{"id":3231,"date":"2021-01-05T21:40:54","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T21:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/server.trenchlessmarketing.com\/~inhouseplumbingc\/?p=3231"},"modified":"2021-01-05T21:40:54","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T21:40:54","slug":"brown-tap-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/brown-tap-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown Tap Water? Find Out What Might Be Causing It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Turning on the tap and seeing brown water flowing out of the faucet or sitting in the toilet bowl is cause for concern for anyone.<\/p>\n

There are a number of reasons why this might happen but are any of them dangerous<\/p>\n

Today I want to cover some of the reasons you might suddenly have brown water in your home, and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n

City Water Lines<\/h2>\n

Dallas and other cities around the country often flush the city water lines and fire hydrants as part of regular maintenance. The change in water pressure forces out mineral deposits, rust, dirt, sediment, etc. that have settled in the lines.<\/p>\n

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Repairs to city lines, like for a water main break, also causes brown water in a home\u2019s plumbing system. And as infrastructures age, line breaks might become more frequent of an issue down the road.<\/p>\n

Since your home\u2019s lines are connected to the city\u2019s lines, the water then flushes into your system.<\/p>\n

So how do you know if this is what\u2019s causing the brown water in your home? If the change to brown, murky water is sudden and is coming out of all of your water fixtures, city line maintenance and repairs are very likely the culprit.<\/p>\n

Also check with your neighbors. If everyone on the street is having the same issue, it\u2019s likely it\u2019s routine upkeep by the city.<\/p>\n

In these cases, it should usually clear up within a few hours, sometimes a few days. Once the pressure is back to normal and everything\u2019s been flushed out, your home\u2019s water should run clear again.<\/p>\n

Your Home\u2019s Pipes<\/h2>\n

Brown Water Caused by Rust<\/h3>\n

On the flip side, if brown water flows from the tap and comes out of only a few of your faucets, it\u2019s probably your plumbing system. Another sign it\u2019s your fresh water pipes is if the water is brown every morning but clears up later in the day.<\/p>\n

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If the brown water is only coming from your cold tap, it\u2019s the fresh water pipes. But if it\u2019s only happening when you turn on the hot water, it might be your hot water heater which I address a little further down in the post.<\/p>\n

If it is your pipes it\u2019s probably because there is rust in them. As water flows through your pipes, the rust is loosened and discolors the water and comes out of your faucets.<\/p>\n

This is also the case if you only have brown water in the toilet. So if there\u2019s only brown water in the toilet and maybe the sink in the same bathroom but none of the other areas of the house, it\u2019s probably just that line that you need to address.<\/p>\n

In this case, you should look into replacing the pipe. Once the pipe has started to rust, a break in the line isn\u2019t far off. You want to catch this before the pipe or pipes break and you find yourself dealing with a fresh water leak.<\/p>\n

Iron and Magnesium Turning Water Brown<\/h3>\n

If it\u2019s not rust, it\u2019s possible your water has too much iron and\/or magnesium in it. This can show up in several ways:<\/p>\n