulfur Smell From Hot Water
    • Tell Me About Garbage Disposals
    • The Handy Man Craze Hits Boise
    • The Leaky Faucet Gets the New Parts
    • Water recirculating pump problem
    • What are you getting for your money?
    • What is a Water Hammer
    • What is a Water Hammer
    • What makes a toilet work?
    • Whole House Water Filters
    • Your Copper Plumbing Pipes are Shot, NOT
  • ►Problem Solving (25)
  • ►Process (4)
  • ►Roofing (5)
  • ►Safe Practices (9)
  • ►Siding (1)
  • ►Skylights & Solar Tubes (1)
  • ►Sound Proofing (1)
  • ►Terminology (1)
  • ►The Law (4)
  • ►Trust (5)
  • ►Uncategorized (1)
  • ▼Understanding your home (88)
    • 9 Volt Battery Safety Alert
    • A Visit To The Crawl Space
    • Aging in Place & Universal Design
    • Anatomy of a Door
    • Anatomy of a Roof
    • Anatomy of a Window
    • Bats in the Belfry or Flies in the Chimney
    • Building Code Updates
    • Cabinet Care and Feeding
    • Can I Just Cancel My DIY Channels?
    • Diagnosing Concrete Problems
    • Dryer not working well solution
    • Duct Cleaning
    • Egress Windows
    • Engineering 101
    • Fall checklist of To-Do's
    • Filters and Your Home
    • Fireplaces In & Out
    • Fixing Concrete Fractures
    • Foundation Moisture Protection
    • French Door Repair
    • Frost Proof Faucets
    • Galvanic Corrosion
    • Gas Oven Failure Fixed
    • Hardwood Floors
    • Help My Roof is Popping
    • Hissing sound turns out to be serious
    • Hot Water Circulation Pumps
    • How Come My Water Pressure Is Low?
    • How Hard is Your Water?
    • Hydronic Heat
    • I can't turn the HOT water off
    • I Got up on the Wrong Side of the Bed
    • I Have a Cold Room
    • I Have Knob & Tube Wiring
    • I Have Water in My Basement, Now What?
    • I Just Found Mold in my Home
    • I Like Fixing Stuff
    • Indoor Air Cooling Season
    • Is My House Toxic?
    • Joist Hangers Use & Misuse
    • Laminate Countertops
    • Levco Does Moisture Inspections
    • Little Kiss, Big Hug & Window Handing
    • Little Tricks I Have Learned
    • Living in a Leaded Home
    • Maintenance required
    • Mislabeled Electrical Panel
    • My Floor Feels Like A Trampoline
    • My House is More Humid Than Normal
    • Natural Gas
    • New Great Use For A Home Inspection
    • Ode To An Old Appliance.
    • Prepare for Vacation
    • Radon and your home
    • Refrigerator Failure
    • Remodeling and Your Senses
    • Repairing a Chimney
    • Residential Foundation Repairs
    • Roof replacement problems
    • Settling Houses
    • Shower Tile Problems
    • Skylights & Solar Tubes
    • Smoke Detectors & CO Detectors
    • Snookered by a hose
    • Sound Transmission Reduction
    • Spring Time Made it to Boise
    • Stairs 101
    • Stucco, Yesterday & Today
    • Sway Back Structure
    • Tell Me Where It Hurts
    • The Location of Things Matters
    • Thermocouple with a button?
    • Time to Replace Your Roof?
    • What are you getting for your money?
    • What Can't go Down the Toilet
    • What Does Hail Damage Do to a Roof?
    • What Does My Insurance Really Cover?
    • What Does R-Value Mean?
    • What is a Foundation Vent?
    • What is a Water Hammer
    • What is a Water Hammer
    • What is Asbestos
    • What is Molding
    • Where is My Heat Going?
    • Why Do An Energy Audit?
    • Your Copper Plumbing Pipes are Shot, NOT
    • Your Home's Thermal Envelope
  • ►Universal Design (1)
  • ►Warranty (1)
  • ▼Water Awareness (12)
    • A Visit To The Crawl Space
    • Anatomy of a Roof
    • Cabinet Care and Feeding
    • Galvanic Corrosion
    • How Hard is Your Water?
    • I Got up on the Wrong Side of the Bed
    • I Have Water in My Basement, Now What?
    • I Just Found Mold in my Home
    • More winter blues, the ceiling is falling!
    • Spring Time Made it to Boise
    • What Can't go Down the Toilet
    • What Does My Insurance Really Cover?
  • ►Weatherization (6)
  • ►Windows (5)

Footer

CLIENT LOGIN

Levco Care

114 E 35th St Boise, ID 83714

Email: Joe@LevcoCare.com
Phone: 208.639.1808

Copyright © 2020–2023 · LevcoCare.com · Site by: CrossCadence.com · Log in

  • 208.639.1808
  • joe@levcocare.com