What is this gunk in my tub??

2,845 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by TopFlightReject
TopFlightReject
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Built our house in 2014. We're on our own well and septic. Pex plumbing. About 2 months ago we started seeing this junk in my wife's tub. The tub is at the opposite end of the house from the pressure tank And sits under a window so it's cold and hot lines are the "lowest" in the system.

Only comes out of my wife's tub and only out of the cold tap. No issues at any other faucet or outlet around the house. No smell and is almost slimy in feel. Very soft. What the heck is it and how do we treat it!?! I'm thinking whole home filtration system. I did buy a water test kit from a company out of the Midwest but have yet to send it off because nobody can guarantee overnight delivery right now.






Marvin_Zindler
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AG
Corona Virus. Nice knowing you. T&P.
Cromagnum
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Look like pieces of your hot water heater anode (or worse tank itself) flaking off.
TopFlightReject
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Cromagnum said:

Look like pieces of your hot water heater anode (or worse tank itself) flaking off.
Even though it only comes out of the cold water side of the tub? And this is the only location in the house that its coming out at.

A few others i showed this to seem to think its the faucet. We picked out a fairly expensive Moen faucet for my wifes tub so that would suck.
ABATTBQ11
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AG
Could be some kind of sediment, but I would think sediment would be carried everywhere by the water. I'm leaning towards the faucet or something else involving the line since it is so specific to cold on that faucet only.

Does it come and go, or is it constant as long as you have water on?

I'd pull the faucet and check for damage or deterioration.

ETA Is there a toilet in that room too? Anything in it? They'd both be fed from the same cold water line, and the supply would be lower because the valve is always near the floor. You could turn the water off, disconnect it, and then fill a bucket from the supply hose to check if there is sediment coming out of that line as well. You could just check the tank, but it might be getting caught in the fill valve or something. If nothing is wrong there, the faucet seems likely because it's the last thing between no problem and problem.
Dr. Doctor
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Another thought is to check your screens in faucets upstream. See if trash is accumulating there as well.

Tubs tend to be open pipe vs. faucets having something like a filter.

~egon
Cromagnum
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TopFlightReject said:

Cromagnum said:

Look like pieces of your hot water heater anode (or worse tank itself) flaking off.
Even though it only comes out of the cold water side of the tub? And this is the only location in the house that its coming out at.

A few others i showed this to seem to think its the faucet. We picked out a fairly expensive Moen faucet for my wifes tub so that would suck.


Didn't see the cold water comment originally.
GrimesCoAg95
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I am also on a well. I recently put in a filter from https://www.purewaterproducts.com/

Give them a call and see what they say.

I have a few questions.
1) How often is the tub used?
2) Any sediment in the toilet tanks?
3) What are the aerators like on the faucets?
4) Tankless water heater?

I am guessing that there is some sediment in the water and it is settling in the bath area because of infrequent use. It is also only on the cold because your water heater is catching it on the hot side. This is just a guess though.
TXTransplant
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TopFlightReject said:

Cromagnum said:

Look like pieces of your hot water heater anode (or worse tank itself) flaking off.
Even though it only comes out of the cold water side of the tub? And this is the only location in the house that its coming out at.

A few others i showed this to seem to think its the faucet. We picked out a fairly expensive Moen faucet for my wifes tub so that would suck.


Since you're the original owner, Moen will send you a new faucet for free.
TopFlightReject
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ABATTBQ11 said:

Could be some kind of sediment, but I would think sediment would be carried everywhere by the water. I'm leaning towards the faucet or something else involving the line since it is so specific to cold on that faucet only.

Does it come and go, or is it constant as long as you have water on?

I'd pull the faucet and check for damage or deterioration.

ETA Is there a toilet in that room too? Anything in it? They'd both be fed from the same cold water line, and the supply would be lower because the valve is always near the floor. You could turn the water off, disconnect it, and then fill a bucket from the supply hose to check if there is sediment coming out of that line as well. You could just check the tank, but it might be getting caught in the fill valve or something. If nothing is wrong there, the faucet seems likely because it's the last thing between no problem and problem.
The faucet for the tub has a separate handle for the hot and the cold. its constant as long as the cold water is on.

Yeah there is a toilet in the bathroom but I have not checked the bowl. Will definitely check that when i get home. Good Ideas thank you.
TopFlightReject
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GrimesCoAg95 said:

I am also on a well. I recently put in a filter from https://www.purewaterproducts.com/

Give them a call and see what they say.

I have a few questions.
1) How often is the tub used?
Its used about every evening.
2) Any sediment in the toilet tanks?
Didnt think to check those. Will definitely check when i get home this evening.
3) What are the aerators like on the faucets?
I believe they are just a simple mesh screen but the particles are so small that i dont think it would get caught in the sink faucets. The tub faucet is an open port, no aerator.
4) Tankless water heater?
No tankless just the traditional NG water heater tank in the attic.

I am guessing that there is some sediment in the water and it is settling in the bath area because of infrequent use. It is also only on the cold because your water heater is catching it on the hot side. This is just a guess though.

I do agree the hot water heater is catching some (if the issue is upstream of the faucet). Definitely some good tips from here that i'm going to try.

TopFlightReject
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TXTransplant said:

TopFlightReject said:

Cromagnum said:

Look like pieces of your hot water heater anode (or worse tank itself) flaking off.
Even though it only comes out of the cold water side of the tub? And this is the only location in the house that its coming out at.

A few others i showed this to seem to think its the faucet. We picked out a fairly expensive Moen faucet for my wifes tub so that would suck.


Since you're the original owner, Moen will send you a new faucet for free.
Good to know!
TopFlightReject
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Thanks everyone for the tips to try and isolate. I'm going to try and start with the nearest sinks and toilet that is in that bathroom to see if its isolated to the tub only/faucet or if its also getting through to the toilet tank or getting trapped in the sink aerator screens.

Will update when I find out whats going on!
ABATTBQ11
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Could be a bad valve, but no way to know.

Check the tank and the supply hose. Sediment might not make it to the bowl because it would have to get past the fill valve and the flush valve. Since the flush valve is not flush with the bottom of the tank, sediment may just settle in the tank below the level of the valve opening and not make it to the bowl.

If you open the supply valve with the supply hose in a bucket, there's no valves or screens or anything to trap sediment. If it's a sediment problem, you will see it there. That's the best place to check because that water is coming straight out of the cold water supply line.

ETA you can also check the supply lines to your sinks. Should be under your countertops. Toilet might be easier to get to though since it comes right off the wall.
Gary79Ag
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Might also drain your water heater and see what you get out of there!

If you haven't done it since 2014, it's long overdue!!!!
Garrelli 5000
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If you turn on only the cold does it come out of the shower head or only from the faucet? That could narrow down the corrosion/source location to the very end of the line.
Take the trash out staff.
ABATTBQ11
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AG
Any updates?
TopFlightReject
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ABATTBQ11 said:

Any updates?


Woo wee. Sorry about the wait in this one. Around the time of my original post our little 2yo got sick.. all symptoms of COVID, never tested but we isolated and she's was better a few days later. Wife and I never got sick.

I did pull the cold supply lines to the toilet and both sinks in the bathroom and found the same junk in those. Didn't see it in the toilet because it was getting caught in the tank and didn't see it in the sink because we rarely use the stopper. Sort of Odd that it's kind of isolated to the far end of the house from the well and pressure tank.

We ordered a water test kit from National Testing Laboratories and will be sending that off this week for testing. Main reason is I want to try and identify the sediment so that I can plan a whole home filtration system accordingly.

The only reservations I have about a filtration system is what I mentioned above.. how the heck would it only be isolated to one end of the house.

So that's where we're at. Hoping to have test results end of next week and will go from there.
Kenneth_2003
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Like others said, the tub is an open pipe. Sinks have screens, toilets catch sediment in the tank.
TopFlightReject
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ABATTBQ11 said:

Any updates?
Another update.. Finally just received the full panel of results for the samples i sent off to National Testing Laboratories..

Turns out I have over the standard EPA level of Arsenic in my water as well. Was totally not expecting that. EPA standard is .01mg/L and my results were .011mg/L.. so not drastically over but enough that the big red "X" on the results sheet stands out. So i've got to figure out what to do with the Arsenic levels as now my wife is having a fit and refuses to drink the water in the house now. I'm thinking RO point-of-use system at the main kitchen sink for drinking water/cooking water/etc.

Calcium is a little high so thats why i figured we were getting white scaling on the faucets and such.

Iron/manganese were both under the EPA secondary standard limits but I still believe this is what is causing the sediment build up in the toilet tanks and tubs.

Hardness is 55 mg/L where the NTL internal standard is 100 mg/L.

TDS is 320 mg/L where the EPA secondary standard is 500 mg/L so i believe this is what is picking up all the junk in the water. Chloride and Fluoride were also elevated but well under EPA standards.

I think my next course of action is 1. an RO POU system at the kitchen sink which is our primary drinking water source and 2. a sediment filter and water softener downstream of the pressure tank in the garage.

Anyone have experience with these setups? Or should I get a plumber out?
GrimesCoAg95
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I have installed a few RO point of use, and they are easy. I also installed a whole house sediment filter, but I already had a cold water loop so it was easy.

I recommended this company earlier https://www.purewaterproducts.com/

I bought my backwash/sediment filter from them. I sent my water test, and they helped me determine what I needed.

ABATTBQ11
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Check all of the other lines directly. Pull the supply lines and spray some into a bucket. Could be that you're getting sediment there, but you just don't see it. You may just need better filters.
Kenneth_2003
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Quote:

I'm thinking RO point-of-use system at the main kitchen sink for drinking water/cooking water/etc.
Had one under my sink in my previous house and loved it. The fridge was on the other side of the kitchen, but I was able to make a long run and hook it up to the RO as well. I do wish I'd stepped up a tubing size for that long run as pressure was a bit low but ultimately OK after I bypassed the built in filter.

Whats your water pressure in the home? -- You might need a system with a booster pump to get your water through the membrane.

My system came from these guys.
https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/products/
TopFlightReject
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Kenneth_2003 said:

Quote:

I'm thinking RO point-of-use system at the main kitchen sink for drinking water/cooking water/etc.
Had one under my sink in my previous house and loved it. The fridge was on the other side of the kitchen, but I was able to make a long run and hook it up to the RO as well. I do wish I'd stepped up a tubing size for that long run as pressure was a bit low but ultimately OK after I bypassed the built in filter.

Whats your water pressure in the home? -- You might need a system with a booster pump to get your water through the membrane.

My system came from these guys.
https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/products/
I have looked at the APEC systems for an RO unit under the sink (APEC RO-90) and will probably go that route. Unfortunately I dont think i can get a run all the way from my island to the fridge on the other wall. The builder didnt leave me a spare run of conduit from the island to the walls. I will probably buy two units and install the other one in the pantry that sits adjacent to the fridge so i would be able to re-route the fridge line pretty easily.

I have the standard 40/60 pressure switch on my water well. I have been looking at the items from cleanwaterstore.com. They tout their backwashing filters that wont hinder water flow to the house. Also the APEC systems and a few of the others are mainly geared towards city water to treat chloramines and a few other items normally found in city water. The only other system i've found that is "supposedly" built for well water is the Aquasana Rhino series with a GAC filter and UV on the back end.
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