A common problem with homeowners is the sudden occurrence of brown water coming out of faucet. Brown water can be scary at first, and most owners think this means that there is poison in their drinking water. If you have brown water, what should you do? What is the reason for having brown water? What are some of the most common reasons why your pipes may be discolored?
This post will help you understand what brown water is, what it means, and how to make the water clear again.
Contents
Brown Water From Tap
There are several reasons for brown water coming out from your tap.
Why is My Water Brown?
Minerals, sediment, or rust cause brown water. This can happen when there’s a problem with the pipes, and the water stirs up these materials.
Main breaks and construction can stir up sediments in the water. This will make the water brown. Usually, the water will clear on its own within a few hours. If it does not clear after a few hours, then you should call for a professional opinion.
The most common reason for brown water from tap is because their pipes are damaged, or they have just replaced them. Brown water results from rust coming out of the water pipes and ending in your home’s water supply. During repairs, the pressure in the pipes rises and falls. If there is a decrease in water pressure, turn it off and then on again after shutting off the tap.
You may also have a rusted pipe, and if left unaddressed, it might result in a leak.
Is Brown water poisonous or harmful?
The brown tap water is not poisonous. It might be from the iron in the water. Iron is a natural metal that comes from dirt and can be in your drinking water. But, because it’s not poisonous, we don’t recommend drinking it even though it’s okay to use for cooking or cleaning or things like that. A leak could cause brown water in rusty pipes inside your home. If you don’t fix them soon, they will cause trouble for you later on down the line.
If a blockage locates in your water pipe, you may be vulnerable to all sorts of problems resulting from it. If your pipes rusted, you run the danger of various issues occurring due to it. Rust in your pipes creates rusty water, which is a breeding ground for germs. Corrosion and cracking caused by rust buildup can damage and fracture plumbing pipes, allowing pollutants in the air to enter your water supply. Leaking pipes promote mold and mildew growth inside homes, posing serious health risks.
Brown Water from Cold Tap
Brown water from cold tap is caused by minerals, sediments, or rust that builds up in the mains over time. When your tap water is brown, it means there’s a problem with the water main and that these deposits are being stirred up.
Brown Water From Hot Tap
The two main causes of brown water coming from your water taps are sediment and corrosion. Sometimes, the pipes in public water supplies can shake or break for a short time. This can cause the water to come out brown or discolored.
How Do I Get Rid of Brown Water?
If the brown water is coming from your tap, try running cold water from it for about 20 minutes. If your water is still brown after this time, contact the town or city to see whether the discolored water is due to municipal pipes. The utility provider for the city should check the pipes to ensure that no more brown water enters them. If you find that even after this procedure, brown water persists, you’ll need to take additional steps to get rid of it.
Is it just hot or cold water that is causing the brown water? If only hot water produces the brown water, then your water heater may need to be cleaned. Scale dropped to the bottom of the tank and muddled the water, or rust might be seeping through inside, and a lot of rusted scales came off the tank top or wall towards the bottom, muddying it up. This rust also indicates that your water heater is nearing its end of life. Has your water heater evaluated if only hot water is producing the brown wastewater?
If you live in an area where the water turns brown, ask your neighbors whether they are experiencing the same problem. If the neighborhood has the same problem, it’s because of a leak in the mains supplied by the utility provider that must be fixed.
If you have brown water in the house coming out of the bathtub faucet only problem, you will need to call someone to clean the rust out of your pipes. If after they flushed out the rust and you still see brown water coming from your tap, then you can use filters or water softeners.
Is Brown water safe for drinking?
The answer is almost yes, but you have to fix the problem right away. The color isn’t poisonous or toxic. It’s mostly just iron rust.