Why do you see a rusty brown discoloration in your water? It is obviously not a good thing to see. Fresh clean water should be clear and colorless. There are a number of possibilities for this to happen. One possibility is that a faucet has not been used for a few weeks, and there is some dirt collected in the pipes. You have probably seen this when you have been away on vacation and your plumbing has not been used for a while. In this case, the discoloration of the water will disappear in a short period of time.
If the rust color does not go away, you may be facing a huge problem. This is often a serious plumbing issue, and it needs the attention of a professional plumber as soon as possible.
Why Are You Seeing Rusty Water ?
Rust in water is a very distinctive appearance, odor, and it taste horrible. It is possible that you are seeing dirt that has entered the water through a break in the mainline, but this is very rare and you will probably be able to tell the difference between dirt and rust. Sometimes the cities water line has a break in it and when they make the repair, dirt enters it. When this happens though the city will make an public announcement and tell everyone to keep their water running to flush it out. Rust is not harmful to drink, but it is a major issue somewhere in the plumbing.
It might not be your plumbing. Troubles with the cities water system may be at fault. How do you tell that it is from your plumbing? You can test it. Take a clear glass and fill it up with cold water from your kitchen faucet and check if it is rusty. Run the water for a minute, then fill up another clear glass and see if the discoloration is gone. Now fill up another clear glass with hot water from the same faucet. If you only see the rusty discoloration in the hot water or the rusty coloration is in the cold water and isn’t going away, then the problem is definitely in your plumbing, and you should call on a professional plumber immediately. If the problem is the cities freshwater call the water company to report the issue.
Rusty Hot Water
If the rusty discoloration is only in the hot water you probably have a rusting water heater. This is very bad for a water heater and it means that it has to be replaced. Once the corrosion sets in on the interior of the tank, there is usually nothing that can be done to fix the problem. You do not want a water heater that is going to start leaking or fail. Call a professional plumber to get a replacement immediately.
Rusty Cold Water
If the rusty discoloration is in the cold water the issue is likely to be corrosion in the pipes. This happen to homes with older galvanized steel or iron pipes. Newer homes are plumbed with copper and copper is non-corrosive. Plumbers also use PEX pipe now and it is made of plastic which is also non-corrosive. These old steel or iron pipes are prone to rusting over time. A professional plumber can identify where you need new pipes. They might also suggest that the whole house or building may or need to be fully re-piped.
For the service for your plumbing in the middle Tennessee area to fix problems that create rusty water, you can call us at 615-864-9459. Our H20 plumbing specialist are available 24 hours a day to help you take care of emergency services.
H2O Plumbing & Water Heaters 