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About Sharon McCarthy
Expertise
I can help with most questions about residential plumbing problems including septic systems, and some questions about irrigation. I have no experience with commercial installations or codes.
Experience
I have been a sole-proprietor service plumber in two small towns north of Phoenix Arizona for 26 years.
Publications
I had a monthly column in the United Steelworkers of America, local 1033, newsletter 1978 to 1982. I wrote an article for "The Theosophist" in 1977. I've written dozens of letters to the editor in many newspapers.
Education/Credentials
High school and three years of college. My step-father, having worked 40 years in the plumbing trade in Chicago, taught me for two years. The rest has been hands-on experience.
Past/Present Clients
Many hundreds of good people in Cave Creek and Carefree Arizona
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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Plumbing in the Home > greasy black in hot water
Expert: Sharon McCarthy - 11/5/2009
Question
I saw the question you answered about the black in the sinks. I have black, greasy, thick stuff that is almost impossible to clean out of the tub I was wondering if the black could be caused by using the wrong hoses at the top? I have black rubber hoses at the top of the hot water tank.
Answer
Dear Melinda,
That's a first! I've never seen a water heater hooked up with rubber hoses. If they are hoses like the ones used for washing machines they would probably be OK because those are made for hot water. But I'm doubtful those are laundry hoses because laundry hoses have "hose thread" connections. The threads on the end of a hose bibb, the type of faucet you have outside to hook a hose to, has a different type thread than pipe threads.
A water heater has two openings on top, and generally there are two short pipes that are screwed into those holes. The threads in the holes and the pipes that screw into them have "pipe threads". Then usually there are two copper flex tubes that connect to those short pipes, and the other ends of the flex tubes connect to the copper pipes coming out of the wall.
The flex tubes come with a brass nut on the end. Some have nuts on both ends, some only on one end, and the other end is soldered onto a copper pipe. Those brass nuts also have pipe threads. Pipe threads all match up.
How are those black hoses connected to the water heater? Can you describe it to me? This might be causing the problem in your tub, but if the black stuff is coming from that hose it seems that all your sinks would have this black stuff in them.
Have you had any sewer back-up? Often when a sewer pipe is blocked, the waste water and all the crud in the pipes will come up in a tub before a toilet overflows. The tub drain is the lowest point of all your drains, so the backed-up waste water comes up into the tub first.
If this is what happened, you'll need to have the sewer line snaked. If you need advice about that write back. Sharon
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