It's a Shame! Are You Living with Green Stains?

Most stains found on the majority of plumbing fixtures are of the dingy or yellow-brown variety. Just as common are the darker and much more dramatic stains that rust leaves behind.

But have you ever encountered blue or green staining on fixtures? If so, don’t fret quite yet! Stains do happen! But why? And what can you do about it?

Here are some helpful tips from all of us at HP Mechanical, where we’ve been serving our clients since 1975 and always looking to utilize the latest technology in today’s plumbing world. By providing complete plumbing services to businesses, industry, homebuilders and homeowners throughout the northern California Bay Area, we’ve been able to stay at the forefront of this industry and succeed at a high level for 45 years.

Blue or green staining occurs almost exclusively with copper pipe and fittings (including brass, which is copper + zinc), and is caused by the corrosion and dissolution of the actual metal itself. Water quality and even improper electrical grounding can cause corrosion, adding excessive amounts of dissolved copper to the water coming out of the fixtures. When the copper-laden H2O is allowed to sit, it will stain. Unsurprisingly, the water may also have a strong metallic taste to it. Because this staining is the overall result of the pipe itself dissolving, it is far from harmless.

The extreme corrosion leading to copper staining has two main causes: Acidic water or stray electrical current running throughout the plumbing system. The latter is normally rare, but possible when an older home's plumbing is incorrectly used as a ground for your home’s electrical system - or when DC current from a mass transit power system finds its way there. Either of these cases can result in an electrochemical process known as electrolysis that accelerates metal corrosion.

As acidic water flows through the copper supply pipes, small amounts of metal are eaten away and subsequently dissolved into the water. Since most people do not usually dry off every water-using fixture after they are done with it, the water sits and eventually stains the right surface and unfortunately, most fixture surfaces are vulnerable.

About HP Mechanical

For many years, HP Mechanical has proudly provided comfort to thousands of homes and light commercial businesses across the Santa Rosa/Windsor area and throughout Sonoma County. We are an honest, loyal company who takes pride in our work. We take care of our customers as if they were family. Referrals are where 90% of our business comes from, so the relationships we build along the way mean a lot to our small business. The one constant with everything involves working and helping people, by striving to provide the best service available at a reasonable cost. We take personal responsibility to make sure comfort and quality meets accountability & affordability, with exceptional customer service every time!

Sources: YouTube and Wikipedia