What's this black stuff?

[theberzh]

Can someone help me out please? These little black flakes are pouring out of my drain. They are all a little larger than the size of pepper flakes and they smudge when I try to wipe them up. They only come out when I only run the hot water, and they come out of every single faucet in the house. They do not come out when I run the cold water. My mother says she notices it worst the next day after the salt machine goes off but I can't confirm that. We have had the plumber come to the house a few times but he seems to not be able to know what it is. He did a water test and everything seems to test fine. I'm not sure what he tested for. I think it was just a simple water contamination test. We are also about to do another water test with our town that tests more things in the water. Would any of these tests be able to tell what this is?

I'm guessing that it could be paint chips of some sort flaking off the inside of one of these water filter machines that the water runs through because the flakes reflect as though paint chips do in water. I don't think it could be coming from the well because there are so many filters in the line to the faucet. But am I wrong about this? Could it be from the well? The flakes are not magnetic. All of our pipes are either copper or PEX and I'm guessing the flakes can't come from the pipes. Could they be coming from the pipes? The house is about 50 years old. The water furnace and boiler are about ten years old. I think the salt machine could be anywhere between the age of the house and at least 20 years old. Can someone please shed some light on this situation?

Attached are also photos of our furnace, water heater, and salt machine and all the model numbers to each, and the flakes that I have picked up on a napkin.

Here are a few links to videos I have taken of it happening.







Here is a link to photos I have taken of the furnace, boiler, water treatment and flakes. The last few are super close up macro photos.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qomnwe9pafar5bv/AACA-q92VNfLauPAWj4FX4rZa?dl=0

 

[Geofd]

How hot is your water,sounds like the rubber parts/washers are being affected by higher temps when was the last time you changed your filters or had your salt system serviced??

 

[JG plumbing]

That looks like boiler gunk to me. Keep in mind this is a guess.

Is check the backflow/prv assembly on your boiler. I don't see a vacuum breaker on that assembly. Are you 100 % sure that stuff isn't magnetic?

 

[theberzh]

That looks like boiler gunk to me. Keep in mind this is a guess.

Is check the backflow/prv assembly on your boiler. I don't see a vacuum breaker on that assembly. Are you 100 % sure that stuff isn't magnetic?

I'm positive the flakes are not magnetic. I have a super powerful neodymium earth metal magnet and these flakes don't stick to it. Could the boiler be wearing away on the inside? These flakes really resemble old paint flakes. They don't come out every single day either. It's just once in a while. The water smells really funky on some days too. I'm not sure if that's connected in some way. I remember the plumber saying that we might have manganese in the water which is why we have the intense sulfur smell on some days.

 

[theberzh]

How hot is your water,sounds like the rubber parts/washers are being affected by higher temps when was the last time you changed your filters or had your salt system serviced??

He changed the filters last year and the water is pretty hot. The flakes don't come out every day. It's only on certain days. Wouldn't the washers or rubber parts completely be worn down by this time? There has been a lot that has come out so far.

 

[JG plumbing]

The boiler water shouldn't in any way be in your potable watet. If your fill assembly is malfunctioning in the slightest way this could be happening. I'm doubting those are boiler flakes if they aren't magnetic,but id have it checked to be sure.

 

[Geofd]

How do you heat you hot water to your faucets and shower,a coil the comes from your boiler or a regular hot water heater

 

[Twowaxhack]

If you have any hoses on the water heater or to the fixture itself that’s most likely what it is.
Especially at the water heater. The hoses start to break down and send out a greasy flake stuff.