# Brown bath water



## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

I repeatedly told the GF to let her tub run once in a while because she uses it very rarely and when she does it completely fills up with brown water. She keeps on asking me why the brown water question every year. Obviously my answer doesn't satisfy her. Since she rents the gas heater someone will be checking it out tomorrow. :vs_OMG:

Then she asks why I get angry!

On my part is there a way to clean those poly B lines going to the tub?


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

You can rent a water heater in Canada? I guess I can see that, but never heard of it before!


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Could be a galvanized or black iron pipe tub spout nipple. I’ve seen those put out brown water.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

OpenSights said:


> You can rent a water heater in Canada? I guess I can see that, but never heard of it before!


Really you never seen that? When I was doing new houses and condos piping gas to furnaces and water heaters both 99% of them were rentals. 

Renting them makes them truckloads of money.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Debo22 said:


> Could be a galvanized or black iron pipe tub spout nipple. I’ve seen those put out brown water.


The tub faucet is a delta. I think it's creating biofilm inside the stagnant lines. She says once she uses the tub then the shower and lav has brown water too. She says the whole tub fills with brown water. I'll have to go check it out at some point.

The shower is backed by the tub so it obviously stirs it up. Is she would only turn them on once every two weeks I could confirm my solution but she doesn't do it.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Tango said:


> Really you never seen that? When I was doing new houses and condos piping gas to furnaces and water heaters both 99% of them were rentals.
> 
> Renting them makes them truckloads of money.


No sh!t!! Heater here lasts about 12 years.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> On my part is there a way to clean those poly B lines going to the tub?



Obviously the best solution is an iron filter/conditioner/remover

If she has a water softener you could use some "iron out" powder in the brine tank.


Or you could cycle some bleach through the supply lines BUT you have polybutylene lines and the whole reason they failed and there was lawsuits is they're susceptible to chlorine making them brittle.


Maybe you could circulate some CLR through the lines?














.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> Obviously the best solution is an iron filter/conditioner/remover
> 
> If she has a water softener you could use some "iron out" powder in the brine tank.
> 
> ...


It's city water, the rest of the house the water is fine, just the tub that's rarely used. How the heck would you circulate any product anyway trying to capture it at the tub spout and returning into some type of brand new pony pump? 

Putting CLR to me is a very bad idea.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

OpenSights said:


> No sh!t!! Heater here lasts about 12 years.


New housing in your area the gas furnaces and water heaters aren't rented??


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

OpenSights said:


> You can rent a water heater in Canada? I guess I can see that, but never heard of it before!


In New York, and New Jersey they do that and some other areas, :biggrin:


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

OpenSights said:


> You can rent a water heater in Canada? I guess I can see that, but never heard of it before!


It’s big in Toronto too, the gas companies rent HWH/HWT for $25-$30/month +.
it’s a big cash grab.
The also sell home services- basic plumbing insurance- covering the things that rarely fail/go wrong. And charge big $ for the normal problems that are hidden in the fine print + parts.. 
“You’re problem, is almost never covered under their insurance”.

They’re constantly bugging my mother, to sign up. 
she says to them, “my son is a plumber” they tell her that she shouldn't both me, cuz I’m busy, and they can take care of ALL her plumbing problems.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> It's city water, the rest of the house the water is fine, just the tub that's rarely used. How the heck would you circulate any product anyway trying to capture it at the tub spout and returning into some type of brand new pony pump?
> 
> Putting CLR to me is a very bad idea.





Why is CLR a bad idea? It's citric acid. And I am sure you could figure out a way to put a hose fitting in place of the tub spout and a hose fitting after her main shut off. Just use the pump as a circulator.



















.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

MACPLUMB777 said:


> In New York, and New Jersey they do that and some other areas, :biggrin:


im in new york and never heard of rented water heaters.....what areas are you talking about??


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

skoronesa said:


> Why is CLR a bad idea? It's citric acid. And I am sure you could figure out a way to put a hose fitting in place of the tub spout and a hose fitting after her main shut off. Just use the pump as a circulator.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





almost all city supplied water is chlorinated......


Is CLR poisonous?
*CLR* should never come into contact with chlorine (or any other household chemical). It can create a *poisonous* gas and is not safe. ... While *CLR* is generally safe and effective in removing calcium, lime and/or rust from concrete, ALWAYS spot test in an inconspicuous area first.


so after you die of poison gas coming out your faucet you wont have to worry about brown water, so your idea is a semi cure to it...but the side effects are a bit extreme....


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> almost all city supplied water is chlorinated......
> 
> 
> Is CLR poisonous?
> ...




First off, the tiny amount of chlorine in city water ain't gonna do schit.


Second, he ain't gonna leave it in there and she ain't gonna deep throat the damn tub spout! Although I'd be impressed.


Third, If he's really worried he can blow the lines out with air and mix distilled water with the clr to circulate it. Then blow it out with air again. Who knows, the air might do wonders getting the iron to flake off.


I assumed she wasn't on chlorinated city water because she has polybutylene.













.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> I assumed she wasn't on chlorinated city water because she has polybutylene.
> 
> 
> 
> .




Poly-B was used in all new housing projects in the early 90's. It's been 30 years now and no issues yet in my area.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Tango said:


> Poly-B was used in all new housing projects in the early 90's. It's been 30 years now and no issues yet in my area.


No issues with poly butylene? I do a few repairs on it and about half of the times I touch polybutylene the next fitting over will start leaking too.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

The Dane said:


> No issues with poly butylene? I do a few repairs on it and about half of the times I touch polybutylene the next fitting over will start leaking too.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


Nope no issues, I think we didn't get the same pipe as the American neighbors. What we have is good stuff, I leave everything there and transition to pex when I need it only.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Tango said:


> Nope no issues, I think we didn't get the same pipe as the American neighbors. What we have is good stuff, I leave everything there and transition to pex when I need it only.


I might be wrong but I thought England recently started using poly. Maybe it's a good enough pipe when it does not get all the bad stuff usa puts in the water. 

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## V.A Hydro-ooter (Oct 14, 2018)

The Dane said:


> Tango said:
> 
> 
> > Poly-B was used in all new housing projects in the early 90's. It's been 30 years now and no issues yet in my area.
> ...


We have several areas with polybutene here and chlorinated water. I don't see too many calls for repairs on them. I think most of the time they get a leak they either do a repipe so it's not an issue or the homeowner sharkbites them.

There is one customer I've been servicing for years that I've probably charged enough for a whole house repipe 2 times over. Every time I go she only wants me to do a spot repair and refuses to get all the polybutene replaced. Penny wise and pound foolish.


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## canuck92 (Apr 1, 2016)

Tango said:


> The Dane said:
> 
> 
> > No issues with poly butylene? I do a few repairs on it and about half of the times I touch polybutylene the next fitting over will start leaking too.
> ...


I repaired some poly b couple weeks ago, split line pouring through the drywall.
( im in canada) 
Iv done maby 4 repairs past couple years for it.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Turns out they replaced the heater. It was bad from the inside out and it was not even 5 years old. 

Water is clear now.


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