I have rust coming out of one of my bathroom faucets. Doesn't matter how long I leave it on rust still comes out. It is OK when I turn on the cold water, only happens when I turn on the hot water. Any advice?

Hi Lieberman1...

I'm afraid that it sounds like the ANODE ROD has failed in your water heater and that will most likely mean that you'll need to replace that water heater... sooner than later... OK?

Most of the time, when we see that rusty water it tells us that the anode rod is expired and the water has started to attack the metal of the tank/tank tappings... usually signals the end of the heater. Below is a comparison between a new anode rod and an expired anode rod... see image.

The anode rod is usually accessed on top of the water heater as an 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" nut... can be replaced, but once rust appears it is probably too late!

See if you can approximate how old your water heater is now... may have an idea or two to salvage the unit.

Let us know more.. OK?

Mark

Thanks for the info Mark. It is a rental house of ours and my husband and I are going there now to see if we can see if we can get the info on how old the water heater is.

Another questions Mark, if we only have rusty water coming from one bathroom faucet would that still be the anode rod? Why would it only come from one area of the house and not the others?

This is a little embarrassing. I think the pictures pretty much confirm there is a problem with the anode rod. We also checked the water heater and the date on it says 1989.

Certainly looks like you got your moneys worth there... ;)

In terms of the rusted water at only one faucet, that is not possible when the anode rod is expired and the tank lining has been attacked by the water so check the other faucets by filling the sink(s) and see if you can confirm the rusty water everywhere. If so, as you already suspect, time to replace that heater!

Mark

We sure did get our money's worth! That must have been a darn good water heater to last as long as it did.

We did check the other faucets and no other faucet has rust coming out.

When we ran the faucet in the bathroom that has the rust, after a period, the water looks clearer. If we fill up the sink you can still tell there is rust there but much less than it was before. This bathroom doesn't get used nearly as much as the others.

Could it be because of old piping that the water is only rusty in this bathroom?

If you have old galvanized piping it is possible that the build up inside the pipes is causing an issue... but still pretty unlikely!

I'd test this by letting everything sit unused overnight if possible and then run the hot water only at the farthest sink, fill the sink, and see how the water looks. If no rust at sinks without rust previously then maybe that the pipes are the issue... but looking at that heater I'm still betting on the anode rod/heater being gone!


Mark

I am replacing that hot water heater for sure! We should have replaced that a while ago. The bathroom we have been having problems with is the farthest bathroom in the house. We don't have renters there right now, so I am certain it was sitting overnight when we got there today. But that is the only area where we are getting the rust. Should I see how the water looks after we change out the hot water heater first?

It sounds like you could have a pipe issue at the farthest bathroom... could be a galvanized or even a black iron pipe nipple causing an issue... maybe?

Replace the heater and then run water through all the lines until the water runs clear. Test again and see how you make out. If the issue isn't resolved you'll need to start working backward from the sink to see if you can find the "culprit". Let me know how it goes!

Mark

Sounds like a good idea. We will replace it in the next week. If the water is not clear after, we will start working backwards from the sink. Can you tell me if we start working backwards from the sink, do we replace each pipe until the water runs

I'd start by looking under the sink and confirming the TYPE of pipes you have. Let me know if they are silver, copper, chrome or plastic... OK?

Mark