How to deal with brown tap water?

Why is my water brown?

Reasons for brown tap water

Minerals, silt, and rust can build up over time in water mains. When the water from your tap becomes brown, it means there’s been a disruption in the water main or in your home’s pipes, which has stirred up these deposits. This might happen for a variety of reasons.

Main breaks and nearby development can mix up these sediments, causing the water to become a different hue. Other factors include an increase in water flow through the pipes as a result of increased demand, or if the local fire department has opened a hydrant to provide water in an emergency. Mineral deposits that have clung to the interior of the pipes over time are dislodged by increased water flow in both situations.

The most frequent cause of brown tap water in homes is oxidized iron, or rust, which is released during the repair of faulty pipes or the replacement of water pipes next to old rusted pipes. This is due to the fact that during repairs, the water pressure in the pipes fluctuates or decreases completely. Loose rust tends to get blasted out long with the water when normal water pressure is restored.

The good news is that the water will generally clean up on its own within a few hours. If the water has not cleared after a few hours, you will need to seek expert advice.

There are a few more possibilities for the dark tap water

If you use municipal water, sediment may have entered your system as a result of a water main break or the usage of a fire hydrant. The fire department may be flushing the hydrants, which can stir up any silt in the system and produce temporary discoloration of the water. If your problem goes away in a few hours, it was most likely caused by this, and you may consider it resolved. It’s also conceivable that dirt got into your line when your water system was being worked on.

The brown tap water discoloration will fade in a few minutes if this is the case. If your water heater is old or has seen better days, it might be rusting and contributing to your water discoloration problem.

Solutions

Follow these instructions to see whether you can get rid of brown water and, if not, what steps you may do to fix the problem.

• For around 20 minutes, run cold water from your faucet. You don’t need to be concerned if the water becomes clear.
• If the water clears but still includes particles of brown water, a water filtration system and/or a water softener may be necessary. Iron particles are actively removed from your water supply by these devices.
• Of course, these systems need to be maintained on a regular basis, and most of this can be done by the homeowner. Certain filtration systems, on the other hand, may need frequent maintenance by a professional water treatment specialist.
• Whether your water remains brown, ask your neighbors if they are experiencing the same problem. If that’s the case, the issue is very certainly with the city’s water system. Request that the city’s utility provider examine the pipes and flush them out on their end by calling the town or city.
• If you get your water from a well and you’ve recently had a lot of rain, the problem might be major changes in the water table. The water table fluctuation might be so extreme in many situations that current water treatment equipment will be unable to handle the extra iron. A filter system or another type of iron removal solution may be required.
• Determine if the brown water is from hot or cold water. If the hot water is becoming brown, your water heater has to be cleaned.
• Scales from the interior of the water heater may have sunk to the bottom and muddy the water, or the inside of the water tank may have rusted.
• Rust is another sign that your water heater is nearing the end of its useful life. If brown water is only flowing from the hot faucet, whatever the cause, have your water heater examined by a skilled plumber.

Call a Plumber if you can't flush out brown water

If you can’t get rid of the brown water, it’s time to call a professional plumber to see if your home has a faulty or broken pipe. Even if your water has a high iron concentration, this is not a do-it-yourself project that you can complete on a Saturday afternoon by going to a large box shop and purchasing a water softener off the shelf and installing it. Choosing and installing a water softener is a lot greater undertaking than it appears at first. In fact, a water softener may not even be necessary to solve the problem. You’ll need a local expert who is familiar with your area’s water quality and can correctly diagnose the problem and propose an appropriate filter system.

Everest Drain and Plumbing will thoroughly check your pipes and repair any leaks.