Hello, could you please advise me why water coming out of both laundry sink taps is sometimes brown and does not always run clear, even after running the taps for a while. Even when water is not brown, it is murky.
Thanks in advance!
Hello @emmab1986
There are a number of possible reasons your water is brown or comes out murky. There could be roadworks being conducted and soil has entered the mains water system causing it to turn brown. There could be a leak in the mains and water is being contaminated with soil. Water could be running on older galvanized pipework and is dragging the rust to your outlet. The water might be contaminated from another source along the line.
I propose checking your local council's webpage to find out if there are any roadworks or plumbing works being conducted around your area. Has there been a large-scale water accident occur in your area? How old is your plumbing system? Do you get your water from a steel water tank or from a ground pump?
I suggest installing a large-scale filtering system before the water enters your house. From there I suggest using a proper filtration system for drinking and for kitchen and bathroom use.
Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.
If you have any other questions we can help with. please let us know.
Eric
Hi @emmab1986
If council were doing works on the water mains then your should have received notification and an alert that its not safe. A quick call will resolve that question. And if it is something they have done its urgent they address it.
If its not council works it sounds like a very serious issue that still needs to be address urgently as your mains water most likely has been ruptured and is dragging in ground dirt. You will need a plumber that has an inspection camera to locate the issue. This is service is typically not cheap unfortunately.
Let us know how you go.
Nailbag
Would you know if your water supply is through gal pipe? Is the property very old?
Good Evening @emmab1986
When the water board people (For me in NSW its Sydney Water) do emergency water works some sediment can enter, usually it will disappear after 10mins of running the water. Tho sometimes you might get a secondary flush of colour. Usually they overdose on the cleaning agents with the water thats within the pipe.
- You will see them running the fire hydrant spots out on the street. They do this every so often as a maintence level to flush water, it can disturb settled silt that then gets drawn into your pipes.
- As @Nailbag has mentioned, you could have a break in your pipes. Have a look at your water meter with everything turned off water wise. it shouldnt move. Mine has in the past and yeah I had a leak that was unseen.
- Do other taps in your place run dirty? It could be perished washers for the taps.
- If no other pipes run dirty (including hot water taps) then your issue may be between the last water point and the laundry taps.
Dave
There are some gal pipes. The property is 1929-built, but was renovated in 2014.
I spoke to South East Water this afternoon. I was advised that "As the water pipes were unused for an extended period of time, natural sediment that builds up in the water supply will settle in your pipes. When water is drawn out again, this water will be discoloured. This water is still safe to drink, cook and clean with.
I am so sorry as I forgot to say that the house wasn't occupied for 1.5 months. I have encoutered twice for the brown water.
It's good that you have received information from your local water provider. Hopefully the water will clear up once the pipework is flushed out.
I'll call the council tomorrow. I checked with South East Water this afternoon and got some ideas. I forgot to say that the house was unoccupied for 1.5 months. Since moving in at the end of June, I have encountered brown-murky water twice. I started worrying. Thank you so much for your advice.
Good Morning @emmab1986
Gal pipes will decay faster then copper pipes and create the dirty look in water. if the other taps run clear and the ones in the laundry are still running dirty after several flushes I would check to see if the gal pipes are inline with the laundry.
Hi @emmab1986,
Do you get the brown water with both hot and cold? If it's only with the hot water, it can be a sign that the water heater is on the way out and rusting through. I had brown-tinted water for a couple of months before mine went.
Mitchell
Good morning, Dave.
Thanks for your comments, which are correct. The gal pipes are inline with the laundry. Could anything be done to address this situation? The gal pipes in the wall also.
Yes, both hot and cold water. I spoke to the previous tenants, and the brown water was never an issue. Only after I moved in, when the house was unoccupied for 1.5 months. Do you think that's part of the reason?
If the cold water is brown, then it's unlikely to be the hot water heater at fault @emmab1986. I'd open up all the hot and cold taps fully for 5 minutes and see if it flushes it out. Also, are there any taps with aerators on the tip of the spout? Unscrew them and clean them out. Run the taps without the aerators as they will trap any sediment in the spout.
Thank you so much for your tips. I just checked, no tap aerator. I'll run the taps for 5 minutes.
partially through gal pipe
Yes, I was gonna say old gal pipes can cause issues. This one below would give us 3 seconds of dirty water from the front hose before clearing.
The section was replaced. It was rotting internally, externally and beginning to leak.
This is the brownwater I talked about. It became clear after a short flush. Would you recommend what to do?
I believe its time to call in the professionals; I would start with a licensed plumber and ask them to do a leak and pressure test. This will reveal if your plumbing has been compromised and if there is a busted section somewhere outside your home. The next specialist I would call would be a leak detection specialist. They will have the tools necessary to track down any possible leaks that is happening inside or outside your home.
Once they've done their tests it should possibly narrow down the location of the rusty section or the leak.
THere is no leak.
we have a couple of plumbers (licensed) in. they have totally different view of this. One guy said he can replace the pipe with copper one and the other two said it's not a big deal, just leave it as it is. we are confused. should we replace the gal pipe?
Could you confirm whether the plumber who suggested replacing the pipes has determined that the deterioration of the pipes is actually causing the brown water and that replacing them will rectify the issue? If so, the sensible course of action would be to replace them.
Additionally, could you clarify the reasoning behind why the other plumbers consider the dirty water “not a big deal”? For most people, water that is so visibly soiled would be unacceptable for use, so it’s important to understand their assessment fully. Perhaps they are suggesting that your pipes are not the cause of the issue.Mitchell
We were initially informed that "water coming out of both laundry sink taps is sometimes brown and does not always run clear, even after running the taps for a while. Even when the water is not brown, it is murky."
I contacted South East Water and passed on this information. A technical officer advised that they would like to organise a plumber to conduct a proper test. They believe that if the issue is localised, the water should be able to be flushed clear.
One plumber, who recommended replacing the pipe, did not observe or test for brown water himself—his suggestion was based solely on the narrative above. Another plumber, who advised against replacement, did perform a test by turning on the cold water tap but observed no brown water at the time.
In practice, the brown water appears to come only from the cold water tap in the laundry, and it clears after running for just 1 to 3 seconds, this was demonstrated to me. All other taps in the property provide clear water.
Thank you for sharing that comprehensive description of events. I propose waiting for the plumber from South East Water to make their assessment and see what they recommend. In the meantime, I propose investing in a Stefani 10L Glazed Ceramic Water Filter or a Stefani 8.5L On Bench Water Filter for your drinking water and cooking needs.
If same event occurs where the brown water only appears on the cold tap then you can slowly start eliminating possible sources to narrow down the cause or source of the contamination.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
