Are you suddenly faced with brown water from your tap and not sure why it is happening and the danger it poses? Do not be too alarmed! Brown water is actually something that many people face and is likely not a risk but here is a look at what causes it and what to do about it! Show
Reasons for brown waterIt is possible overtime for certain things to accumulate in your water, rust, sediment and minerals for example and these can cause the water to become discoloured and even brown. You might see brown water from cold tap use, and it could be caused by construction near to the water main, or other disturbances. The most common cause is water pipes that have been recently replaced or damaged either by leakage or burst water pipe. As movement occurs rust is dislodged and gets into the home water supply. In those cases, the water should clear up in a few hours. If it does not you might want to call in an expert to assess what is going on. It could be a case of you having a rusted pipe that needs seeing to or an old water heater too. Should we worry about brown water from tap harming us?In terms of whether this water is dangerous for you to use, then no it is not. The brown is from too much iron in the water from the rust. Iron is already present in the drinking water and is not poisonous. However, that does not mean it is okay to guzzle the brown tap water. While the rust itself is not harmful the fact that there is a leaking and rusted plumbing pipe might also mean there are bacteria that have also gotten into the water. Rusty water is a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and when corrosion and cracking happens that can also lead to other contaminants like mildew and mould. None of these is going to kill you but it is not something you want to consume a lot of. Of course, you should also not wash clothing in it as that will cause staining. A possible rusted pipe is not something to ignore and could lead to larger plumbing problems later on if not dealt with. What to do about brown water from tapIf you have brown water from cold tap then you should leave your tap running for at least twenty minutes, first of all, to see if it eventually runs clear again. If it does not you can ask the city or town you live in to see if there has been in local work done that might have damaged the water system. They may send out an inspector to check the pipes and do a flush to clean them out. If this happens and you still have brown water then it is not a city problem but your own possibly. If you have brown water from hot water tap then that could be a problem with your water heater. Scaling can happen in the water heater that then falls to the bottom and muddies up the water. Or there could be rusting happening in the water heater that gets into the water. Sometimes this might be a sign that the water heater is getting close to the end of its life and might need replacing soon. Call in a hot water system expert to inspect your water heater if the brown water comes from the hot tap. If you still need to investigate you could also talk to your neighbours and see if they are having the same issues with their water. Then you can narrow down where the piping issue might be and call in someone to check it out and flush out the pipes in your neighbourhood. You might consider whether to add a water softener or install a water filtration system to your taps if you are still concerned about the quality of the water. If you are still having brown water, it is best to get in touch with your local authority. They can check and get down to any water quality issue you have. SummarySeeing brown water gushing out of a tap can be alarming initially but it is common and it is not necessarily signs of something awful. Rust and such happens and with some flushing, your water can be back to being fine again quite quickly. It is a good idea though to call in a local plumber or someone with water system expertise so that you can be sure they know what they are talking about! Imagine you’ve returned from a sweaty jog, you grab a tall, clear glass from the cupboard, and turn on the tap for a refreshing drink. But there’s only discoloured water or brown water from tap! Your unquenched thirst aside, a thousand assumptions run through your mind. There’s something wrong with my plumbing or my water quality. Brown water from the tap isn’t safe for drinking. It’s not brown, but cloudy, murky or yellow tap water. And now, the
questions rush in. What should I do? What’s causing the brown water from tap? Can I DIY the problem with my brown water? Should I call a professional plumber to solve the brown water from tap? Is brown water from my tap an emergency? What’s my plumber’s number?  Your curious mind will want to know: Your Guide to Brown Tap WaterSet aside everything first and know that dirty tap water isn’t an everyday thing in NSW. Our drinking water quality is very high and discolouration is rare. So if you are experiencing brown tap water, don’t make any assumptions. It might be disturbed sediment from a burst water main or pump or due to sudden high demand. Or it could be organic matter in the mains, rust from your old iron pipes, or something else entirely. It could be anything but iced tea suddenly flowing from your tap. It could be caused by:
Try to run your taps at full flow for several minutes. If it clears the problem, it’s likely you’ll need to think about getting your old iron pipes replaced. If running the taps doesn’t work, you should consider reporting to your local authorities and asking for their help. Let’s do some more investigating about that worryingly dirty drinking water. 1. Is brown water from the hot or cold tap? If there’s brown water coming out of only one or two taps or only coming from the hot taps, you likely have a problem with your hot water system. Most likely, it’s corrosion in your hot water heater tap — especially if your hot water system is getting old. If so, consider calling your plumber and exploring a hot water system repair or options for a new hot water system. 2. Take the two-bucket test But if there’s brown water coming from the tap and your cold water, this little test should give you a good idea of the cause of your dirty tap water. Take a clean bucket or ice cream container, and fill it up from the garden tap out the front of your house with cold water. With a second bucket, head to the backyard tap and fill that up too. If the front yard sample is brown, the cause could be rusting in the old galvanised wrought iron pipe. Run the water supply for a few minutes and take another sample. If it clears up, it will confirm that the problem is your water supply rather than the mains supply — especially if the water flow from the backyard tap is even browner. 3. Is brown water safe for drinking? Now, we don’t recommend you start slurping down brown water from cold tap outlets. Again, this isn’t a limitless supply of tea. It is best to assume that brown or other discoloured water tap isn’t safe to drink. It may not be poisonous, but its discolouration could be a sign it can be potentially hazardous. If the issue is a rusty pipe, the rust itself is not harmful. But since there is a leaking and rusted plumbing pipe is a breeding ground for bacteria that have also gotten into the water. Rusty water can also be an indication of the presence of lead in your water pipes which can cause several health problems. Call a licensed local plumber like Fixed Today to replace, repair, flush or treat the pipes. 3 Tips to Deal with Brown Water Flowing from the Tap1. Ask the Neighbours Just like when you have a blackout, checking if the neighbours are having the same problem can help isolate the cause. Consider popping next door and asking if your neighbours are experiencing a similar situation. 2. Isolate the Taps If your neighbours don’t have the same dilemma of brown water flowing from the tap, focus on your home, plumbing and taps. Check if the problem is the same for every cold tap, or if it only occurs with a particular one. If it’s the latter, you can be almost certain you have corrosion in a nearby pipe, and that’s valuable information to tell your friendly plumber. 3. Wait A Few Hours So often, a dirty tap water problem can simply clear itself up after a few hours or days. But if it persists for longer than that, it probably won’t fix itself — and it’s definitely time to call a certified local plumber who’ll know what to do. The plumbers at Fixed Today are fully qualified experts in every type of household plumbing problem. So for fast response time and a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all plumbing services, get Fixed Today to fix your brown tap water problem, one of the plumbing services we offer. Call us today! We Also Have Some Related Articles
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You might see brown water from cold tap use, and it could be caused by construction near to the water main, or other disturbances. The most common cause is water pipes that have been recently replaced or damaged either by leakage or burst water pipe.
Why is brown water coming out of my taps?Why is My Water Brown? Minerals, sediment, or rust can accumulate in water mains over time. When the water from your tap is brown, this indicates a disturbance in the water main or the pipes in your home that stirs up these deposits.
Can I drink tap water if its Brown?Can I Drink Brown Tap Water? It is best not to assume that brown or other discoloured tap water is safe to drink. While brown tap water is usually not poisonous or severely harmful, it can have an unpleasant taste, smell bad and aesthetically not look very appealing.
What should I do if my water is brown?You'll need to inspect and replace your worn pipes or call a licensed plumber. Couple other possible reasons for the code brown: if you're on municipal water, sediment could have been mixed into your system during a water main break or when a fire hydrant was used.
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Brown water from cold tap
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