It’s a traumatic experience to have your home’s tap water become rusty, particularly if you don’t know why. That’s why we created this guide to clarify why the water seems to be rusty. We’ll discuss what homeowners can do if rusty pipes are the cause of your home’s water discoloration. We want all Arizonans to have access to adequate, safe drinking water at home. Experts of plumbing services in Arizona have formulated the guide below to help homeowners like you who are getting rusty water in their homes.
Is Rusty Water a Health Risk?
Contaminants like manganese and iron are covered under secondary EPA laws. These pollutants aren’t harmful to your health, but they have an unpleasant taste, odor, or appearance, and they may stain clothes or create skin rashes. Testing for major pollutants is required in any public water system, but screening for secondary pollutants is sadly optional. Rusty water may be unpleasant and annoying, but it is not harmful to consume or bathe in.
What to Do If Your Water Is Reddish Brown
If the cold and hot water unexpectedly becomes brown, contact your water provider. Something occurred to the mainline for water or a local fire hydrant, most likely. It’s also likely that the city was doing pipe repair and accidentally stirred up some dirt. They can inform you when the water will clean up and what they are doing to resolve the issue.
After the utility work is completed, run the faucets for some minutes until you can no longer see any orange water flowing out of them. After a few flushes to renew the water supply, brown water inside the toilet and tank should dissipate.
If the hot water is flowing out discolored throughout, try emptying and cleaning the tank of the water heater. Rusty hot water is frequently caused by debris that has accumulated over time. Draining and flushing the tank once a year is a good idea. Not only is sediment accumulation unhealthy for your water, but it’s also one of the most prevalent reasons for leaks in the water heater.
If the hot water remains off-colored even after flushing the tank or installing a newer water heater, it may indicate a serious issue. To identify the problem, contact a skilled plumber. An accumulation of sediment in your water heater might permanently harm it or (in rare and severe instances) lead it to burst!
If the cold water is discolored from a few taps are located, begin by using these faucets at maximum pressure for a few minutes just until the water becomes clear entirely. A little quantity of rust may detach from a pipe’s inner walls and get into the water supply. If the issue is small, merely running your water should remove the rust and clarify the water.
However, if your water remains rusty after you run it, or if the issue reappears soon after the rust has been flushed, it’s possible that your pipes have rusted. Minerals will continually seep into your water if too much oxidation or rust builds up along the pipe walls of your home’s water supply pipes. This means you will continue to get brown-colored water in the tap.
If the pipes in your home are rusted or corroded, you should get them repaired or replaced as soon as possible before it creates more significant issues. Corroded pipes may cause blockages, leaks, and even bursts in the waterline.
Contact Gilbert Plumbing to get experts that can help you get to the bottom of the issue and fix it quickly for you. They have the best plumbing services in Arizona since their team is made up of expert plumbers that can help you promptly.