What is the brown residue left behind by the water in my apartment?
Question:I used to think it was just soap scum or something in the shower...it gets all over the shower curtain, and the soap and shampoo bottles I have on the side of the shower. It's just a brown residue, it scrubs off but it comes back once every couple of months.
Then I noticed it's always coming up in the toilet, where the water level is. It forms all around the water level. And then it's all over the spouts in my shower head. So it can't just be soap scum.
Any ideas on what it's from and if I can do anything about it? Is there a cleaner for it?
Answers:
clr works good. but a cheaper way is "the works" toilet bowl cleaner, works faster and way cheaper
Sounds like iron... CLR (calcium lime and rust) works wonders, just watch fumes...
It sounds to me like you have rust in your water. I would use some CLR on it.
It is iron in the water supply. installing a water softener is a cure or if there is a softner already- needs salt added.
Probably rusty pipes,They are right CLR works good. You should clean it more often to avoid staining.
sounds like iron traces in water dont panic. take water sample and get it tested .
There isn't really anything to panic about, because the rust and iron won't harm you if you are just washing things or taking a shower in it.
The best way to remove it is to buy some CLR from your local drugstore or other carrier and use it to clean the residue.
You can also buy a water softener or water filtration system that will help. Find out if there is one for the water system in your apartments, or inquire to the landlord about it.
If you are worried that it might be something else (which I doubt) you can have the water sample tested to confirm the rust/iron-water composition. The landlord of your apartment complex should probably be notified so that they can take action, especially if others in the building are having the same problem.
it does sound like rust OR iodine; which is used to purify water in some cases and will not harm you- in fact, it's a great bacteria killer. For your toilet, try an in the bowl refillable stain resistant bleach block, for your shower and fittings, once you've thoroughly cleaned them, use a sprayon or wipe on water beading product- they use these on car windscreens and commercial building windows- it has a film that prevents yuck sticking to your glass etc- it won't hurt to try it on the curtain too. Even if it's rust in the water, this product (forgotten its name) will help prevent it sticking to things.
I agree with timo... get water tested at your local county offices.
Once it's determined it's the water, politely ask your landlord if he/she will install a water softener thingee that you will keep installed with the salt (cheap).
Good Luck
There are 2 possibilities, minerals and bacteria. First, bacteria, unlikely as most water supplies provided by a community are either floridated or chlorinated, which reduces the bacteria to a minimum. If you are on a well however, bacteria could be a problem, but still less likely than minerals. 2nd, minerals in the water, and possibly sediment. The most likely is iron, which makes water rust colored when in the extreme, but more likely is colorless until it concentrates when the water evaporates out. Watch coffee as it dries and you will see the exact same effect, a very light color turning very dark. Other minerals could also be at work here, calcium and magnesium for example, which by themselves evaporate to white or light grey. Add a little bacteria and it will go dark brown to black very quickly. If it is well water, then the source is the well and you need filters on the wellhead. If it is city water, then they aren't doing what you are paying them for, clean water. Most of the time, minerals are not harmful, and even are a benefit depending on what they are. There are 2 things you can do, accept it and live with the inconvenience of the cleanup, or complain, loudly, to the water company you pay your bill to. Complain, complain, complain. It is the squeaky wheel which gets the grease. And then, even if nothing happens, just be grateful you don't live in a 3rd world country where ANY water is a luxury...
Honey, what I would do is take a sample of the water to your local agency and ask them to run a test to check it for verification. If your place is only 2 years old, then the owners or contractors are in serious volation of code for installing piping, etc. Steel water pipes are no longer permitted and will rust causing the brown stain damages.
Might ask to see if there is an old holding tank somewhere that the water runs through that might be old and rusted out on the inside. If it is everyonecinawhile, sounds like something is working off of a level control switch which empties the water out via a pump and fills back up.
Knowing a plumber will fix your problems fast.
1. Ask what kind of piping is supplied to the units
2. Ask to check the hot water heaters for efficency (Cannot produce rust , they are teflon lined, but rust can still travel through them)
3. Find out if the other tenants have the same problem
4. Find out if there could be an old existing water pipe that could be connected to the new piping from an old source before the bldg. was built. Not suppose to be able to have 2 diff. water sources hooked up to 1 main line.
The reason it comes back every once in a while is because the water sits in the bottom of the pipe or resovior and then when it is moved or displaced by incoming water, it is forced through the pipes to come to give you grief. ZUD is a rust cleaner you can buy in the store or CLR is another good one.
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Be suspicious and demand some answers, check the water and verify to have proof in case they don't want to help you, the city code will make them do right by you. Enforce it!
use a hammer and chiesel .
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