Plumbing question- what's this stuff?

[Bill]

The hot water stopped flowing in my bathroom sink. I started with removing the Pfhister control valve cartridge which seemed OK. Then removed the flexible stainless braided lines from the valve to the sink, and checked the in-line screen filter. It was clogged with a white, flexible material that was stringy. I gently tugged on it, and pulled 3-4 inches of it out of the flexible line. When I rubbed it between my fingers, it broke up. I then checked the cold water line filter, and there was a small amount of it on the center of that filter. It had no odor.

It dissolved in lacquer thinner (my 1st choice for solvent since it was on my workbench), and I cleared the filters with compressed air.

We're on a well (in Montana), which passes through a cartridge filter, then a water softener, a flow-through continuous water heater and PEX plumbing. The sink cold water goes through a reverse osmosis system (we have high nitrates from the minerals in the mountains above us. Plus a load of other chemicals like fluorine, arsenic, lead and uranium. All below the federal 'safe' levels but why drink it when you don't have to?). That makes me think it's something that was in the PEX. I have not noticed reduce flow on other faucets in the house, and checking the other filters is on my 'to do' list now.

Any idea of what this stuff is?

[MtnMike]

I am thinking Calcium deposits.

[Bill]

Thanks. I would too, but we have a water softener, and calcium carbonate (scale) is hard.

This was my first post since the TBH upgrade. Great we can now post pictures directly, I need to figure out how to resize the pictures in iPhotos on a Mac to be < 2 MB to be able to upload in the future.

[doublearrow]

Is it more translucent than white? Jelly like? If so I say iron bacteria.

[Hardware]

Is it more translucent than white? Jelly like? If so I say iron bacteria.

In agreement with doublearrow.

[critter69]

Man I don't know, but hopefully it's not worse for yea then minerals are trying to remove. Could be some type of " brake down" in the material of piping, filters, fitting or hoses, maybe.

[Bill]

Thanks. I didn't keep "it", but I'll take the pictures to the company we bought the system. They're affiliated with an analytical testing lab in the same building. I'll update when I know more.

[BertramBass]

Resin bead breakdown from the softener???

[Bill]

I don't know, thanks for ideas. I sent more pictures to the sales/ tech support gent we bought the system from and await his reply. Being 4th of July weekend, I may not hear back until mid next week.

[Bill]

The technical guy at first through it could be from anode breakdown in a hot water heat installed after a water softener. When I told him we a flow-thru water heater, he scratched his head and said he'd look into it and talk to the fellow who runs the water testing lab next door., To be continued......

[Txhunter3000]

The technical guy at first through it could be from anode breakdown in a hot water heat installed after a water softener. When I told him we a flow-thru water heater, he scratched his head and said he'd look into it and talk to the fellow who runs the water testing lab next door., To be continued......

Thanks for the update. In for the findings.

[Bill]

The water testing analytical lab suspects a bacterial contamination, but can’t test the slimy stuff itself. I need to get a water test bottle and bring a water sample.

To be continued.

[ThisLadyHunts]

The water testing analytical lab suspects a bacterial contamination, but can’t test the slimy stuff itself. I need to get a water test bottle and bring a water sample.

To be continued.

I suspect it’s ectoplasmic reticulum, perhaps from the mucilaginous family if same. Probably came up through the bowels of the city’s underground water or sewage system. You should check around and see if anyone’s reported any strange goings on…human sacrifice, mass hysteria, dogs and cats living together…and report back.

[Bill]

You got me! I’m drinking coffee in Newark airport waiting for a delayed flight to get me ‘outta here’ and back to Montana! Thanks for the laugh.

[tps7742]

I don’t know all of the technical, scientific or medical jargon but where I use to work on occasion the filters or wrong filters took out the chemicals in the domestic water that are supposed to kill bacteria. Long story short and in layman’s terms, it was a several day process to treat all of the internal piping of the building to get rid of the bacteria so it could be used again by personnel.