alright, i think 2 months in this new house is enough time to "wait
and see what happens":

i have been getting this white powder (and little crushable white
rocks) coming out of my hot water taps in the whole house - to the
degree that they clog the aerators on the taps.

it's a new house - barely 3 months old - and has a new GE water
softener installed on a pre-plumb in the garage...

i've even drained the hot water heater twice, and some small,
nickle-sized white crystals came out of it, but that was it.

is there any way hard water deposits can persist in a home with a soft
water system?

this doesn't make sense - they only other explanation i have is that
Salt Pellets are making their way into the hot water tank?!?

....but that would indicate a broken water softener - and this one is
babied and brand-new...

can someone help here?

i have been getting this white powder (and little crushable white
rocks) coming out of my hot water taps in the whole house - to the
degree that they clog the aerators on the taps.

How old is your water heater?

A bunch of water heaters were manufactured during the 1990's with
a defective component called a "dip tube" that is made of plastic.
As it falls apart, it leaves bits of white grunk in the hot water.

The solution is to replace the dip tube.

--
Andrew Koenig,

(Andrew Koenig) wrote in
:

The solution is to replace the dip tube.

And clean out the water heater and the hot water supply lines and all
the faucets.

Even then, you'll probably have little bits of plastic in the sytem
for a long time.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

some last-minute discoveries:

1) the white powder does not fizz in vinegar - but it IS further
crushable to a fine white dust...

2) it does NOT taste like salt.

3) it has a dirty white appearance in the vinegar - like a white/brown

i should also point out that i live over an aquifer-fed water supply
in South Central Texas - the Edwards Aquifer.

historically, we have had heavy limestone deposits in our water
supply, but i've seen and drank the hard water, and this is NOTHING
like that...

my suspicions still lie with the plastic dip tube, except that large
white SOLID marble-sized pieces came out of the water heater when i
drained it 2 weeks ago - they looked like crystalline
formations...like "jacks" of yore...

wrote in message
om...
some last-minute discoveries:

1) the white powder does not fizz in vinegar - but it IS further
crushable to a fine white dust...

2) it does NOT taste like salt.

3) it has a dirty white appearance in the vinegar - like a white/brown

i should also point out that i live over an aquifer-fed water supply
in South Central Texas - the Edwards Aquifer.

historically, we have had heavy limestone deposits in our water
supply, but i've seen and drank the hard water, and this is NOTHING
like that...

my suspicions still lie with the plastic dip tube, except that large
white SOLID marble-sized pieces came out of the water heater when i
drained it 2 weeks ago - they looked like crystalline
formations...like "jacks" of yore...

Hmmm. Your new information changes things. If the problem is a
deteriorated dip tube, the bits will be somewhat soft. The chips that I
found in my faucet screens mushed into a white, somewhat pasty, mass.

Since it's a relatively new tank, I wonder if some kind of cleaner or other
material could have been left in the tank during manufacture. Maybe it's
time find out what that stuff is. Take some to a local lab or even to the
local chemistry teacher and run a few basic tests. You probably don't
drink the water from the hot water tap, but there's always the chance of a
harmful chemical.

TKM

"TKM" wrote in message ...

Hmmm. Your new information changes things. If the problem is a
deteriorated dip tube, the bits will be somewhat soft. The chips that I
found in my faucet screens mushed into a white, somewhat pasty, mass.

Since it's a relatively new tank, I wonder if some kind of cleaner or other
material could have been left in the tank during manufacture. Maybe it's
time find out what that stuff is. Take some to a local lab or even to the
local chemistry teacher and run a few basic tests. You probably don't
drink the water from the hot water tap, but there's always the chance of a
harmful chemical.

TKM


yes - i'm inclined to believe it's hard water deposits in the
pipes/heater.

slowly, VERY slowly, it has reduced in quantity.

i can now run the hot water tap on the bathtub for about 4 minutes
before it slows a little - the first month, it was about 4 SECONDS!

something happened in between when the water was turned on and i moved
in, and i'm probably seeing the results of that mystery event.

i have a friend who has access to a lab and might ask him to check out
the powder, but for now i'm just going to live with it.

wrote in message . com...
"TKM" wrote in message ...

Hmmm. Your new information changes things. If the problem is a
deteriorated dip tube, the bits will be somewhat soft. The chips that I
found in my faucet screens mushed into a white, somewhat pasty, mass.



it's the salt.

it's making it through the softener - i just cleaned out the hot water
lead to the washer and it was CAKED with the stuff.

i turn down the "salt level" on the GE Water Softener and the stuff
decreases.

i am at a total loss now - i've consulted with the plumber twice and
he recommended i leave the salt level low and just live with it...

ridiculous - it's down to 5 now, from 26, 16, 13, 12, 10, 9

wrote
wrote
"TKM" wrote

Hmmm. Your new information changes things. If the problem is a
deteriorated dip tube, the bits will be somewhat soft. The chips
that I
found in my faucet screens mushed into a white, somewhat pasty,
mass.



it's the salt.

it's making it through the softener - i just cleaned out the hot water
lead to the washer and it was CAKED with the stuff.

i turn down the "salt level" on the GE Water Softener and the stuff
decreases.

i am at a total loss now - i've consulted with the plumber twice and
he recommended i leave the salt level low and just live with it...

ridiculous - it's down to 5 now, from 26, 16, 13, 12, 10, 9

Have you read my posts? If they didn't show up here, go to
www.google.com and search this Group.

The vast majority of plumbers don't normally know softeners or how to
trouble shoot problems with them. Who set the salt so high? And how much
resin, capacity etc. does the softener have? Nine may still be too high
and the only way to know is with a sodium test. The salt may be a
problem with the control valve not providing proper rinses. Or the drain
line being kinked etc.. You need a water treatment dealer to check out
your softener for proper setup and operation. Plus the other things that
may be in your water and causing this white stuff problem.

Gary
Quality Water Associates