Imagine turning on your kitchen faucet in your Oakville home to get some water to make tea, or turning on your bathroom faucet as you go to brush your teeth at night. It is something you do every day, but this time you are horrified to discover that your water is brown!
Brown water can occur when sediments get into your water. This can happen when there is a disturbance or surge of water in the main water lines supplying your home as sediment that has built up in the pipe is dislodged. It can also happen after leaky or rusty pipes in your home have been repaired or replaced since the water pressure in the pipes drops and then returns to normal during the repairs. The good news is that these sediments in your water are not harmful – nevertheless, you will want to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
How to get rid of brown water
If you have noticed brown water coming from the faucets in your Oakville home, there are a few things that you can do to try and eliminate it.
Run cold water.
Start by running cold water from your tap for about 20 minutes. If the water turns clear over that timeframe, you don’t need to take any further action.
Consider installing a water softener.
If running the faucet removes some – but not all – of the discoloration, you may want to consider installing a water softener. These systems work by removing iron particles from the water supply. Keep in mind, when installing a water softener, that some of these systems require regular maintenance done by a professional plumber.
Talk to the neighbours.
If running the faucet doesn’t help, talk to your neighbours and see if they are experiencing the same issue. If they are, then it is like a problem with the city system. Contact the City of Oakville - Halton Public Works or your local municipality and ask them to inspect and flush out the pipes.
Consider a filtration system if you are on well water.
If your home is on well water and you have recently experienced heavy rains, then the problem could be due to changes in the water table. In some cases, this fluctuation can be so extreme that your existing water treatment equipment isn’t enough to handle it. You may need to get a different filtration or iron removal system.
Check hot and cold faucets.
Another way you might be able to identify the problem is to check to see if the brown water is coming from both hot and cold water. If the water is only brown when you are running hot water, then it means that your water heater is the culprit, and you should call a qualified plumber to inspect it.
Contact McKenna Plumbing today.
If you have tried all of the above strategies and you still have brown water coming into your Oakville home, then contact McKenna Plumbing today to have one of our experienced plumbers identify the cause and propose a solution.