Brown water coming from hot taps

[annie13]

Hi - we have a Megaflow Heatrae Sadia water tank. I am noticing that after having a bath and using up most of the hot water I then use the wash basin taps and the remaining hot water is brown. It doesn't happen when there's a full tank of hot water. Could someone explain the problem please?

 

[Killy Bing]

Has work been done on your mains recently?

 

[salplumb]

Don't these have an air bubble ? so maybe a drain down a refill to recharge that

 

[acecharly]

Does sound like someones been changing pipes in the street. Does this happen if you run your cold tap? if not it sounds more like contamination from your heating possibly. Id go to a radiator and check the colour of the water at the air vent to start with and see what the condition of your heating water is like.

 

[annie13]

It's only from the hot water. There's no work been done recently in the street as far as I know. I did notice it a couple of months ago so it doesn't happen all the time. Will check a radiator. If it's any use I know there is a slight leak somewhere in the heating system which has been there since the new system was installed twelve years ago. Every now and then we have to re-pressurise. It's been injected with something to seal it but that has'nt worked. We also have a Fernox Total Filter fitted. May not be relevant but am not knowledgable at all re plumbing. Pretty sure thought that it only happens when I've used most of the water in the tank ie for a bath.

 

[Dotty]

Do you use the heating element very often rather than firing up the boiler?

Can't remember if these have sacrificial anodes.......

 

[SimonG]

Whats the water pressure like on the hot taps, does it tend to decrease as you use more hot water. The leak on the heating side shouldnt be linked to your cylinder, if you had a leak on the coil I would expect your heating side pressure to increase.

How old is the cylinder?

 

[annie13]

We keep the water switched on at the boiler all the the time. I don't think the water pressure decreases the more water I use. The Megaflo is twelve years old.

 

[SimonG]

Might just need a clean out.

 

[annie13]

Ok thanks. What do think would cause the discolouration inside the cylinder? It is rust?

 

[Ermintrude]

Get multi valve cleaned and cylinder drained and checked .

 

[annie13]

Many thanks everyone. Will have it checked.