Possible Copper Bits In Water

[debbithomas]

Hi Looks like copper bits may be coming out of both showers -  have one on first floor where there are fewer bits; but new one in loft conversion needs to be run for 1/2 hour every few days to clear. Bits are btween sand and 1/4 of 5 pence piece in size and are slightly blue/green in colour but mainly black. Any advice?

 

[roys]

Is your water from a private well?  If it is, it may well be quite peaty which I believe is acidic and is stripping the copper from the pipes, cylinder etc.

I have this problem at my own place, it actually gives my wifes hair a blue rinse for free.  Not that she see's this as a bonus.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Welcome to the forum, what sort of showers are they? That will indicate where they get their water from and possible cause of your problem.  A/ Electric shower; cold water only direct from supply at street pressure.  B/  Mixer shower from tanks; cold and hot water either gravity or pumped from storage tanks.   C/  Mixer shower from combi boiler, hot and cold at street pressure via boiler. Are the local water company doing any work in the street near you? sometimes debris from the street can make its way into your house pipes.

Doc H.

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Good advice above.

It sounds to me like B/ in Doc Hudson's post, and since the worst shower is the in loft, probably pumped. You might want to have a look in your big loft tank and see if the same stuff is in there, it would be worth cleaning it out if so, drain it using the bath cold tap only (biggest diameter pipe), don't flush the toilets while draining, you don't want to block your pipework. Switch off the pump first.

The stuff could also be coming from the cylinder, the new shower (& new connection into the cylinder?) and pump creating a stirring effect within the cylinder. It would explain why green colour since you get a lot of scale deposited in the cylinder which turns green from the copper which the cylinders are usually made from.

I might be wrong of course

More info please.

 

[binky]

think Rob is right, you need to give your system a good flush-out before smaller bits of debris get stuck in valves of toilets and appliances for that matter.