If you’ve been to a friend or family member’s house with cloudy tap water, or if you’ve consistently had it in your own home, you may be concerned. Is it safe to drink or cook with? Making sure you have clear, clean drinking water is essential for daily use, and the team at Watters Plumbing can help you accomplish that! Keep reading to learn how to fix cloudy tap water.
What is Cloudy Tap Water?
The cloudiness is often created by tiny air bubbles in the water. These air bubbles typically occur when your home’s water pipes have extra pressure. Small sediment particles or dissolved minerals in hard water can also cause cloudiness in your tap water.
Most of the time, cloudy tap water is safe to drink since it is usually only trapped air bubbles. If you leave the water in a cup or bowl, the water eventually clears up as the bubbles rise to the surface.
Common Causes of Cloudy Water
You’ll often see cloudiness in your water if a change in water pressure is caused by a burst pipe or local repair work on city water lines. That pressurized water can run through the pipes, and you’ll see the difference as it comes out of the taps in your home.
Check your faucets and fixtures to see if cloudy water is coming out. Put the water into a clear glass and obverse the timing and duration of the cloudiness. If the water doesn’t begin to clear up within a few minutes, you’ll want to contact a plumbing professional to test your water and check the pipes.
Consider if you’ve had recent plumbing work or know of changes in the water source of your home or business, which can also cause cloudy tap water.
Other causes of cloudy water include dissolved minerals and trapped air.
Solutions: How to Fix Cloudy Tap Water
When you have cloudy tap water, you want to ensure it’s safe to drink and cook with. Here are some tips to help you clear up cloudy tap water.
Flush the Water System
To flush your water system, we recommend running all faucets and taps in your home for sections of time, dependent on their usage. Hot water taps should run for 15 minutes, all cold water taps should run for five minutes, and any other appliances (such as a refrigerator) with a direct line to water should run for five minutes.
This process can displace stale water and minimize bacteria growth or dangerous chemicals in the tap water.
Install a Sediment Filter
Sediment filters are installed between the water service line and the water softener system. These water filtration systems remove sand, silt, scale, clay, and more from tap water. Your cloudy tap water will pass through the filter with each use, purifying the water before you drink or cook with it.
Water Softening for Hard Water
Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium from the water, which also prevents the buildup of these minerals on faucets, fixtures, and within your hot water heater.
If appliances are directly connected to your water pipes and hard water is going through them, they will almost always have a shorter lifespan.
Contact the Professionals at Watters Plumbing Today
Regular plumbing maintenance can help you prevent cloudy tap water while also making sure the water in your home is safe to drink and cook with.
If your tap water is cloudy, contact the Fox Cities plumbing professionals at Watters Plumbing today for tips on how to fix cloudy tap water! We can evaluate your faucets and fixtures, help you understand why your water is cloudy, and help you prevent cloudy tap water in your home or business. Contact us today for more information!