Mark P Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Clean vacant home built in 1908 in Southern Illinois. Throughout the house and mostly unfinished basement there is substantial discoloration of the copper water lines and exposed coper wiring inside the electrical panel (basically they are black). But a few wires look normal, I can only assume they are newer...? From what I have read this could be have been caused by: Chinese drywall (but there is no drywall in the basement and I have never heard / read of any Chinese drywall in this area). storing fertilizer or swimming pool chemicals inside (but there is a detached 2 car garage, and no pool). The house is on city water so it can?t be sulfur from well water. Is this a possible sign the house could have been a meth lab? There are some black lights installed in the basement ? are black light used by drug manufactures for some reason...? hell I don't know. In the report I will describe what I have seen, but am not sure what to recommend. Environmental testing firm? This is new territory for me so I appreciate your experience and knowledge. Click to Enlarge 54.02 KB Click to Enlarge 50.04 KB Click to Enlarge 60.32 KB Click to Enlarge 36.36 KB Click to Enlarge 71.1 KB Click to Enlarge 36.61 KB Click to Enlarge 48.15 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 My experience(s) are exposure to raw sewage or aerosols. Also (aerosols) from wet cell battery gas. I would suspect a plant fertilizer in this instance. I am not much on punting to air quality people, but would in this case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 ...is not southern Illinois somewhat exposed to high water and flood conditions, ergo to higher humidity etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 I had two in November like that. A 1946 cape, every copper pipe in the crawl was black, but none of them were more than 12" above the high water mark on the stemwall. And, a 1964 log cabin, every pipe and wire (including the copper bus in the panel) was black. Even the brass valves on the boiler and water softener were black. Someone stole the chlorinator and half the water softener but left six open and mostly empty 5 gallon jugs of chlorine behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 ...is not southern Illinois somewhat exposed to high water and flood conditions, ergo to higher humidity etc? The summer is hot a humid, many areas flood, but I don't think this house is in a flood zone. It is not near a river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Since the fresh wiring is not tarnished, the problem may have occurred in the past from leak of chemicals, like chlorine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 An observation not proving anything..... The copper pipes in my apartment building basement were relatively clean and pure looking copper. I stored an open bag of Scotts Turf Builder in the basement. 6 months later the pipes had noticeably changed color toward blackish. Circumstantial, but interesting. Fertilizer, charging batteries, swimming pool chemicals, etc. have all been shown t cause the issue. At least, that's what gets talked about all the time when people bring this up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Black lights have nothing to do with the manufacture of drugs, but they might have something to do with the use of drugs. . . The blackened copper was caused by something in the environment, which is probably not there anymore. I wouldn't send people off on a wild goose chase trying to find the exact cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 So, should you bother changing the blackened wire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 So, should you bother changing the blackened wire? I see no reason to. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.