Is this shower kettle on its last legs? White spots on kettle...

[Ric2013]

Just looking at a Mira Jump that needs a replacement on/off button. This is in my own house, but it has made me realise I don't know what I am looking at here, and would appreciate some of this forum's collective experience. Please...

Internally all looks in good order with no evidence of water ingress and everything works as it should.

But there are these weird white spots on top of the kettle which look like corrosion of the brass. They look powdery but don't entirely rub off (I've tried with my finger on one spot) , and I'm thinking they don't show leakage as they were not in any way wet. Possibly some flux from the soldering in manufacture that hasn't been cleaned off (tut tut) or some kind of corrosion/dezincification?

My concern is they might show pinholing in its early stages. Is this shower kettle likely to fail any time soon in your opinions?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I would say so maybe you could clean it up with a toothbrush and iso prop and see what it looks like and go from there

 

[Ric2013]

Ta. Will give that a go...

 

[Basher]

I agree with your suggestion of flux residue not cleaned off. It looks like they may have lacquered the metalwork after fabrication, thus trapping the contamination, and that's maybe the reason for the little blisters.
Might be worth cleaning it off as best you can (power isolated obs!!)
I guess it could corrode through eventually, but hopefully that's a while away.

If it's in a shower cubicle, or over a bath, and begins to leak, what's the worst that can happen? Water goes down the drain?
If it's predicted to go through the floor or down the stairs then I guess preventative replacement is worthwhile.
But if you can tolerate a small leak just to waste, you could live with it, while looking out for a cheap replacement kettle (or shower if you're inclined to have a change)

All depends on how old it is, and how long that's been going on 🤔

 

[Ric2013]

Hi Basher. I think the lacquer idea is certainly a possibility. The main concern (somewhat unlikely) is if it goes bang when it leaks 🙂

Though, actually, I don't think it's going to happen. Having cleaned off the white stuff, mostly with a penknife and then some cleaning with pure isoprop, brasso, and then meths (as the pure isoprop didn't seem to do much... I wonder did you mean pure isoprop or switch cleaning fluid, Shaun?), what I found underneath the copper-coloured brass was brass coloured brass. This makes me think the metal has had something attack it from above and not from below.

I've put a bit of citric acid in the kettle. Despite being in a 340 ppm calcium carbonate/135ppm calcium water hardness area, there isn't much limescale (same as in my hot water cylinder... I don't get it), but while I have it out, I may as well. Then I'll reassemble and if it doesn't show any sign of leaking in use (electric shower so not under pressure), I think it's fair to say we're okay.

 

[Basher]

what I found underneath the copper-coloured brass was brass coloured brass. This makes me think the metal has had something attack it from above and not from below.

Maybe I misunderstood - I sort of assumed we were talking about flux residue on the outside of the kettle, on the top.
In my mind, contaminants inside the kettle get 'washed away' by the water inside. Outside there's just the nice humid atmosphere and heat to encourage corrosive action, but nothing to wash it away - until now, and by the sound of it you've cleaned it so well it should last for years 😃

 

[Ric2013]

Maybe I misunderstood - I sort of assumed we were talking about flux residue on the outside of the kettle, on the top.
In my mind, contaminants inside the kettle get 'washed away' by the water inside. Outside there's just the nice humid atmosphere and heat to encourage corrosive action, but nothing to wash it away - until now, and by the sound of it you've cleaned it so well it should last for years 😃

Correct. I did mean the outside of the kettle, as you originally understood it. What I meant in my later post later by 'underneath' should probably have read something along the lines of 'hidden underneath the white and dezincified surface, the brass appears to be sound and strong'.

Not sure I've cleared I've got it that clean, but I will be monitoring the situation, and will clean it more thoroughly still if this starts to happen again.

The citric acid internally was just because it made sense to descale the innards while I had the kettle out. Not related to the subject of this post, really.