Keeping our bathrooms clean is a must for any household. Sometimes the best cleaning routine isn’t enough, especially when you notice brown water in your toilet. Your initial thoughts may be that you’re not cleaning enough or worse – something seriously wrong with your water source.
Fortunately, the brown color isn’t always an indicator that there’s harmful, contaminated water on your property. There are a few reasons you may be seeing brown water and many of them can be resolved by you. In some instances, you may need the help of a plumber. Let’s discuss common causes of brown water in your toilet tank and how to resolve each issue.
Key Points
- Brown colored water in your toilet isn’t always an indicator that there’s harmful, contaminated water.
- Things like water pressure changes, older water heaters, faulty water softener systems, and corroded pipes can cause brown water.
- Some solutions to brown water are iron water filtration systems, water softener systems, chemical treatments and replacing older pipes in your home.
Causes of Brown Water in a Toilet Bowl
There are a few different things that can cause brown water in your toilets. Luckily, the steps to determine the cause are pretty straightforward. The ultimate cause of the issue will be depend on whether every faucet produces brown colored water or just your toilet. Start by running the hot and cold water for every water outlet such as tubs, sinks and outdoor faucets.
Common Causes
- Dirty Toilet
- Water Pressure Changes
- Old Water Heater
- Water Softener System
- Rusty Pipes
A Dirty Toilet Can Cause Dirty Water
First things first, when was the last time you properly cleaned your toilet? If a toilet isn’t cleaned regularly, calcium deposits can build up. This build up will cause brown stains that can cause the water to appear brown. A thorough cleaning can remove this buildup. If you notice brown water in your toilet bowl after cleaning it, then toilet waste and a dirty toilet isn’t causing the brown colored water.
Water Pressure Changes Cause Temporary Discolored Water
Pressure changes in your water supply can cause brown water in your home. These fluctuations can occur for a number of reasons, such as sudden temperature changes during routine maintenance or a fire hydrant opened or closed nearby. The sudden pressure change can stir up rust particles and sediments that have settled in the pipes. When this occurs, the water color in your home can become temporarily discolored.
If you notice a sudden change in water color in your toilet, check if there is sewer maintenance occuring in your neighborhood, or a hydrant has been recently serviced. If that is the case, the water should flush through and return to a clear color within a few hours.
Check Older Water Heaters
Have you checked your water heater lately? As long as it’s working properly many people forget about them. If all of your your hot water sources are brown, your water heater may have rust. Older tanks can corrode and rust over time, resulting in the brown water. This usually happens when your water heater is nearing the end of it’s lifespan. Search online for your model or serial number to determine when your water heater was manufactured. You may need the assistance of an expert to conduct a thorough inspection of your water heater, for maintenance or replacement if you suspect it may be the source of your brown water.
Check the Water Softener
If you have a water softener system installed, brown water in your toilet and faucets may indicate it’s not working properly. If you are familiar with the system, you can clean the tank and replace the mineral tank attachment. Let the system run for a while before checking as any remaining brown water will need to flush out of the system. Or, contact the company that installed the system or another qualified professional to schedule an inspection and maintenance.
Rusty Pipes Causing Brown Toilet Water
Lastly, we come to rusty pipes. If brown water is still present, let’s look at whether it’s just the toilet or all of your water taps.This will help determine if it’s a small fix or larger issue. Homes prior to 1960 with galvanized iron pipes are particularly susceptible.
Plumbing systems installed before the 1960s were made out of galvanized steel. Builders have moved away from it after learning that long periods of exposure to water will cause the galvanized pipes to corrode, releasing iron into the water. That rust gives your tap water a brown color and metallic taste. There are still a lot of galvanized steel plumbing systems, but most of them have been replaced by PVC or copper.
Brown Colored Water in Toilet Only
If all the other sources of water look normal aside from the toilet in question, the brown colored water could be corroded pipes. It is common for toilets to have a dedicated supply line, separate from the sink and tub drains. This is primarily due to the difference in water volume and waste type that toilets produce. Although the source of water is the same, different pipes might be made out of different materials. So brown water in only one toilet may indicate a corroded pipe. Schedule an expert to inspect your pipes to clear up this issue.
Brown Colored Water in Every Water Source
After examining your home, If brown colored water comes from every single one of your home’s water sources, there is likely too much iron in the water. If you think iron is the issue, you can look for other indicators to help confirm your suspicions.
The most common indicators of too much iron in your water:
- There is a swamp-like smell coming from sinks and tubs.
- Your water will have a metallic taste to it.
- You may have dark stains on your clothes and surfaces.
Iron Water Filtration Systems
If your water appears rust colored when first turning on your hot water, this is an indication of rust accumulation. This can be treated with a water filtration system for your whole home. A professional can install a system that will clear up the excess iron in your water. Have your water tested prior to shopping for a filtration system to determine the level of rust contamination and the best system to deal with your situation.
Well Water is Brown
If you’re one of the estimated 23 million Americans utilizing a private well, you likely know there is iron in your water, among other minerals and nutrients. Dissolved materials in the well can be another cause of the issue. In this case, sediments in the water likely caused the brown color. If you’re on well water, your best bet is to call a licensed plumber to check your well for safety and generally confirm if the issue is with the plumbing, the well, or some other unexpected source.
Brown Water in Toilet Tank
Once the source of your brown water is determined, there are some options to remove it. Here are a few short and long term solutions.
Ways to Remove
Now that we know the brown color isn’t always an indicator of harmful, contaminated water on your property, we can review some more solutions. There are numerous remedies for brown water in your toilet, based on the cause.
- There are chemical treatments that can reduce the concentration of bacteria and iron in your water, if you are looking for a quick fix.
- If the issue is too much iron, a water softener will not only remove the color but also improve your water’s smell and taste. Again, have your water tested prior to shopping for a whole home water softener system.
- You can work with a licensed plumber on long-term solutions like fixing or replacing the problem pipes or your entire plumbing system.
Our Bottom Line
Brown water in your toilet shouldn’t disgust you because the source likely isn’t waste. The brown water usually occurs as a result of sudden pressure changes, faulty water softener systems, old water heaters, or rusty residue in your pipes.
You can fix this issue by installing a whole house water filtration system (or servicing the one you have), using some chemical treatments, or switching the plumbing system to PVC. Either way, it’s normal to experience brown colored water, so don’t hesitate to use one of these solutions!