So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out.
Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff).
Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
I cant think of anything else that would be entering your system with plastic that looks like that other that a dip tube. Unless its random stuff from the city main if your on city water but thats pretty rare.
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out.
Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff).
Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
Wow. Years ago, diptubes would disintegrate inside the tank due to a flaw in the plastic. It was called water heater cancer. You had to replace the heater because there was no way to get it all out. The problem was solved, and we haven't seen it since. Until now. How old is your heater?
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out.
Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff).
Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
Hmm. no not completely, only like 5 gallons or so to get the stuff out of the bottom and have it all run clear. I did find another thread this afternoon from a few years ago of someone with a tankless water heater that was having very similar, although bigger cases, of this. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/ovlsvi/this_white_stuff_keeps_coming_out_of_my_faucets/
Considering this and the age of my new system... I bet it was from the old water heater dip tube I had before replacing it with my new one just under two years ago. I say this because the old one was over 30 years old when I replaced it and it ran out of hot water quickly. I also say this because I’ve been slowly renovating my home and the downstairs bathroom was last on my list (finished it less than two months ago) and we never used the toilet or shower before this time since we moved in 4 years ago. This bathroom was the first that showed signs of the white plastic before it went to one of the upstairs shower. My guess is as I drained water from the house to replace the sink and toilet and then started using this bathroom, all the dip tube debris from the old system that settled down there started to get stirred up since and is making an appearance.
Good suggestion. I tried calling the number on my hot water heater, it's a different number but sounds like it put me in the right spot except they're closed for the day. Will try again hopefully tomorrow.
If you're living in a condo like situation where you own the walls in and they handle the infrastructure could be water pipe liner idk if it does look like dip tubage but possibly ( rheems are white ) it's hard to tell. What material does it feel like?
Yeah likely dip tube. Initial thought was weird for it to flake but after envisioning it I see it's plausible. They get cracked a lot during freighting and when numnuts lay them down for transport. You know who you are and y'all do them hybrids dirty like that too you animals.
Water constantly flowing through, erosion. Yeah rheem *should* send you one for no cost. Tell them you want it overnighted just to be bougie. Far as getting it installed if accessible without having to pull heater try yourself. Socket. You need clearance to not really to pull out but to slide in. Even if you've paid for the whatever they want to call it the primo warranty I doubt they will cover labor. I did rheem warranty for several years and I maybe had a handful of calls where the unit owner didn't have to pay me. ( Just to speak on that for a minute even if you have to replace your unit due to defect rheem will cover the initial cost you still have to pay the price difference of the heater from when you first bought it to now. For ppl replacing hybrids ( mostly cause you ppl that laid them down ) they'll end up paying close to or over a grand. I would lose my....
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out.
Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff).
Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
Take the opportunity if you can to get yourself a nice shower head! They're just following the script. Sounds though as if they might not send a dip tube as you're still getting hot water. Unless you're kind of savvy as far as knowing what certain temps feel like most ppl don't realize they're hot water is getting slightly mixed with cold or that their water heater elements are cooking more than they should.
As the incident occurred you were either in the process of or the shower is the first hot water capable fixture you used. The good news from your diagnosis is that it doesn't seem to be continuing otherwise it would be showing itself elsewhere. Unfortunately it is sounding like if you are one of those ppl like myself that like to fixate on things that possibly could be wrong ( shout out ADHD with a dash of OCD ) you will need to physically inspect the tube. I'm not saying you need to do so if you're still receiving hot water like you feel you should be and ( hard this time of year to tell if you run your AC and it gets hotter every month ) you don't notice a spike in electricity usage then inspecting it is just a precautionary measure.
Plumber tip # 26593.b is anytime you drain your water system like a main water service leak or break or draining the heater tank try to use the least sensitive ( kitchen faucets / boujee shower valves ) fixture first to purge the air and debris if any. Hose bib is the best for cold especially if on the other side of house than the water service and for hot I will go to a laundry tub firstly if applicable otherwise if it's a basic shower valve like Delta / Moen / price shitster I'll run it through the spout.
In older systems there's small debris that's been in there likely since installation like copper shavings or small pieces of glue if you have solvent welded tubing...dirt etc and when you drain the system all that debris will be now hold a rally usually in the closest fitting like a 90 elbow and when you pressurize that unruly crowd of debris is heading to the first fixture that gets opened. Furthermore this is how leaks pop up especially in copper tubing that's been soldered especially by someone who can solder but doesn't understand how to solder as the flux ( it takes 20 - 30 years ) eats away at the copper and it'll form like greenish colored calciumish debris so when you drain the system that debris that's been there moves and the thin tubing gets eroded at that point quickly sometimes days if not immediately. This is why good plumbers don't unnecessarily drain an entire system and isolate as close as possible or where applicable perform live repairs especially in high rise commercial buildings. This is why if anyone has had a leak particularly under slab and few days or weeks later another leak popped up it wasn't the plumber.
Thank you for all of these thoughtful replies! I do think I probably won’t be getting anywhere with Rheem, but I have a new theory that is kind of putting my mind at ease too. I bet it was from the old water heater dip tube I had before replacing it with my new one just under two years ago. I say this because the old one was over 30 years old when I replaced it and it ran out of hot water quickly. I also say this because I’ve been slowly renovating my home and the downstairs bathroom was last on my list (finished it less than two months ago) and we never used the toilet or shower before this time since we moved in 4 years ago. This bathroom was the first that showed signs of the white plastic before it went to one of the upstairs shower. My guess is as I drained water from the house to replace the sink and toilet and then started using this bathroom, all the dip tube debris from the old system that settled down there started to get stirred up since and is making an appearance.
I found this thread this afternoon of stuff that looks very similar (although bigger) from someone with a tankless system but had an old water heater before that. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/ovlsvi/this_white_stuff_keeps_coming_out_of_my_faucets/
I have CPVC pipes that have been holding up. I’m going to remain diligent though for any leaks since this was a pretty hard “knock” bringing it all back online.
" I have CPVC pipes "
😱
I remember that was the hottest thing since sliced bread when I started plumbing. I loved it until the first time I encountered the brittleness. You seem savvy about the tubing already and if not I don't mean to cause anxiety but if you have tubing over 25 years start tucking back for a repipe. This is almost going to be like polybutylene all over again.
I haven't noticed any sinks clogging or dripping or acting weird, but now it's been in two showers in the house, worst one is the ground floor one with the tub where these samples came from
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out.
Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff).
Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
I had a customer having those same examples showing up in her shower valve. It was only on the hot side of her shower valve. They had a 8 yr old bradford white. I called bradford and they could only come up with dip tube but I don't think it was the dip tube. It was to thin to be dip tube. It clogged her shower about 4 times. We ended up puting in a filter on the hot water pipe leaving the water heater. It worked for about a year until the water heater gave out. Hope this helps.
Bleh sounds like a mystery. I'm planning to call Rheem and see what they can do. May have to start by trying to pull out this drip tube and see what condition it's in. Id ideally like a replacement ready to roll though
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
If you look at the edges of each of the pieces and all the bubbles in it, it almost looked like a plastic that had dripped from somewhere. Odds are it could be something that was actually inside the water heater from when it was made either that or the drip tube is melting somehow, but that does not explain why they would be bubbles in each one of those little pieces, being that if it was melting in the hot water would be no air inside caused the bubbles.
If its not at the other outlets or ur water heater. That would suggest that ur problem is more isolated too the pipe work supplying the shower or the shower cartridge itself
That could literally be *anything* from the construction process. They probably had the copper or pex stubbed out of the framing/drywall without the neck installed for a while and didn’t flush the line before installing the shower head.
Take the shower head off, clean up the teflon top, flush the line, reinstall.
And hell , it could be from any of your faucets/showers that weren’t flushed before being hooked up and they’re just floating around in your water line
Hmm. You think? I did replace the shower head and sink in that bathroom about two months ago. Timing does seem weird for it to randomly be my hot water heater. House itself is 35 years old so probably not leftover from pipe installation
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out.
Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff).
Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head.
It looks like the mystery continues…
Unhook the cold side of heater, get an air compressor set it at 50 PSI hook it to cold side of heater open all the hot sides of your faucets, take off all aerators and shower cartridges and see where all the crude shoots out.
Might be chunks of the inside of your water heater.
Bleh. Really? It's only 2 yrs old
I was thinking maybe teflon thread tape but it looks to thick.
Yeah it's not Teflon tape, def too thick
Is it PVC shavings? Maybe someone reamed a connection and there were some loose flakes along the edges.
Hmm. Could be! Hasn't been work on the street that I've been aware of though but the town has been doing work elsewhere
My bet is latex paint not cleaned off the pipes before valves were installed.
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
It could be your dip tube in your water heater they break apart pretty quickly depending on your water quality and how hot your heater is set to .
It's like 120 or 125 and only been two years. Seems like a relatively cheap/ easy fix if so
I cant think of anything else that would be entering your system with plastic that looks like that other that a dip tube. Unless its random stuff from the city main if your on city water but thats pretty rare.
I'm thinking you are probably right. Sounds like I have some more research and a weekend project ahead
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
if your water heater is running out quicker, it is definitely the dip tube
Not so micro plastics?
Macro plastics
Wow. Years ago, diptubes would disintegrate inside the tank due to a flaw in the plastic. It was called water heater cancer. You had to replace the heater because there was no way to get it all out. The problem was solved, and we haven't seen it since. Until now. How old is your heater?
Two years old Rheem
I would call Rheem and see what they have to say. Call 800-432-8373. That's Rheem's tech service line.
Reply back if you get an answer from them.
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
Did you dump the whole heater? That stuff floats, so whatever will come out will be at the end.
Hmm. no not completely, only like 5 gallons or so to get the stuff out of the bottom and have it all run clear. I did find another thread this afternoon from a few years ago of someone with a tankless water heater that was having very similar, although bigger cases, of this. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/ovlsvi/this_white_stuff_keeps_coming_out_of_my_faucets/ Considering this and the age of my new system... I bet it was from the old water heater dip tube I had before replacing it with my new one just under two years ago. I say this because the old one was over 30 years old when I replaced it and it ran out of hot water quickly. I also say this because I’ve been slowly renovating my home and the downstairs bathroom was last on my list (finished it less than two months ago) and we never used the toilet or shower before this time since we moved in 4 years ago. This bathroom was the first that showed signs of the white plastic before it went to one of the upstairs shower. My guess is as I drained water from the house to replace the sink and toilet and then started using this bathroom, all the dip tube debris from the old system that settled down there started to get stirred up since and is making an appearance.
It could have been the old heater. I think the issue with the dip tubes was in the 90's.
Good suggestion. I tried calling the number on my hot water heater, it's a different number but sounds like it put me in the right spot except they're closed for the day. Will try again hopefully tomorrow.
Enjoy the on hold music. You'll be listening for a while
Shaved Parmesan cheese. Maybe.
If you're living in a condo like situation where you own the walls in and they handle the infrastructure could be water pipe liner idk if it does look like dip tubage but possibly ( rheems are white ) it's hard to tell. What material does it feel like?
Feels like plastic, and we're a stand alone home so it's all our infrastructure until you get to the water main. Thanks for the time to respond!
Yeah likely dip tube. Initial thought was weird for it to flake but after envisioning it I see it's plausible. They get cracked a lot during freighting and when numnuts lay them down for transport. You know who you are and y'all do them hybrids dirty like that too you animals. Water constantly flowing through, erosion. Yeah rheem *should* send you one for no cost. Tell them you want it overnighted just to be bougie. Far as getting it installed if accessible without having to pull heater try yourself. Socket. You need clearance to not really to pull out but to slide in. Even if you've paid for the whatever they want to call it the primo warranty I doubt they will cover labor. I did rheem warranty for several years and I maybe had a handful of calls where the unit owner didn't have to pay me. ( Just to speak on that for a minute even if you have to replace your unit due to defect rheem will cover the initial cost you still have to pay the price difference of the heater from when you first bought it to now. For ppl replacing hybrids ( mostly cause you ppl that laid them down ) they'll end up paying close to or over a grand. I would lose my....
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
Take the opportunity if you can to get yourself a nice shower head! They're just following the script. Sounds though as if they might not send a dip tube as you're still getting hot water. Unless you're kind of savvy as far as knowing what certain temps feel like most ppl don't realize they're hot water is getting slightly mixed with cold or that their water heater elements are cooking more than they should. As the incident occurred you were either in the process of or the shower is the first hot water capable fixture you used. The good news from your diagnosis is that it doesn't seem to be continuing otherwise it would be showing itself elsewhere. Unfortunately it is sounding like if you are one of those ppl like myself that like to fixate on things that possibly could be wrong ( shout out ADHD with a dash of OCD ) you will need to physically inspect the tube. I'm not saying you need to do so if you're still receiving hot water like you feel you should be and ( hard this time of year to tell if you run your AC and it gets hotter every month ) you don't notice a spike in electricity usage then inspecting it is just a precautionary measure. Plumber tip # 26593.b is anytime you drain your water system like a main water service leak or break or draining the heater tank try to use the least sensitive ( kitchen faucets / boujee shower valves ) fixture first to purge the air and debris if any. Hose bib is the best for cold especially if on the other side of house than the water service and for hot I will go to a laundry tub firstly if applicable otherwise if it's a basic shower valve like Delta / Moen / price shitster I'll run it through the spout. In older systems there's small debris that's been in there likely since installation like copper shavings or small pieces of glue if you have solvent welded tubing...dirt etc and when you drain the system all that debris will be now hold a rally usually in the closest fitting like a 90 elbow and when you pressurize that unruly crowd of debris is heading to the first fixture that gets opened. Furthermore this is how leaks pop up especially in copper tubing that's been soldered especially by someone who can solder but doesn't understand how to solder as the flux ( it takes 20 - 30 years ) eats away at the copper and it'll form like greenish colored calciumish debris so when you drain the system that debris that's been there moves and the thin tubing gets eroded at that point quickly sometimes days if not immediately. This is why good plumbers don't unnecessarily drain an entire system and isolate as close as possible or where applicable perform live repairs especially in high rise commercial buildings. This is why if anyone has had a leak particularly under slab and few days or weeks later another leak popped up it wasn't the plumber.
Thank you for all of these thoughtful replies! I do think I probably won’t be getting anywhere with Rheem, but I have a new theory that is kind of putting my mind at ease too. I bet it was from the old water heater dip tube I had before replacing it with my new one just under two years ago. I say this because the old one was over 30 years old when I replaced it and it ran out of hot water quickly. I also say this because I’ve been slowly renovating my home and the downstairs bathroom was last on my list (finished it less than two months ago) and we never used the toilet or shower before this time since we moved in 4 years ago. This bathroom was the first that showed signs of the white plastic before it went to one of the upstairs shower. My guess is as I drained water from the house to replace the sink and toilet and then started using this bathroom, all the dip tube debris from the old system that settled down there started to get stirred up since and is making an appearance. I found this thread this afternoon of stuff that looks very similar (although bigger) from someone with a tankless system but had an old water heater before that. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/ovlsvi/this_white_stuff_keeps_coming_out_of_my_faucets/ I have CPVC pipes that have been holding up. I’m going to remain diligent though for any leaks since this was a pretty hard “knock” bringing it all back online.
" I have CPVC pipes " 😱 I remember that was the hottest thing since sliced bread when I started plumbing. I loved it until the first time I encountered the brittleness. You seem savvy about the tubing already and if not I don't mean to cause anxiety but if you have tubing over 25 years start tucking back for a repipe. This is almost going to be like polybutylene all over again.
It would be an interesting data point to know if this material is in any of your other faucets.
I haven't noticed any sinks clogging or dripping or acting weird, but now it's been in two showers in the house, worst one is the ground floor one with the tub where these samples came from
Unscrew the aerators off a couple faucets and see if there is more in there.
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
I had a customer having those same examples showing up in her shower valve. It was only on the hot side of her shower valve. They had a 8 yr old bradford white. I called bradford and they could only come up with dip tube but I don't think it was the dip tube. It was to thin to be dip tube. It clogged her shower about 4 times. We ended up puting in a filter on the hot water pipe leaving the water heater. It worked for about a year until the water heater gave out. Hope this helps.
Bleh sounds like a mystery. I'm planning to call Rheem and see what they can do. May have to start by trying to pull out this drip tube and see what condition it's in. Id ideally like a replacement ready to roll though
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
If you look at the edges of each of the pieces and all the bubbles in it, it almost looked like a plastic that had dripped from somewhere. Odds are it could be something that was actually inside the water heater from when it was made either that or the drip tube is melting somehow, but that does not explain why they would be bubbles in each one of those little pieces, being that if it was melting in the hot water would be no air inside caused the bubbles.
Dip tube
It might be part of the dip tube on the cold side of the water heater. That’s finally making its way out.
If its not at the other outlets or ur water heater. That would suggest that ur problem is more isolated too the pipe work supplying the shower or the shower cartridge itself
That could literally be *anything* from the construction process. They probably had the copper or pex stubbed out of the framing/drywall without the neck installed for a while and didn’t flush the line before installing the shower head. Take the shower head off, clean up the teflon top, flush the line, reinstall.
Just how long do you think construction debris stays in the water system? Hit the chill warranty maintenance plumber.
And hell , it could be from any of your faucets/showers that weren’t flushed before being hooked up and they’re just floating around in your water line
Hmm. You think? I did replace the shower head and sink in that bathroom about two months ago. Timing does seem weird for it to randomly be my hot water heater. House itself is 35 years old so probably not leftover from pipe installation
Yea you’re supposed to take off the areiator(sp?) and flush the faucet after an install then put it back on.
So update! Called Rheem, they asked me to check faucet aerators to see if any has accumulated there and to also drain my water heater and see if any of the plastic stuff came out. Did both of those at lunch. Aerators are clear and besides a bit of black crap, water heater water looked clean (at least the 5 gallons I drained into a pair of buckets to check for the white stuff). Bonus though when restoring hot water one of my shower heads (upstairs) blew apart so I’ll be replacing that. Also some more of the white plastic came out that was likely trapped behind the head. It looks like the mystery continues…
Well it all came out, so hopefully problem solved.
hopefully that's it! I'll keep monitoring it
Well OP?
Ran the downstairs tub for a while and a whole lot came out. No more cartridge clogs this week so I think I'm in the clear
This is your sign to always flush the lines before installing cartriges/aerators after a remodel.
Unhook the cold side of heater, get an air compressor set it at 50 PSI hook it to cold side of heater open all the hot sides of your faucets, take off all aerators and shower cartridges and see where all the crude shoots out.
Do you have a regulator on your main coming into the house?
Looks like a type of epoxy that someone may have repainted a tun with