What are the blue crystals that are captured by the filter in my faucet - which I clean out every few weeks?
Question:Weird thing is that not all faucets in my house have this?
Answers:
probably you have copper plumbing pipes, and the blue pieces are actually more green than blue, they are the reactions between other chemicals in the water and the pipes, they also could be coming from the water system that provides water to your service.
agua-marines
It sounds to me like (Goodforwho's answer the same) copper: The guideline of 1000 ug/L for copper is based on considerations of its taste and staining characteristics. The most common source of copper in drinking water is from corrosion of copper pipes within the home. When copper remains in contact with the pipes for long periods of time, the copper from the pipes dissolves in the water. When this water comes in contact with soaps or detergents, the copper precipitates from the water forming a turquoise-blue sediment. Flushing the lines prior to using the water will help to minimize the problems associates with copper.
This could be from a water heater dip tube that has dissolved. There was a large problem with this about seven to ten years ago. The plastic would get brittle and start to dissolve. We often thought that it was minerals in the water. Nearly all water heater companies used the same manufacture for this tube. The answer was to unhook the cold water and replace the dip tube with a new and better one.
I have made some out of copper tubing flared on one end so that it would not fall into the water heater.
The only way to know would be to unhook the cold water and check it. The web link below is just one of many that addresses that problem.
Hope this helps.
More Related Questions & Answers...