We renovated a 70'S home in 2008 and redid all the plumbing with PEX. Since then, I've had rusty water stains in my showers and tubs and had contacted the City, they tested the water and no issues. Finally this past weekend, my shower head fell off the wall. In looking at the pipe, it looks to be a piece of galvanized pipe. I went back and looked at the pictures I took of the plumbing before it was covered up, and sure enough, the plumber used what looks to be 5-6" sections of galvanized pipe that runs to the shower heads. In some baths, it looks like copper piping connected to the galvanized, but in the bath where the shower head fell off, it is PEX to galvanized. I've contacted the plumber that installed it (he won't call back) and the local plumbing distributor as well as calling local plumbers and NOONE has ever heard of rusting with PEX plumbing. (Even though there is a class action suit). I don't think I have the flawed connectors, but reading your posts makes me wonder about the galvanized. I have pictures I can send it you can help.

Thank you

In 6 yrs it fell off the wall? Probably not even galvanized. Sounds more like black pipe.

ditto

installed by a shoemaker not an actual plumber

either:

fix the errors yourself

or

hire a REAL licensed bonded insured plumber

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Ahhh, my e-mail was misleading. When I said "we", I did not mean this was a DIY renovation. We hired a fully licensed insured plumbing contractor to do the work. I tried contacting them about this issue, but since the message was, "my pipes are corroding and my shower head fell off the wall", they have not returned my call.

Since I posted this, I had an electrician come today and he thinks our home may not be properly grounded. The pipe connected to the PEX is most certainly galvanized.

Since it should take an electrician about 2 minutes to be absolutely certain whether or not a house is grounded properly, I wouldn't call him back either.

What does grounding have to do with a house with PEX water piping? Rust comes from steel pipes and if there are portions of galvanized piping in your system that is where the rust is coming from, but again, it has NOTHING to do with your electrical wiring.

hj...Are you saying, it is definately not the "Flux Capacitor"? They have those kind of problems in FL.

personally, I believe it is the fault of the DC transformer's lack of skying

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

No, Marty tested the flux capacitor and it is working perfectly, although it might malfunction if it is taken out of the DMC.

quote; it is the fault of the DC transformer's lack of skying

That is very possible, since transformers only work with AC power.

In a rooming house in St. Mary, West Virginia we had a drunk electrician going for 1/2 an hour explaining how a DC transformer worked.

We told him it could not work because it was not skyed (as opposed to grounded).

After he sobered up he left the house and quit the job site in embarrassment.

Oh, the good old days 'travelling' WERE fun.

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

To me the best part about traveling into another local's territory was going through everyone on the bench, until they gave up and left us alone.

Home built in 1970's?

Depending on the local water conditions, galvanized pipes can easily rust to failure (either no-flow or leaks) in 30 years.

I'd bet your plumber left some original galvanized pieces in place while running new PEX to everything else. He is realizing he should have changed those few galvanized pieces and does not want to admit his job was less than perfect. Probably why he is not willing to return your call.

Since most of your piping is now PEX, there is no "electrical" reason (connection) for those galvanized pipe sections to rust faster than normal. Your house may not be correctly grounded, but that is a separate issue.


Disclaimer: I'm NOT a plumber, but have replaced lots of old/bad galvanized pipe (with copper) over the last 30 years.