Acidic Water

[wjmst]

I recently tested my well water for my house and the result was a ph level of 5. It looks like a soda ash injector is what everyone recommends for adjusting the ph level to that degree. Anyone use one of these? It looks like I would then also need a water softener and some filters. Any thoughts on the best way to increase my ph level?

The reason I even looked into the ph level is because I had a copper pipe start leaking. Around the pipe was some green and bluesh colored stains. Maybe it would just be cheaper to replace the copper plumping! I only have copper at the fixtures, everything else is pex.

Just looking for thoughts and opinions.

 

[Circle W]

I think I'd just switch everything to pex. And with the price of copper being high, you can probably offset some of your cost.

 

[Egon]

Going to plex may be the easiest in the long run. That said what water quality do you wish?

 

[wjmst]

Going to plex may be the easiest in the long run. That said what water quality do you wish?

Water is fine other than the low ph level. I want water that won't eat holes in my pipes! So either change the water or change the pipes.

 

[coveredbridge]

If you use a salt softener that is going to increase the ph level. You may not need anything else.

 

[Fossil Farm]

My friend deals in pumps and water softener equipment all day long. He recommends a calcium (calcite) treatment instead of soda ash. If the soda ash equipment fails, you could get a nasty alkaline burn in the shower. Calcite is more expensive, but safer. We recharge it about every 7 to 9 months with half a bag of calcite.

 

[dave1949]

Water is fine other than the low ph level. I want water that won't eat holes in my pipes! So either change the water or change the pipes.

Just changing to pex still leaves your washer, dish washer, water heater, fixtures, etc. exposed to low ph.

 

[slow wrench]

I recently tested my well water for my house and the result was a ph level of 5. It looks like a soda ash injector is what everyone recommends for adjusting the ph level to that degree. Anyone use one of these? It looks like I would then also need a water softener and some filters. Any thoughts on the best way to increase my ph level?

The reason I even looked into the ph level is because I had a copper pipe start leaking. Around the pipe was some green and bluesh colored stains. Maybe it would just be cheaper to replace the copper plumping! I only have copper at the fixtures, everything else is pex.

Just looking for thoughts and opinions.

The green and blue stain is acid flux that was not cleaned off the pipe after sweating the fitting.Over time it can eat through copper, especially type M pipe.I always use a spray bottle of water, and a rag,after it cools a bit.

 

[teejk]

The green and blue stain is acid flux that was not cleaned off the pipe after sweating the fitting.Over time it can eat through copper, especially type M pipe.I always use a spray bottle of water, and a rag,after it cools a bit.

As a veteran of the "pinhole wars" in copper pipe in my previous house, you might be correct but I've also seen it the middle of a 10' stick. I did a lot of browsing on the topic and always came away with "nobody knows". It could be inferior copper, I've read about electrolysis, it could be a host of other things. In my case I think that it was something in the DHW loop in a Weil McLain oil fired boiler since I was getting the problem on the hot water runs and not on the town supplied cold water. Seriously consider switching to PEX regardless. Tearing open drywall and patching it is never fun.

 

[BobRip]

Even with PEX you have the copper connections. I think only having small sections of copper means the acid gets to focus on these fittings. I had a friend switch from copper to PEX and the PEX fittings are failing quicker than the copper did. You need to get the ph right to protect all of your equipment. You could also go to CPVC and be all plastic, but you still need to fix the ph to protect everything else.