Whenever we turn on our faucet, we expect to see a nice, clean, stream of water, but unfortunately, that isn't always the case.
Sometimes our water may look, smell, or taste “off.” Sometimes it can be dangerous, and other times it is relatively harmless.
Here’s a handy guide to various problems with your tap water and when those problems require plumbing pipe repair in Springfield Missouri.
Water Tastes Like Metal
Does your tap water have a metallic taste to it? It likely has microscopic traces of metal in it.
Older metal pipes tend to corrode over time. When they do, the water that flows through them can pick up metal shavings from the pipes and carry them to your faucet.
If your water tastes metallic, examine your pipes. If they’re metal, they may be corroding and need plumbing pipe repair or replacing.
Before you drink the water, consult a water tester to identify what metals it might contain.
While most aren’t dangerous to ingest, some older pipes made of lead can cause lead poisoning and other serious health problems.
Water Looks Cloudy
There can be several reasons why your tap water looks cloudy or milky. Trapped air bubbles in your pipes or a change in water pressure might be the culprit.
Thankfully, this is harmless, and your water will clear up quickly.
If your water stays cloudy, it may be hard water, meaning it contains high amounts of minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Don’t worry. It’s safe to consume, just unsightly to look at.
A professional plumber in Springfield, Missouri can install a water softener system that will filter out these minerals and soften your water.
If you have well water, methane gas can give your water a cloudy look. This actually can be dangerous depending on how much gas the water contains.
A maximum of 10 mg/L is considered the safe cutoff point before levels get potentially dangerous. Consult a professional to test your water and find out for sure.
Water Smells Like Sulfur
No one likes their tap water to smell like rotten eggs. A lot of well water contains bacteria that releases sulfide gas with an unpleasant odor.
Well water may also absorb sulfide gas when it passes through rock formations rich in sulfur. While not necessarily dangerous, you should still have your well professionally examined.
Municipal water can be susceptible to sulfide gas if your water heater’s magnesium anode rod encounters sulfate in the water, producing the sulfide gas smell.
In that case, then consider replacing the water heater rod with one made from aluminum or titanium.
These are just a few of the reasons that something might be off with your tap water.
Sometimes it’s harmless and takes care of itself. Other times the problem may be more serious and require the services of a plumber you can trust in Springfield, Missouri.
If that’s the case, you can count on the plumbing professionals at United Plumbing.
Our years of experience can help you determine any problems with your tap water and the best solution to get it back to normal.
Give us a call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.