Rusty Pipes

Few people like the taste of rusty water, and it can be downright disconcerting when brown or orange water pours out of your taps! But what can you do about it? And more importantly, is it dangerous?

Fortunately, rusty pipes and rust in drinking water has not been linked to any health problems. While the orange, rusty water will likely not be as pleasant to drink (and you may want to buy a water pitcher with a filter while deciding what to do next), it’s not harmful to drink or wash in. The presence of rusted particle may make your water harder and soap may not foam as well as it usually does, but beyond the annoyance of stiffer clothing and hair, health professionals don’t have many worries.

However, that doesn’t mean that rusted pipes should be left to their own devices. Even if you don’t mind the flavour and the colour, the rust particles are simply a warning sign for leaks yet to come. If the pipes in your building are rusting, it’s important that you have a plumber replace them before they damage your home. And, of course, you want to know how to fix rusty water pipes?

Before you rush out to hire an expert Calgary plumber though, you need to know if the rust is actually in your building’s pipes or if it’s coming from the watermain.

From Your Home: when the rust is coming from inside your home, there are going to be a couple tell tale signs. The best time to check is in the morning or after several hours of disuse: is the water discoloured right when your turn it on? Does it clear after a minute or two of use? Check other faucets in your home: are all of them affected or just one or two? Does the discolouration affect the hot water? When the rust is inside your own home you’ll likely be answering: yes, yes, just a couple, yes.

From the Watermain: if that didn’t describe your situation, your home may be in luck. When the rust is in the mainline, you’ll be seeing the cloudy water from all of your faucets instead of just one or two. The water will also likely start out clear, but then become discoloured and won’t improve as the tap runs. The discolouration will also likely only affect the cold water.

Now that you’ve hopefully diagnosed where the rust is coming, it’s time to either call your town to report a problem in the main or Plumbing Paramedics to take a look at the pipes in your home. We’ll be happy to help you through any questions you have, and we’ll work to protect your home and family from the inevitable leaks that come with rusty pipes, because we exatcly know how to fix rusty water pipes and deal with them. Call us today at (403) 452-2911.