Good Record-keeping Helps New Business Owners Avoid Tax-time Headaches
3 Possible Causes Of Rusty Water From Your Tap
Terra Fields
When the water from your tap is discolored, cloudy, or contains flakes of rust, it can certainly be off-putting. While rusty water isn't a severe health risk, it can make basic tasks like bathing and laundry unpleasant and may also affect the taste of your cooking. When you're faced with these issues in your home, you should know these three possible causes of rusty water from your tap.
1. Water Supply Problems
Before you look for causes in your own plumbing, you may want to consider if the problem could be related to your water supplier. In their Secondary Drinking Water Standards Guide, the EPA lists minerals such as iron, manganese, and copper that can negatively impact water color, odor, and taste.
Excessive levels of these minerals in your water supply could be the cause of your rusty water. Talk to your neighbors to determine if the problem is isolated to your home. If multiple homes on your street are experiencing the same symptoms, contact your supplier for a resolution to these water quality issues.
2. Rusted Water Lines
Corrosion is an inevitable process that affects some of the most common plumbing pipe materials, including copper, cast iron, and galvanized steel. Water line corrosion is caused by interaction between the pipe and trace amounts of minerals found naturally in your water supply.
Flushing your pipes by running multiple cold water taps for several minutes may remove enough sediment to resolve rusty water. In more severe cases, however, you may need assistance from a plumber. A plumbing contractor can reline your damaged water lines with epoxy to protect them from rust or replace the corroded section of your pipes if necessary.
3. Sediment in Your Water Heater
Rusty water from the cold side is likely due to rusted pipes or issues with your water supplier. Rusty hot water, on the other hand, may have another culprit: Your water heater. Hot water tanks contain a component called the anode rod designed to protect them from corrosion. Anode rods are made of aluminum or magnesium, metals that attract sediments and corrode preferentially in place of the steel tank.
When the anode rod degrades, corrosion can take hold of the hot water tank itself. If the tank isn't too corroded, a plumber can flush your water heater to remove corrosion-causing sediment. Your plumber will also replace the anode rod to protect your water heater from rust and return your hot water to good quality.
No homeowner has to live with rusty, discolored water. While the cause of poor water quality can be difficult to determine, you can always get help from a professional plumber. Talk to local plumbing services to find the right solution for rusty water from your tap.
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I have been a business owner for years, and I want to share some tips for success with new entrepreneurs out there who are struggling. I have had my share of business ups and downs, but there was one lesson that it took me way too long to learn: Good financial record-keeping year-long keeps tax time from being so stressful. During my first year in business, I kept most business expense receipts, but when tax time arrived, I found out that I needed to save much more than just those receipts. Thanks to technology, I was able to recover most of the documentation I needed, but it was a huge headache. I quickly invested in good record-keeping software and it made tax time much less stressful during the following years.