brown looking hot water

[old what]

I am experiencing brown looking hot water? The cold water is crystal clear, anybody any ideas! I believe the calorifier is metal in construction and manufactured in America . Are there any additives that can be used to prevent this, I think it is red rust.

[steveh]

I am experiencing brown looking hot water? The cold water is crystal clear, anybody any ideas! I believe the calorifier is metal in construction and manufactured in America . Are there any additives that can be used to prevent this, I think it is red rust.

 

If the calorifier / cylinder is steel the brown looking stuff will most certainly be rust. As you fill the water up you are always be adding fresh oxygenated water to the system and this keep corroding the steel. Unfortunately there's nothing to can add to the water to stop this all you can do is wait till it fails, sorry.

 

Steels calorifiers are usually used in sealed heating systems and not for open hot water. With a sealed system the air would be eventually kettle off but also additives would be introduced to the system to prevent corrosion, this is usually glycol.

 

As you sure the calorifier is steel? Are you able to drain drain the systems and inspect the calorifier?

[Liam]

Sure the hot tap isn't connected to the pump out tank?

[Chris J W]

Sure the hot tap isn't connected to the pump out tank?

 

[Sam]

nice...

 

im guessing it isn't the tank if your cold is clear.

[Theo]

nice...

 

im guessing it isn't the tank if your cold is clear.

 

 

I have just dome major plumbing works on theodora and I have exactly that phenomenon. I had to empty the colorifier and during the work I tipped it about. I am assuming that this stirred up lots of rust which had settled in the tank and that it will clear quite soon as the rust settles out. I am not overly concerned at the moment. A couple of days sould sort it out.

 

Was your calorifier drained for the winter season and have you just refilled it? That could have the same effect.

 

Nick

[steveh]

I have just dome major plumbing works on theodora and I have exactly that phenomenon. I had to empty the colorifier and during the work I tipped it about. I am assuming that this stirred up lots of rust which had settled in the tank and that it will clear quite soon as the rust settles out. I am not overly concerned at the moment. A couple of days sould sort it out.

 

Was your calorifier drained for the winter season and have you just refilled it? That could have the same effect.

 

Nick

 

Theo

 

which circuit had the brown water?

[John Orentas]

This happens on my boat occasionally when I have left the boat unattended for a number of weeks but it occurs on the hot water supply only, obviously iron oxide being picked up from somewhere, a little odd as I have a Paloma water heater and there is nothing that could cause it in there, they are entirely tinned copper inside as far as I know.

 

I have always assumed it to be coming from the very few iron fittings which I have used in the plumbing system but I have some of those in the hot and cold supply. Bit of a mystery.

[Theo]

Theo

 

which circuit had the brown water?

 

It was coming out of the hot tap. I assume that it is an accumulation of rust from the integral tank in the bow which had settled out in the calorifier. I then stirred it all up by turning the calorifier oveer to mend a leak and then filled it up.

 

Nick

[David Schweizer]

I am experiencing brown looking hot water? The cold water is crystal clear, anybody any ideas! I believe the calorifier is metal in construction and manufactured in America . Are there any additives that can be used to prevent this, I think it is red rust.

I had the same problem twice. with quite different reasons.

 

The first time was with a copper calorifier, which when I refilled the system after a winter drain down, produced brown water. As far as I could tell it was copper sludge which had been building up over many years, so I drained it down again and removed the remaing water with a syphon pipe pushed down to the bottom of the tank from the inspection hole in the top. I did this several times, re-filled and left it for 24 hours to settle, everything was fine after that.

 

The second time was actually something horrid in the supply pipe which had multiplied over the winter and was poluting the colour of the water, it was also accompanied by a decidedly stale smell. I disconnected the main water tank, made up a solution of Milton (the stuff the sterilise babies bottles with) and filled the supply pipes with the solution and left them for an hour. I then re-connected the main water tank and flushed the system through with fresh water. Result clear fresh water (with a slight disinfectant hint for a few days)

 

I now automaticly flush the whole system with Milton solution every spring when I de-winterise the boat, and have rigged up a pipework system with stop cocks which enable this to be done without disconnecting any pipes.