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Your tap should produce clean water at all times, as clean water is essential for cooking, drinking, bathing, washing, and other household tasks. However, sometimes you may find the hot water from the taps in your house is brownish. When brown water comes from your taps, it signifies something wrong with your plumbing or hot water system.
When you realise that your tap is producing brown water, you should contact an expert to fix the problem ASAP. Your plumber is in a position to professionally diagnose and determine the root cause of the problem. So, why is your hot water brown? Just read on to find out more.
Causes Of Brown Hot water
Here are some of the primary reasons your hot water is brown.
Rusty water main breaks
One of the reasons you might be getting hot brown water is rusty water main breaks. The water main might have rust which is displaced into your water system. In most cases, the main pipeline is designed using cast iron or other metals that are prone to rust, leading to rusty water in your house.
To solve this problem, you should take the time to find out whether other people near your property are experiencing similar issues. If other properties have the same brownish water issue, you should flush your entire plumbing system for a certain period. This helps eliminate all the rust material that might have accumulated in your hot water heater system.
A rusty plumbing line
If your plumbing system is old, the pipes might have corroded, affecting the water flowing into your hot water system. If this is the case, the sediments caused by corrosion settle at the bottom of your pipes and turn the water brown. The best solution is to replace the old pipes because, with time, they will crack and cause leaks on your property.
Your plumber could perform high-quality diagnoses of all the corroded pipes and replace them with new ones. This is essential to prevent water damage to your property due to cracks. To prevent the problem from occurring in the future, it’s advisable to replace the pipes with plastic ones, as plastic does not rust.
Copper plumbing corrosion
Most of the plumbing systems in Australia comprise copper pipes, which are prone to corrosion. The copper pipes corrode because of high levels of alkaline water and low levels of acidic water. A high amount of dissolved salts and oxygen in the copper pipes could also cause corrosion.
It’s also worth noting that some chemicals, such as sulphate, can cause damage to your copper pipes. Most copper pipes also corrode due to the improper grounding of the electrical appliances to the plumbing system.
All the aforementioned factors could result in your pipes having brown water and contaminating your hot water with a brownish colour. Luckily, you could still replace the corroded copper pipes, thus avoiding the issue.
Presence of iron in your water source
If there are traces of iron in your water source, there is a likelihood that your hot water might turn brown because of the iron sediments. It’s therefore advisable to analyse and determine whether your water source has iron. If this is the case, you could ask your plumber to help flush or perform a thorough cleaning to remove the iron sediments.
Low-quality bronze alloys in your valves
Bronze metal is commonly used to design water pumps and their components. However, the metal could make your water brownish or rusty as the valves could disintegrate and contaminate your hot water. The solution to this problem is to remove the fragmented bronze valves and have them replaced with other stronger ones that cannot cause the problem.
Sediments
Your hot water might also become brown due to the presence of sediments that settle at the bottom of your hot water system. Additionally, these sediments could also corrode your system leading to more water discolouration. You could solve the problem by regularly cleaning or flushing your hot water system to remove all the sediment that may have settled at the bottom.
Water system pollution
If you use a groundwater system and find your hot water turning brown, then rainwater might have carried chemicals into your water system. Some of the chemicals that could contaminate your groundwater include motor oil and pesticides. The best option is to flush all the water to ensure all chemicals are drained from your groundwater water system.
The filtration device is not working correctly
At times your hot water might be brown due to your water filtration device malfunctioning. If the device fails to filter the water correctly, sediments and mineral deposits get into your water heater system resulting in a brown colour. This problem is widespread in water treatment plants as the filtration device might not be designed to deal with such large amounts of water.
Additionally, the filtration device might simply be damaged and need repair or replacement. You could solve this problem by contacting your water provider to check on the filtration device or installing a home filter to keep your water clear and clean.
Change of pressure in your water lines
A change in the pressure of water flowing through your water line could stir up rust particles, dirt, and sediments that could make your hot water brownish. The pressure might change when routine maintenance is done, and the water is flushed into the central city water line.
This could cause water from all your faucets to get discoloured. Luckily, this problem typically clears after a few hours. You are, however, advised against using hot water during this period to ensure that the brown water doesn’t get into your water heater.
Other Ways To Get Rid Of Brown Hot Water
Flush or drain your hot water tank thoroughly
Flushing your hot water tank effectively gets rid of the brownish rusty water. It is a pretty straightforward process that takes around twenty minutes to remove all the water. You could also use a hose pipe to drain off your hot water system.
Use rust removers
Rust removers are chemical agents that can help eliminate rust from your piping system. They have abrasives and mild acids that effectively remove the rust without damaging the pipes.
Health Problems Linked With Using Brown Hot Water
Drinking hot brown water puts you at risk of several health issues. Some of the health problems you may suffer from include:
Iron overload
The most common problem with using brown hot water is that you might suffer from an iron overload. This is especially true if you drink water that is made brown because of iron deposits in your system. If not handled well, iron overload could cause hemochromatosis, a condition that damages your organs.
It could also cause liver issues and heart problems. An iron overload in your body is identified through a blood test. So, it is always good to avoid drinking hot water once it changes to a brown colour and have your water system inspected for iron sediments.
Skin problems
Water with excess iron and magnesium could have adverse effects on your skin. Brown hot water could easily destroy your skin cells, leading you to develop wrinkles and other skin-related issues.
Staining
Using brown water to wash clothes could cause stains because of iron residues. The water also leaves dark stains in your toilet bowl and bathtub.
How To Prevent Rusty Pipes
As you can see, the hot brown water is mainly caused by rusty pipes. Consequently, it’s crucial to apply due diligence to prevent your water pipes from rusting. This is the best way to ensure you won’t experience brown water due to rusty pipes. Here are some top ways to prevent rusty pipes.
Regularly clean and dry the surfaces
You should ensure your water pipes are clean and dry to prevent rusting. When the pipe surfaces are clean and dry, you significantly reduce exposure to supercharged electrolytes that otherwise accelerate the corrosion process. Work with your plumber to create a drain cleaning schedule to remove sediments that could cause brown hot water.
Protect your water pipes from gashes and scratches
Gashes and scratches on your pipes could expose the iron to oxidation. Therefore, the best way to prevent scratches is by reducing friction. You could add pipe support to your water system to cushion your pipes. For instance, you could add flat plates, slide plates and wear pads to protect your pipes from corroding and wearing down.
Add reinforcement metals
The chemical composition of your water pipes determines the likelihood of them rusting. Some metals usually give away electrons and rust more quickly than others. For example, stainless steel is rust-resistant because it features chromium. You could add rustproof protection to your appliances or pipes by zinc plating or galvanising them.
Perform regular maintenance
When your pipes start to rust, the corrosion could escalate fast. As a result, it’s crucial to perform regular inspections to check for leaks and signs of discolouration. Additionally, perform routine maintenance to ensure that water pipes do not rust. Taking a proactive approach to maintaining your water pipes will ensure that they don’t rust, effectively preventing brown water on your property.
Insulate the pipes
Insulating your water pipes is notably the best way to prevent them from rusting and causing your hot water to turn brown. When your pipes rub against nearby metal objects, they can rust in two ways. Connecting two different metals leads to galvanic corrosion, a reaction that causes rust.
Additionally, metals from I-beans or other supports could scrape your water pipe’s outer layer allowing corrosion material to seep in. As a result, insulation is the best option to control the development of metal-on-metal rust from forming on your water pipes.
Hot Brown Water Problems Professionally Solved
If your hot water coming from the taps on your property in Australia is brown, you should not delay. It’s advisable to take immediate action by calling a reliable plumber in your locality to solve the issue.
An expert plumber will determine the cause of the brownish hot water and offer a lasting solution to the problem. They are equipped with the knowledge and skillset necessary to quickly and accurately diagnose the issue.
Additionally, they will offer the best solution to your brown water issue without causing any damage to your piping system. They could also help in leak detection within your piping system to enhance its performance and avoid problems on your property.
