Removing sediment from my water tank

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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Some time ago there was occasional brown water coming from the hot taps. It settled down so I didn't bother doing anything about it except having a look at the water tank which had a fair bit of sediment.

But it's happening again now.

I was going to have a go at removing the sediment myself but when googling it, I came across these guys.

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The only drinking water in the house comes from the tap downstairs in the kitchen. OK, I clean my teeth upstairs.

But apart from removing sediment, do I need to get it disinfected?

I am not handy around the house so would tend towards getting someone else to figure out how to turn off the water and move around the attic.

Brendan
 
These guys charge €350

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If it were me I would try ringing the local Council and ask their advice before doing anything else. I know its not a Council house but they might be able to give you some general advice.

Many years ago I started cleaning my teeth downstairs as I understand the water there is a direct supply from the mains and it tastes much better. The water upstairs I understand comes from the tank in the attic which as you mention above can suffer from sediment and in our house does not taste as good.

In my mother's old house the Council distributed a leaflet to all households in the area confirming that there were possibly lead pipes still in some of the houses. We always felt it accounted for the horrible taste off the direct supply and therefore used bottled water.
 
After the first time I looked into my attic water tank I never used it to wash my teeth again. I don't think most people would if they climbed up and took a look.
 
Mine is manky up there, I'm surprised the water coming out of the taps is so clear. Sometimes I think I really should clean it out but then talk myself out of it again!
 
As long as there isn’t a dead rat in the tank and the water is coming out clear it’s grand.
 
@Brendan Burgess is it only the hot water taps giving the brownish water? Is there any brown on cold taps in the bathroom?
If only the hot taps your tank in the attic may have nothing to do with it. The coil in your hot water cylinder may have a slight leak.
 
Hi Mick

That is very interesting. I noticed it first recently, in the shower which is mixed hot and cold.

Then I noticed it in the sink downstairs which was the hot water.

It's so sporadic that I couldn't really test it by turning on the cold taps. They are unlikely to be murky.

I do know that the tank has a lot of sediment so I suppose I should eliminate that first?

If the coil has a slight leak, would it be brownish all the time or just sporadically?

Brendan
 
Brendan Burgess said:
If the coil has a slight leak, would it be brownish all the time or just sporadically?
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I'm not sure tbh, (I don't have direct experience of it and am not a plumber) but it might depend on how frequently the tap is used etc especially if it is a very small leak.
(If it was the attic tank then I would expect to see similar brown water in the cold tap in the bathroom when the hot tap is brown)
 
Brendan Burgess said:
I do know that the tank has a lot of sediment so I suppose I should eliminate that first?
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I have modern plastic tanks in my attic, fed directly from the mains, with snugly fitting lids and they also have sediment in them.

If you have easy access, why not stir up the water in your attic tank and drain it a few times by leaving all your taps on, this should remove the excess sediment, any remaining will lie below the tanks exit pipe to your taps.

Might be worth trying before you spend €350. I am not a plumber.
 
Has there been any maintenance done on the water supply in the area recently? That could have affected supply. In rural areas, depending on the supply, water can appear brown after heavy rains. Not sure if it would be the case in Dublin. Works on the supply could have an effect though.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
If the coil has a slight leak, would it be brownish all the time or just sporadically?
Click to expand...

I had a coil leaking internally in a hot water tank recently. The main symptom was the little tank for the central heating system in the attic started to overflow out the overflow pipe. This is because the mains water that feeds into the hot tank (and which gets heated by the coil which is connected to the central heating) around the coil was leaking into the hot water coil, travelling up the pipework and into the tank. There was no brown water at any point.
 
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