Orange water

Residential
1

Had something new happen today. I had a big job that consisted of washing a large home and clubhouse along with all of their concrete. I started on the home and after finishing the home and the concrete, I moved to start work on the clubhouse. I pulled back to the clubhouse with a full tank of water, I washed the house with that water and when finished, I prepared to wash the concrete. I pulled the supply line to the bib they had told me to use and when turned on, the water ran red initially and after 15 minutes was still running orange. I went to the home and told the lady the situation and that I would not wash the concrete with that orange water. Thankfully, she went back and we eventually found one that produced clean water.

She nor I have any idea what the deal was with the water…I know it was rust…but there had to be a lot of it for it to never yield any decent water. And, why did the other spigot have clean water…if they were coming from the same place. Mystery…

2

Could be a mains leak somewhere. A burst main upsets all the sediment in the pipes. It can take a long while for it to settle.

The good tap may have been on a different supply pipe (or possibly from a tank?), so it would be clear.

3

This place is in the country and on a well…so no main bursts.

And, I did say, “if they were coming from the same place”…and I was speaking about same water source. Actually, the spigots were within 10ft of each other…the good one was just hidden from view enough I couldn’t see it.

4

She could have had one plumbed through a softener or filter. I know at my dads house one spigot comes straight water and the other is softened water. He also has a 3rd that’s hot water lol

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5

Well you never said it was in the country :man_shrugging:t2:

It was just a thought based on the info you gave.

Also, just because two taps are next to each other, it doesn’t mean it’s coming from the same place.

In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Two taps close by are normally from different sources e.g mains and a tank/well.

6

What in tarnation? A hot water spigot? For extra cold winter garden watering or what?

2 Likes
7

No idea! Knowing my dad, it’s to hook up to a pressure washer :joy:

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8

Whatever…these were taps in a garden…I will grant you they were not coming from separate tanks/wells…there were two taps because they were connected to drip irrigation on grape vines.

One must have been OLD galv pipe in underground portion…rusty as crap and the other was probably newer and pvc.

9

Whatever?

Muppet.

10

Nah…no water heater anywhere near this spigot.

Has to be rusted galv pipe underground feeding it…there is really no other explanation for it.

11

We get iron bacteria in some wells around here that causes orange discoloration that settles out when left in a tank for a bit.
Some places run two sets of pipes/taps.
One set for irrigation that is unfiltered or settled and the other set is the filtered clean water.
I have seen clean water taps outside for washing cars etc.

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12

So why ask.

@AUSSIE not from tanks Clay!!! :joy:

13

Pipe may originate from deep within the Bermuda triangle…

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14

Whatever.

:rofl:

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15

Whatever…whatever…man

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16

soluble iron from shallow well water ?

17

Probably running the well dry

18

I was thinking the same thing Chris said. I was at a house a couple weeks back that also had a couple hose spigots straight from the well and a couple hooked up to the water softener. They had a spigot with hard water right on the front porch and most of the concrete was orange with rust. He also had a hot water spigot in the garage. The guy must be friends with @SchertzServicesLLC dad.

1 Like
19

Alot of older houses on well water dont filter the outside spigots and only the inside. It helps the filters last longer as well. Both of my grandparents houses are like this. I know this because i always have to go undrr the house and change them🤷