Denver, CO | Why Do I Have Discolored Water – Is It Something I Did?

Homeowners often find that in certain places of their home discolored water is coming from the faucet. This might not be a permanent problem and it may arise in different parts of the house at different times. Nonetheless, this doesn’t make it any less unsettling.

What is the source of the problem?

The first and best thing to do in situations of this kind is to have the water tested. The most common causes of water residue include the presence of magnesium, iron, resin beads and algae. It is also possible for the pipes to be old and they may be degrading.

How do you know what kind of problem you have?

Even if you don’t have time to do water testing or you wish to have some information even before you get to that, there is a simple test you could try: take a look in the water tank of the toilet. Do you see any black residue in there? If there is some, it means that your water has magnesium in it and maybe even iron. Regardless of what there is, you don’t need to worry: they won’t do any harm.

However, if you like to have clean and clear water, there are some things you could do to get rid of the issue. It might be a good idea to call a water softener company and tell them about your problem. They will be able to tell you how to get rid of the color. If you happen to have galvanized or steel pipes in your house, it is possible that it is rust you see in the water.

As it has been mentioned before, it is also possible for the problem to be caused by resin beads. If you are using water softener, it is possible for the resin beads to escape and to get into the pipes. They look similar to charcoal.

Pink residue on the bathtub and discolored water

Generally speaking, if the water has a pinkish or orange color, it means that there is iron in the water. If you happen to have a well, you should know that it is common for the water to have different minerals. This is why you should use a water softener or another filtering device to eliminate the minerals. You could buy a water testing kit or you could contact a professional to do the testing for you.

Rusty water in the sink

If there is rusty water in the sink and the water won’t go down, most likely you have a clogged drain. The color of the water could be from the pipes or the grease buildup in the drains. The best thing you could do is to regularly unclog the drains, and eliminate that as a cause to any discolored water in your sink. If the problem persists after unclogging the drain, you will need to further troubleshoot the issue.

Having discolored water isn’t the end of the world, but in order to fix the issue you need to address the problem at its root cause. Regardless of what problem you might have, professional plumbers will certainly be able to help you.