# New copper pipe contamination.



## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

So we recently got a new hot water heater and copper pipes installed.

Does anyone know either how long it will take till the ph comes back up from 6.2-6.4 to 7 or if adding a PH up will really help it? 

Basically i cant do water changes on my cycling tank till the ph comes back up lol


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## Blackbar (Apr 23, 2010)

Your copper pipe shouldn't affect your pH at all. pHof 6.4 isn't at all uncommon in the lower mainland, especially when it has been raining alot. Your pH buffer will work fine.


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## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

really? cause its was around 7 the day before the heater broke.


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## beaux (Jan 18, 2011)

Its unusual to even use copper these days at all must be a real old school plumber lol. They use mostly new plastic red for hot blue for cold with compression fittings. One of my best investments since the envention of sliced bread was a RO filter. Now i add no chemicals to my water what so ever!


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## Nanokid (May 18, 2010)

it CAN be disolved Co2 in the water. in victoria, im on well water - water comes out of the tap at 7. and then the next day raises to over 8!


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

You shouldn't really do water changes on a cycling tank, it'll just slow it down a little.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I had a new hot water heater installed in December, and we also have copper pipes. 

I flushed the pipes well after the heater was installed but after that, everything seemed fine for water changes. The pH of our water didn't change, but the water that comes out of our taps is usually below 7 anyway. 

I worried that there might be too much copper in the water, even though the installer assured me there wouldn't be, but I haven't had any shrimp deaths. 

Enjoy your new heater!

We've got to do our roof next. Leaking.


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## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

well thats good to hear your shrimpys are doing ok.
i did water changes today regardless. everyone seems to be happy and hungry so all is well so far. 

we just got new windows and roof done in the summer. i think were set for the next 10 years lol.


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## Aquaman (Apr 21, 2010)

I think the whleo taboo part of "oh my the copper pipe is bad " has more to do with the old school soldering there was a extreamly high lead content in the solder compaired to today's ( ha who knew it would be bad for you ) As the water sat in the pipes lead would leach into it . Running the water for a lenghtly time would flush it out but again ( ha who knew ) most didn't
True most new houses use plastic piping and such with compression couplers n such .But I believe that all hot water tanks require copper pipe like it or not ...may have to do with heat and related high pressure senario's .But then again ( who knows )


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## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

^sounds reasonable to me! lol


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## Theratboy_101 (Apr 27, 2010)

It's a bot of a long shot but... It could be the soldering flux. Flux is and acid paste used to help the solder stick. Some plumbers like to dip the whole end of the pipe in the the bottle of flux coating the inside and outside of the pipe... If some how a plug of it ended up in the pipe it could have melted and coated the inside of the pipe.

If it's on the hot side (outlet of the tank) it should be gone the first time you run the hot water. if it's on the cold side it may take a few days to wash out.


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## Aquaman (Apr 21, 2010)

LikeItLow said:


> ^sounds reasonable to me! lol


Thanks ...if ya can't dazzle them with brilliance baffle them with .......


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## Kanesska (Oct 7, 2010)

I recently had a similar problem..not with pH but with copper pipes. Lost alot of shrimp because I didn't have a bucket of water handy... This is how I found out I had copper pipes.. Of course I'm in an appartment so I should have assumed, but I digress.. 

Try keeping a bucket (around the average size of the water changes you normally do) for me its a large rona bucket, but I'm considering upgrading to a garbage pail. Fill it with water that has an airstone to airate it in a warm area of your house that pets/kids wont get into. If you could filter the water with say, a good brita (or something similar) filter (not an old one) before putting it in the bucket all the better. But let it sit a couple days. This is what I do now. Its made a world of difference.


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## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

thanks for the tip Kanesska. do you add a water conditioner as well? or do you do this instead of using a conditioner?


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