Our house is 16 years old. It was a model home which was used for about 1 year and then lived in for 2 years before becoming abandoned and the object of dispute in a divorce. We have now lived in the house for 12 years. Question... the hot water is brown in the bath and now in the sink. This has been happening for 2 months now. We have copper pipes. What could be the source of this? Thanks.

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Question... the hot water is brown in the bath and now in the sink. This has been happening for 2 months now. We have copper pipes. What could be the source of this?

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The source is the water heater and the cause is little or no heater maintenance. The brown you see in the hot water's iron oxide,(rust) that has built up on the floor of the tank and is now getting drawn up into the hot water system. There's a simple solution to this. Flush your heater ona regular basis. Let me show you how.
For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white or yellow grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures that are affected . Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Hope this helps, Tom