Electrolysis or Not?

[ATSman]

Interesting article about net currents: currents that do not return back to the source on a neutral conductor but rather on building steel or water pipe. Our Master describes this with water pipes first hand at the end of the article:

http://www.mikeholt.com/technical.p...ed/EMIKarl&type=u&title=Power Quality Article

We ran into a similar situation at an office building where the employees were complaining about screen jitter on their work station monitors. The high Gauss readings (around 80mG) in the work area confirmed the cause of jitter and clamp-on readings of the ground wires terminated on the main switchboard (1600A) ground bus showed extremely high ground current readings. The utility transformer was located outside across the parking lot of this underground service. Turns out the neutral bus connection bolts were found finger tight in the transition section next to the transformer. Instead of the neutral current returning on the neutral bus, it was flowing through the building grounding system, building steel, earth and back to where the XO of the transformer was grounded. The building became an antenna for the EMF radiation. The neutral bolts were torqued: problem solved. The building operated like this for 4 years.

 

[Julius Right]

IMO, the problem is the welding. The welding material is not suitable.

 

[GoldDigger]

IMO, the problem is the welding. The welding material is not suitable.

Just what do you think was welded?

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[DonP520]

Thanks for all the replies I work for the City and this is a city building and if anyone has worked for a gov enity IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET THINGS DONE. Therefor I will post any results from the investigation. But keep posting your thoughts. I love how we all can come togather to solve a problem.

 

[mgookin]

Fellow members I have an unusal corroding copper water pipes in a crime lab that i can't explain I have included photos. The lab has chemicals but thay are contained in vent hood enclosures. The corrosion isn't in a continous run they are in the middle and on fitings (90*) and where strap hangers not dissimilar metal. Building grounds, water pipe grounding and fire sprinklers are to code. This is happening under insulated piping as well as exposed copper. Has enyone experienced anything like this? Thanks !

Back to your original question (and yes I spent 15 years working for a city; they finally just got public trash cans in the urban area which I asked for 20 years ago).

You say "... copper water pipes in a crime lab ..." which makes sense. But tell us a little more please.
Is this crime lab a stand alone building or an area of another building?
If it's an area of another building, how is the rest of the building? Is the problem limited to the crime lab or not? Is it just worse in the crime lab?

 

[DonP520]

Mgookin, The lab is located in an area of a single building. The corosion is in the lab and in the mechanical room. but not in the office areas. there is a main pipe that runs the entire length of the building above ceiling.

 

[mgookin]

Mgookin, The lab is located in an area of a single building. The corosion is in the lab and in the mechanical room. but not in the office areas. there is a main pipe that runs the entire length of the building above ceiling.

The pipe is going to vibrate with water flowing through it. Water flows through pipe in a vortex. I'm leaning towards dissimilar metals. As someone else said, those hangers could be copper plated steel.

What would I do if it were my task to correct and make sure it doesn't happen again in 5 years? Replace the pipe with pvc.