The mineral deposits forming on the interior surfaces of piping are called?

• A. Corrosion
• B. Encrustation
• C. Scale
• D. Sedimentation

Answer: (B)

Mineral buildup on the inside of piping happens when dissolved minerals in the water precipitate and stick to the walls, forming a crusty coating that can narrow or block flow. This crust is called encrustation. It’s not corrosion, which is the metal deteriorating or dissolving due to chemical attack, and it isn’t sedimentation, which is solids simply settling out of the water rather than adhering to the pipe surface. While some might call mineral deposits “scale,” the term that best describes a crusty, surface-coated buildup on interior pipe surfaces is encrustation.