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Will a water and soap solution (one tsp of soap in a cup of water) cause a pipe to rust more than BrassCraft Gas Plastic Water Heater Gas Leak Detector?enter image description here

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  • I doubt there's a list of ingredients on that bottle (unless it has an MSDS), but I'd be shocked if it were anything more than soapy water... It probably has instructions to not shake it, as that will cause the soap to bubble.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 13:06
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    Usually also a bit of glycerine for more bubble persistence (take longer to pop, so easier to see.) Which is, of course, also easy to DIY. Or you can get a premade version that comes with a bubble-blowing wand at "mass produced children's toy" pricing.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Mar 29, 2023 at 15:36

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Neither should cause any problem if the solution is dried off after.

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Rinse and dry after testing if you are nervous. Dawn attests that it is non-corrosive.

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Absolutely dish detergents with chlorides corrode gas line metal! My lines were installed 5 years ago and the residue the plumbers’”soapy water test” left behind ate holes in the metal. Use what the gas company recommends.

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  • Are we talking about black iron pipe here, brass fititngs as you'd find with CSST, or copper tubing? Commented Dec 3, 2022 at 16:48
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NEVER, EVER, use any form of dish detergent or soap to test for leaks on CSST stainless gas tubing. We have removed entire house systems do to the original plumber or someone testing for leaks with soaps. All of the leaks were tiny rust thru or corrosion holes within 1 or 2 inches of the gas fittings. Also plenty of soap residue was left on the coatings of the tube. Only use a product made specifically for CSST stainless tubing.

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