 Matt3All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC |
Matt3
Premium Member
2009-Jun-8 11:16 pm
Black Sediment or Mold in Faucets?Hello Folks,
I've noticed a black mold or some type of black sediment that seems to get caught in the faucet mesh filters and never really thought anything of it until I noticed it's somehow making it through my refrigerator's water filter too. That has me worried that it's more likely mold rather than sediment. It accumulates in the faucets upstairs as well as down.
Anyway, would a plumber be the appropriate person to call, or should I call the city since they provide the water and have to meet certain standards? |
|
 CCatWe're all quite mad here
MVM
join:2005-12-06
Wonderland |
CCat
MVM
2009-Jun-8 11:29 pm
Are any of your neighbors experiencing the same problems?
If so I would contact your city's water dept. |
|
| |
to Matt3
I had the same problem after the fire department ran the water through the system for their yearly check. Mine was small black particles/sediment. At first I was told this sediment can be normal and will eventually settle, however after a couple of weeks, no settling. More visits flushing out the lines by the city finally resulted in a filter installed at the end of the street. |
|
Matt3All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC |
Matt3
Premium Member
2009-Jun-9 8:42 am
Thanks folks. I'm going to check with my neighbors today. This has been happening for about a year and is especially bad on a particular faucet. It definitely didn't start happening until a year ago or so.
I have also repeatedly told the HOA that the landscapers hit some sort of pipe and took the top off at the end of the street. I can hear water running through it sometimes; it doesn't smell like sewage however. I wonder if that could be related? |
|
| |
to Matt3
From what I gather, when the fire department turns on the hydrants, the elevated power of the water rushing through the pipes can stir up sediment that is normally in the system and these sediments usually settle down after a few hours. I wonder if due to the leak in another area it is not letting these sediments settle? |
|
Matt3All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC |
Matt3
Premium Member
2009-Jun-9 9:03 am
I'll definitely post back here with the results. What has me worried is that if it were just sediment, how is it passing through my refrigerator water filter? That makes me believe it may be some type of organic growth, as I don't think the filter is rated to remove microorganisms. |
|
|
1 recommendation |
to Matt3
Maybe just the small ones? The sediment in my water also passed through the refrigerator water filter. Temporarily I bought » www.brita.com/us/?WT.srch=1 |
|
| |
Sir Meowmix III to Matt3
Anon
2009-Jun-9 10:07 am
to Matt3
Matt, I have the same thing you're talking about, and I tend to believe it's organic growth. It's flaky black and I tend to just remove the filters and brush them with isopropyl alcohol and an old toothbrush. Since doing this I haven't seen it come back. The reason I believe it's organic is because it tends to "grow" around the sink drain stopper in the bathroom sinks.
Doesn't appear to be affected by water temperature (ie, likes hot water) since I never run hot water in my bathroom sink and I noticed it there first.
I was on well water for quite some time, this did not occur. I did notice it after switching over to city water. Honestly, the well water tasted a heck of a lot better but we had lower PSI since I kept the diaphragm tank around 50 PSI.
I'd call the water department/authority but I wouldn't rate it as a big deal. Do you by chance also have hard water? |
|
Matt3All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC |
Matt3
Premium Member
2009-Jun-9 10:48 am
said by Sir Meowmix III :
Matt, I have the same thing you're talking about, and I tend to believe it's organic growth. It's flaky black and I tend to just remove the filters and brush them with isopropyl alcohol and an old toothbrush. Since doing this I haven't seen it come back. The reason I believe it's organic is because it tends to "grow" around the sink drain stopper in the bathroom sinks.
Doesn't appear to be affected by water temperature (ie, likes hot water) since I never run hot water in my bathroom sink and I noticed it there first.
I was on well water for quite some time, this did not occur. I did notice it after switching over to city water. Honestly, the well water tasted a heck of a lot better but we had lower PSI since I kept the diaphragm tank around 50 PSI.
I'd call the water department/authority but I wouldn't rate it as a big deal. Do you by chance also have hard water?
This sounds exactly like what I see and yes, I have VERY hard water. I am always in a losing battle to keep our shower nozzles clear. I also see the growth on the bottom sides of the drain stoppers and again, especially in the bathroom in my office where I rarely run hot water. I'll try the alcohol solution you suggest and also notify the city. Hopefully that will take care of it. Thanks! |
|
| |
to Matt3
said by Matt3:it's somehow making it through my refrigerator's water filter too. Just so you know, many water filters actually contain carbon sediment. |
|
| |
Sir Meowmix III to Matt3
Anon
2009-Jun-9 2:03 pm
to Matt3
Sounds like we have the same thing, I have very hard water as well. I'm looking now and many people are saying this is sediment and not mold. We may be thinking it's mold because of the wet climate (faucet filter/drain) and it's kind of flaky/spongy. Here's some stuff I've found: » www.terrylove.com/wwwboa ··· 578.htmlI guess you could put a sediment filter inline. I've still got mine (bypassed) from when I wen to well water, I may put it back in just to see if it changes. Of course it could be dissolved sediment that, through evaporation, builds up around these places. |
|
 tp0dyabbazooie
Premium Member
join:2001-02-13
Bulger, PA
1 recommendation |
tp0d
Premium Member
2009-Jun-9 10:49 pm
have you drained your hot water heater, to see if there is any residue there? it could be caused by organic growth in the heater if you dont keep it hot enough. Anything over 100F approx, the chlorine is driven off. And thermal expansion could push the black stuff back into the cold water line, contaminating your ice maker/etc
definitely partially drain the heater..
-j |
|
 stev32k
Premium Member
join:2000-04-27
Mobile, AL
1 recommendation |
to Matt3
Take off one of the faucet strainers and put it in a little container then cover it with bleach. If it's mold it will completely disappear if it's sediment or scale there will be a small residue left and it may or may not bleach to white. |
|
| |
Sir Meowmix III to tp0d
Anon
2009-Jun-10 2:07 pm
to tp0d
said by tp0d:have you drained your hot water heater, to see if there is any residue there? it could be caused by organic growth in the heater if you dont keep it hot enough. Anything over 100F approx, the chlorine is driven off. And thermal expansion could push the black stuff back into the cold water line, contaminating your ice maker/etc definitely partially drain the heater.. -j I have, and aside from hard-water scale (looks almost like fish scales) there is no black sediment. Remember, too, I never run hot water in my bathroom sink where it appears (among others). When I saw never, I literally mean never. Only cold tap. |
|
| |
Bob30269 to Matt3
Anon
2009-Jun-19 6:43 pm
to Matt3
Thanks for the thread. I have the same problem that looks like black stringy mold. I can see the aerator is not right and then put my finger on the aerator to force this black mold or whatever it is. Sometimes it comes out stringy in pieces about 1/2 to 1/4 inch long. My shower head was acting funky wit the spray pattern. I took off the head and it looks like tar inside the part that screws onto the pipe.
I called the water company and they acted, I dunno, stupid as if I am the only person that has ever reported this.
Wipe the faucets in the bath and you will see this black crap on the rags. I think this is a widespread contamination of mold and people in general are not paying attention. |
|
