If you are here, it means you have observed yellow discoloration in your water. Yellow tinted water is the indication that your water has some amount of rust. Minerals and some earthy contaminants are already there in the water. When these components combine with rust, iron, and oxygen, the color of water changes to yellow.
Yellow water is easily identifiable though it doesn’t have any smell. Yellow tap water doesn’t have serious health concerns but yes, it’s alarming. One should try to get rid of it by resolving the cause of yellow water. This article will talk about all the relevant culprit’s reasons that cause yellow water.
So let’s begin!
Contents
Why Is My Tap Water Yellow?
How irritating it would be when you turn on the tap and are welcomed by the flow of yellow water. I can understand this and that’s why we are here to solve it.
Usually, tap water has some amount of iron. When this iron is exposed to oxygen, it leads to rust formation. The presence of rust turns the water color into yellow. Besides this, incidents such as rupture of main water line can also cause stirring up of sediments in the pipeline. Therefore, you are surprised by the yellow water every time you open the tap.
Here we have jotted down some common reasons that cause yellow water.
Check if Faucets Are Corroded:
First thing first, check your faucet from which you have taken yellow water. Faucets are the equipment that is changed after 10-15 years. So it might be possible that the inside of the faucet may have worn away. That’s why every time you turn on the faucet, the flow of water dislodges the rusty material, and so you get it with water.
The best way to check the corroded faucet is to open any other faucet in your home and check the water supply from that one faucet. If the water is still yellow-tinted, that means faucets are not corroded; check other causes.
Check if Household Plumbings Are Rusty:
So your faucet is okay. Now move a step back to find out the real cause. Maybe your household plumbings are the real culprit. If you live in an old house or your plumbings are made up of old-fashioned material like galvanized steel or lead, then chances are your plumbings could be the culprit. Material like lead or galvanized steel, when continuously exposed to water for about decades, starts to corrode or rusts. As a result, water that passes through these plumbings will turn yellow.
All you have to do is hire a professional plumber and ask him to inspect the entire household’s plumbing. If that’s the reason, the only solution to this problem is replacing the plumbing system. This is pretty expensive, but it’s far better than drinking rusty water.
Check Water Heater for Rust:
As mentioned before, replacing the plumbings system is a bit expensive procedure. So before planning to do so, why not confirm it by checking the other sources.
The water heater is the most common appliance in the US. There could be chances that your water heater is the real cause of yellow water. Maybe your water heater’s inner lining gets rusty, and that’s why it releases a nominal amount of rust into the hot water.
You can even confirm it by turning on the hot water and cold water faucet simultaneously. If there is only hot water yellow, it’s mean the problem is with the water heater. In contrast, if both types of water are yellow, the problem is with household plumbing, or there could be other reasons.
Check Contaminants in Your Supplied Water:
Sometimes the municipal water has specific contaminants such as iron, zinc, copper, lead, and manganese. Because of these contaminants, water color may vary from yellow to yellowish-brown.
Luckily municipally supplied water has a low level of iron and manganese, but the presence of these contaminants causes discoloration of water. Iron gives water a yellowish tint with a rusty smell, whereas manganese appears yellow but leaves dark brown stains.
If you are curious to find the answer to “why is my well water yellow,” then it might be due to the presence of a high amount of zinc. Well, water also contains manganese and iron, which are also responsible for the yellow-tinted water.
If you observe yellow tap water after heavy rain, then the water table may change. So it’s better to improve your filtration system so that all the contaminants and sediments can be removed.
Check for the Burst Pipe:
It might be possible that the water supply line may have burst somewhere. Due to the pipe burst, all the sediments, contaminants and impurities are entering the pipeline from outside. Maybe because of a burst pipeline, you are experiencing yellow water from every faucet of your home.
If this is the problem, you will experience a drop in water pressure because water may be leaking out of the pipe.
The best way to find out is to ask your neighborhood, do they are also experiencing yellow water. If their answer is yes, then the problem is at the main water supply line. Local authorities will resolve your problem related to burst pipes and pipelines.
Brown water from tap is due to Minerals, sediment, and rust can accumulate in water mains over time. When the water from your tap turns brown, this indicates the water main or pipes in your home have been disturbed.
Corrosion of cast iron and lead pipes leads to rust and other materials flaking into the water. Iron and manganese produce an orange-to-brown color, and lead may make the water darker and contain tiny particles.
How to Fix Yellow Water:
why is my water yellow? After identifying the actual cause of yellow tap water, now it’s time to fix the problem. Remember, yellow water is not harmful to your health but consuming it for a long time is not a good option. So intervene by fixing the actual cause.
So if the culprit is your household plumbings, call a professional plumber and inspect and replace the pipeline.
If the problem is with your water heater, then it’s time to flush out the heater. If the heater is 15-20 years old, then it’s time to replace the heater. Check out the best 80-gallon water heater.
On the other hand, if the problem is in your private well, then the best option is to install a water softener that removes iron and other contaminants from water. Installing a whole house water filter or softener would be a great approach as you will get clean and pure water from every faucet of your house.
How to fix yellow well water?
The problem of yellow well water can be resolved by installing an iron filter. The filter will fix the discolored well water when you find it in the bucket.
How to fix yellow bathwater?
If there is too much sediment in the tank, the water will eventually turn yellow. In this situation, a tank cleaning is usually required. It can be done yourself or by a professional. Fortunately, draining the tank will remove the sediment and restore the water.
How to fix yellow tap water?
Generally speaking, if your water has suddenly turned yellow, it is best to run the tap until it clears. Select the tap which is closest to where your water supply is located and run it for up to thirty minutes.
Things to Avoid When Water Turns Yellow Suddenly:
As soon as you are welcome by the yellow water from the faucet, avoid doing the following tasks:
Using equipment that requires water: Stop using equipment such as a washing machine, dishwasher right after you experienced yellow water. The dirty, rusty water may cause stains on the dishes and clothes. Besides this, using a water heater and electric shower while you have yellow-tinted water may cause accumulation of sediments, leading to loss of efficiency. As a result, appliances will fail to perform their job correctly.
Consuming dirty yellow water: Yellow water has a high amount of iron and manganese that may cause problems to some individuals. So it’s better to consume commercial mineral water until the issue has been fixed.
FAQS
Is yellow tap water safe to drink?
Yellow water is extremely harmless. There is no harm in drinking yellow water if you don’t have any other water in your home. But avoid drinking yellow water is a great approach as you are unaware of the cause of this discoloration,
Why is my hot water yellow?
Decades of used water heaters can accumulate sediments that settle into the bottom of the tank. Too much buildup of sediments causes discoloration of hot water.
Why is my cold water yellow and hot water clear?
It means the problem is with your cold water supply line. Usually, dust and sediments settle at the bottom of the water pipeline. Due to the increased speed/flow of passing water, these sediments stir up and change the color of the water.
Is it safe to shower in yellow water?
Yellow water is harmless; you can use it for taking bath. But we would advise you to avoid bathing in yellow water until the cause of discoloration is determined.
Final Words:
Yellow water is an alarming sign. Though it’s harmless and doesn’t significantly affect your health it’s better to sort out the reason and fix it as soon as possible. So we would advise you to avoid using water as soon as you observe yellow water. Try to consume bottled water for cooking and drinking purpose. You never know what might be the reason for yellow water. So it’s better to be safe than to be sorry.