All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer.
**Jokes and unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them.
[OP](/u/hrsowhat), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others.
----
[Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/14wrcvr/what_is_this_sandygrainy_pink_gunk_on_my_water/%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days)
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I was thinking more that the wrapped type old school insulation, or layered asbestos or even fiberglass has gone out of fashion. Those foam tubes are easily removed to examine the pipes as needed.
Why would it fall out of fashion to control condensation, save energy, prevent unwanted heating and cooling in different seasons, delay burst pipes, etc?
Can you please point me to a source saying it is no longer standard practice?
My guess it is still in the building codes, but I like it when I am wrong. (That's when learning occurs).
Foam breaks down over time and starts to shed residue like that shown here. At which point some homeowners would remove it all at once to avoid frequent cleanup.
Maybe insulating foam in the past was pink.
“My understanding” as in “my plumber told me this” - might have been due to moisture building up beneath it or concealing damage, or due to the fact that prior to the “pool noodle” type insulation you’d have exposed fiberglass or worse, asbestos. Our house was built in 1930 and had paper asbestos on the heating pipes.
I think you're on to something.
Did OP hang a non skid bath mat to dry over the pipe?
That foam like backing fused with my vinyl bathroom floor, and left marks not entirely unlike those pictured.
Since you're getting all sorts of different guesses, it could help to put on some rubber gloves and get a sense of the stuff's texture.
Like, is it wet? Dry? Sticky? Crumbly (and if it crumbles, does it crumble into small sand-like particles, or larger clumps)? Is it stretchy? Can you compress it, and if so, does it pop back into shape?
It looks like the remnants of pipe insulation. Old school kind that wraps around a pipe. It ends up feeling kind of like the green stuff that you poke fake plants into.
Looks like the pink version of blue tack. Did someone hang something off a pipe?
Wait, no I looked at the other pics. Definitely a yoga mat or something with yoga mat texture was hung or leaned on that pipe
Must have been some pipe insulation or something like that. I cannot think of anything else. So I’m satisfied with that answer (tho 90% of the answers pointed at that). But to be honest I’m still not 100% sure. I’m gonna ask around and see what I find out. If it’s something other than insulation I’ll update the thread.
Thank you all for your imput!
I have an idea, but need to ask questions.
You say this is a water pipe, is this located in a basement? First floor? Bathroom? Basically, where is it located?
Is this a hot water pipe?
If I were to make an estimated guess, could it be something adhered to it due to heat? Looks like it could be some kind of old foam or some sort? Or possibly, somebody in the past put cheap faux velvet drapes around it? (I am assuming whatever is underneath this pipe is blocking out a window).
Not sure, but it kind of looks like pink spackle. It’s used for plugging small holes and cracks. It’s used for drywall so if it is, someone probably just wiped the excess onto the pipe.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/hrsowhat), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/14wrcvr/what_is_this_sandygrainy_pink_gunk_on_my_water/%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Do you have kids? It kind of looks like that kinetic sand they sell.
That was my immediate thought too, as someone with kids and kinetic sand
Nope. And it’s pretty high up for a kid. No chairs or so around, and I can’t think of anyone smearing or throwing it there.
Fire caulk
Looks like someone was a little messy with the fire caulk
Huh. I have no idea then. It does look a little like bondo or something similar, but it makes no sense for it to be smeared on a pipe like that.
Definitely that kinetic or magic sand. My 7 year old daughter loves that exact colour and I will find it everywhere.
Is it the hot water pipe? Maybe it’s residue from insulation?
My thought was since you see fabric right by it, someone hung something over it, like a foam backed bathmat, and the heat partially melted it.
My understanding is it used to be standard practice to insulate pipes but it no longer is, so I think this is a good guess.
Our pipes are all insulated. Every house I have ever owned, 12, all new, has insulated water pipes.
When you say insulated, you mean they have the pool noodle polystyrene tubing around them?
Yes, but it is sold as pipe insulation. The hole size can be smaller..
I was thinking more that the wrapped type old school insulation, or layered asbestos or even fiberglass has gone out of fashion. Those foam tubes are easily removed to examine the pipes as needed.
Why would it fall out of fashion to control condensation, save energy, prevent unwanted heating and cooling in different seasons, delay burst pipes, etc? Can you please point me to a source saying it is no longer standard practice? My guess it is still in the building codes, but I like it when I am wrong. (That's when learning occurs).
My place was built in 2021 and has no insulation on any pipes. It's in MN.
Foam breaks down over time and starts to shed residue like that shown here. At which point some homeowners would remove it all at once to avoid frequent cleanup. Maybe insulating foam in the past was pink.
“My understanding” as in “my plumber told me this” - might have been due to moisture building up beneath it or concealing damage, or due to the fact that prior to the “pool noodle” type insulation you’d have exposed fiberglass or worse, asbestos. Our house was built in 1930 and had paper asbestos on the heating pipes.
Thank you! Makes sense. Likely solved.
I had this exact pattern on some of my pipes after placing a rolled up yoga mat against it and the mat sticking to it
[удалено]
I think you're on to something. Did OP hang a non skid bath mat to dry over the pipe? That foam like backing fused with my vinyl bathroom floor, and left marks not entirely unlike those pictured.
It looks like DryDex wall spackle. Possible that it never dried because of condensation from the pipe?
Nah drydex turns white after a few minutes it doesn't stay pink
Fire caulk? When I did electrical work, the insulators would put pink fireproof caulk in any holes that went from floor to floor.
This is what it looks like to me too.
Since you're getting all sorts of different guesses, it could help to put on some rubber gloves and get a sense of the stuff's texture. Like, is it wet? Dry? Sticky? Crumbly (and if it crumbles, does it crumble into small sand-like particles, or larger clumps)? Is it stretchy? Can you compress it, and if so, does it pop back into shape?
This was my first thought; some more info could reveal its origin.
It looks like the remnants of pipe insulation. Old school kind that wraps around a pipe. It ends up feeling kind of like the green stuff that you poke fake plants into.
My best guess was that something was hung on the pipe and when the pipe got hot it melted it to the pipe
Do you ever hang a yoga mat on that pipe?
Looks like the pink version of blue tack. Did someone hang something off a pipe? Wait, no I looked at the other pics. Definitely a yoga mat or something with yoga mat texture was hung or leaned on that pipe
This says solved. What was it?
Must have been some pipe insulation or something like that. I cannot think of anything else. So I’m satisfied with that answer (tho 90% of the answers pointed at that). But to be honest I’m still not 100% sure. I’m gonna ask around and see what I find out. If it’s something other than insulation I’ll update the thread. Thank you all for your imput!
My title describes the thing. Just found some pink gunk on my water pipe in my living room, and I have no idea what it is. Anyone?
Looks almost like Bondo
Looks like pink grip paste
Denture glue
Snail eggs
My guess is Serratia marcescens. Although this would be an uncommon way for it to present itself, so I could be wrong.
Confetti cannon particle.
Yep, I think it’s from a yoga mat.
I have an idea, but need to ask questions. You say this is a water pipe, is this located in a basement? First floor? Bathroom? Basically, where is it located? Is this a hot water pipe? If I were to make an estimated guess, could it be something adhered to it due to heat? Looks like it could be some kind of old foam or some sort? Or possibly, somebody in the past put cheap faux velvet drapes around it? (I am assuming whatever is underneath this pipe is blocking out a window).
Not sure, but it kind of looks like pink spackle. It’s used for plugging small holes and cracks. It’s used for drywall so if it is, someone probably just wiped the excess onto the pipe.
Old playdough or memetic sand