Why is my water coming out brown?

A common problem homeowner run into is the occurrence of brown water. Brown water can be very shocking and alarming at first, and most homeowners think of the worse reasons as to why their drinking water is brown.

If you have stumbled upon this article, we assume that you are having issues with brown water coming through your plumbing. This article is to inform and explain the reasons why your water is brown and the steps you need to take to fix this problem.

When your tap water is brown or discolored, it is a clear sign of an accumulation of rust, sediment or mineral deposits that have been disturbed and stirred up in you water main.

Main breaks or adjacent construction can stir up sediments and cause the water to be brown as well. The water will typically clear up on its own within a few hours. If your water does not clear up after a few hours, you may need to contact a professional.

One of most common reason for brown water is from damaged or replaced water pipes. Brown water usually occurs because rust becomes dislodged from the pipes and makes its way into your home water supply due to change of pressure in the water pipes during repairs.

Getting Rid of Brown Water

Attempt to remove your brown water by letting the cold water run for approximately 20 minutes. If the water remains brown, ask your neighbors if they are also experiencing brown water. If the neighborhood is experiencing the same problem with their water, then it is an issue with the city piping.

The utility provider needs to check out this problem and resolve it. Contact the city to see whether the brown water is from the city’s pipes. Ask the city’s utility provider to inspect the pipes. They can very easily flush out the brown water through a fire hydrant. If after this process is executed, and water is still brown you will need to take other measures to clear up the water.

Check and see if the brown water is coming from the hot water only. If the water comes out brown from only the hot water, then your water heater might need to be flushed out. Scale from inside the water heater might have fallen to the bottom and dirtied up the water, or the top or inside walls of the water heater could be rusted causing rusted scales to fall into the water. Therefore, causing brown water. This is an indicator that your water heater needs to be replaced. Make sure to have your water heater inspected if this is the case.

If you have asked your neighbors and it is just your home with the brown water problem , then you will need to have someone go flush out the rust from your pipes. If you still notice a little brown water after flushing out the rust from your pipes ,then the other two options are to change the softeners an/or water filters.

 

For more information, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other towns in New Jersey, such as Cliffside Park, Montclair and Lodi.