Corrosion under sink

[Jon Errickson]

Inspecting a sink yesterday -- everything metal (screws, hinges, copper pipes leading to faucet, drain) under the sink in the cabinet was corroded/rusted. There were no signs of leaks. It was a wood cabinet with two doors. The back wall was an outside wall (to the garage). Any idea what would cause the corrosion? I thought maybe it would have something to do with it being an outside wall, but not sure.

Thanks!

[Jim Luttrall]

Storage of chemicals under sinks is a big contributor. Back 20-30 years ago, everyone kept an open container of chlorine cleanser under the sink and it ate up all the metal inside.

[Brandon Whitmore]

What Jim said.

That's why it's a bad idea to have a furnace pulling combustion air from a laundry room, corrosive chemicals stored in the same space as an electrical panel, etc.

[Jon Errickson]

Excellent insights -- thanks for the tips.