Thread: Discoloration/Corrosion on HVAC Ducts and Copper Pipes

This was in an 11 year old townhouse. Only the front room in the basement was not finished but drywall was installed on the stud wall in the front room so I had no view of the backside labeling on the drywall in this room. The copper plumbing lines and the HVAC ducts in this front room only had a lot of dark staining and patina on the pipes and a white stain and rusting on the ducts. But copper pipes in the middle utility closet in the basement had no such staining and were shiny and had the typical copper appearance. I did get a pic of the backside labeling of the drywall in the middle room with the copper pipes that looked fine but I really wanted to see what the drywall label in that front room said.

The first thing that came to mind was chinese drywall but I have never heard of any of it making its way to Pennsylvania but I guess it is not out of the question. But I don't know if 11 years ago was the time frame in which chinese drywall start showing up in the United States. And from pics I looked at for chinese drywall and the damage it creates, this does not appear to the same.

Thoughts?

FRONT ROOM


FRONT ROOM


FRONT ROOM


FRONT ROOM


MIDDLE ROOM


MIDDLE ROOM DRYWALL


Similar Threads:

• HVAC ducts in garage
• Mold in HVAC ducts
• HVAC Ducts To Garage
• Surround sound in the HVAC ducts
• Stranded Copper discoloration

I don't think that that is from problematic drywall… The patina is not consistent with what I have seen in homes with Chinese drywall.. Something was off gassing in that room. Could have been somebody cooking with chemicals(Meth) or something similar… Pool and yard chemicals normally will turn copper a green patina but it would be all over and not isolated.

That's about all I have!!

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

I don't think that that is from problematic drywall… The patina is not consistent with what I have seen in homes with Chinese drywall.. Something was off gassing in that room. Could have been somebody cooking with chemicals(Meth) or something similar… Pool and yard chemicals normally will turn copper a green patina but it would be all over and not isolated.

That's about all I have!!

I agree with Scott's comment. I have experienced (seen) similar conditions where "bleach" caused corrosion to metal ductwork and piping. It has also been acknowledged to shorten the life span of a heat exchanger on a furnace.

Is there a laundry area at or near the locations? A cap left off a bleach container could be the culprit.

I think Claude hit it! Bleach would do exactly what we are seeing. Might be that they even sprayed the area with bleach to kill some mold, etc…??

Thanks for the feedback guys. No laundry facilities in the basement in this house. The laundry closet was in the 2nd floor hallway.

If the corrosion is on the cold-water pipes but not the hot, it could be from condensation in a damp basement. This will also happen on the supply ducts when the A/C is running.

Also look around for a beautician's chair and sink. Some of the chemicals those folks use would peel the paint off a locomotive.

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

Thanks for the feedback guys. No laundry facilities in the basement in this house. The laundry closet was in the 2nd floor hallway.

Does the house have a pool ?

I'm thinking maybe a fumigant 'bomb'...?

No beauticians sink, no pool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NOkQ93XlFM&app=desktop

Humidity problem in that area of the basement, water vapour coming up from concrete floor?