Welcome to my Homepage Blog. Here you'll find stories about inspections I have done and facts I think are interesting to share with you. Come back often to see what's new.
-Glenn Stewart, The House Whisperer
| Rusty Water – This Can’t Be Good |
| Written by Glenn Stewart |
| Wednesday, 16 December 2009 03:30 |
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When the hot water was turned at the master bathroom sink during a recent Concord home inspection; I wasn't overly surprised to see discolored water fill the sink. Rusty hot water is not only unpleasant to see, it can smell bad, taste bad and stain clothing instead of cleaning it. In rare circumstances, it can even signal dangerous contamination in your water supply. There are one or more causes for rusty water. Sediment Buildup: One of the most common causes of rusty hot water is built-up sediment in the water heater. Small traces of rust and dirt from the water supply can accumulate as water is pumped through the water heater. This water settles on the bottom of the tank. When the tank is suddenly turned on, it stirs up the water and sends a burst of brownish sediment down through the water line, making the hot water come out of the tap brown at first.
Sacrificial Anode: The chemistry of water, combined with the high water temperature created by a water heater, can create a corrosive environment that will attack the water heater tank. To prevent the tank from deteriorating, water heaters come equipped with an anode rod. The rods, also known as ‘sacrificial’ anodes, are made of aluminum, zinc or magnesium. These anodes have an inner core of steel. The anode attracts the corrosive elements, thereby saving the tank. Compromised Water Tank: A water tank is normally shielded by a glass jacket (liner), which stops the water from coming into contact with the outer wall of the steel tank. If this jacket fails, the hot water can leak through and contact the metal wall. This will slowly rust out the tank, turning the hot water brown and eventually causing the tank to leak. Compromised Piping: A couple things can happen to the piping to turn the hot water brown. The simplest problem is that you are simply using old galvanized steel pipes. Certain iron pipes can start to rust as they age, and the hot water can cause the rust to break loose, turning the water brown. A more serious problem is contamination. If your pipes are not properly sealed, dirt can slowly leak into them from outside. This dirt may look rusty, but is actually contamination from the soil around the pipe.
Bottom line: Contact a licensed plumber for further review. |
| Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 December 2009 19:34 |
