Is That Brown in Your Water?

Is That Brown in Your Water?

Discolored Water: Causes, Fixes & Prevention

 

Discolored WaterDiscolored Water and its Causes

Water is essential for all to live. Americans take the  demand of the use of clear water from our faucets for granted, where the supply is typically from a municipality, water district or private well. We can help with our plumbing services.

Frequently a home owner turns on his or her water faucets and sees brownish or yellow water. The typical cause for the discoloration of the clear water one usually expects is a rusty galvanized water pope carrying the water supply to one’s home. The build up of rust over time in a galvanized iron pipe will result in the rust dissolving and the oxidation in the water causing discoloration in varying shades of orange, red or yellow.

Another potential cause for the discoloration of one’s water supply is a build up of sedimentation within the source from where the water is drawn from, and the brownish, orange or yellow color results from dirt entering into one’s water line possibly through maintenance that has been performed within the water supply system.

A further cause of water discoloration is an old water heater that has started to rust within where rust particles are being carried with the water as it is being drawn from the water heater. This problem is readily ascertained when the cold water runs clear but the hot water has a brownish hue.

How Can a Discolored Water Problem Be Fixed?

For those homeowners who are not mechanically inclined, calling a licensed and experienced plumber is the best way to assist in resolving the discolored water issue.

With potential galvanized pipe degradation, the experienced plumber will first look at the water coming out of the hot and cold taps to see if the color is the same which will rule out the source of the issue from a rusty water heater. The plumber sees that the hot and cold water now both run brown, yellow or orange will run a cable camera through the homeowner’s water lines to ascertain if the water lives are galvanized metal, and if there is a build up of rust that possibly is causing the problem. If rust build up is the source of the issue, a tool can be run through the lines to break loose the rust build up and its is then pushed out when the water is run hopefully resulting in clear water.

If the cause of the discolored water is an old water heater where only the hot water runs discolored, a new water heater being installed should remedy the problem for the homeowner.

If the issue is recent maintenance on the water system where sedimentation intake is the cause of the water discoloration, running both the hot and cold taps for several minutes should result in clear water.

How Does One Prevent Discolored Water?

Gainesville Plumbing ServicesThe best way for a homeowner to prevent discolored water in his or her home is to have a yearly inspection of the water lines through a cable camera by a reputable plumber to ascertain the build up of any rust deposits in any galvanized water pipes. Checking the water heater on a yearly basis and draining it completely is another way to prevent discolored water in one’s home.

Bring in a plumber into your Gainesville home to look over your plumbing system and make the necessary corrections. Call Scarborough Plumbing at (352) 427-7385 today!