Rusty Water? Call Our Union City Plumbers

Our Union City plumbers have seen rusty water in hundreds of homes. Usually it's a simple enough fix, like replacing an anode rod in a tank style water heater. Other times it can be the sign of something much worse like corrosion in side of the pipes. Still other times, the source of the rust is outside of your home and needs to be handled by the city water department.

Our Union City Plumbing Service Knows What To Do

Here's how we test for what the causes of rusty water in the home:

• If the rusty water only happens when you are running hot or warm water, then the rust is coming from your storage style water heater tank. This is usually because the sacrificial anode has failed. The anode is there to prevent the interior of the tank from rusting. If you can catch this failure early enough, replacing the anode can eliminate the rusty water problem and allow you several more years with your water heater.
• If the rusty water is only coming from particular faucets in your home, the problem is most likely a rusted pipe. This should be tracked down immediately by a licensed plumbing tech. A pipe that is rusting from the interior could break at any time and cause major problems. Galvanized steel, common in homes built before 1950, tends to start to rust after 50 to 60 years of use. As these pipes start to fail the water in the home will become rusty and it is a sign that complete repiping is needed.
• Sometimes the cause of rusty water is external to the house. It comes directly from the municipal water systems. This may be because there is a high level of iron in the water (this is rare but happens on occasion) or them more likely water main break. When a water main breaks there is a chance of contamination that can include rust. To prevent this from happening a resident or business can install a water purification device that works at the main water inlet for the building.

Our plumbing service knows just what to do no matter what the cause of your rusty water is. One of the most common fixes is installing a water softener system and using rust removing salt pellets. This is a great choice for homes that suffer from rust and hard water problems all at once.