Tinted Hot Water

[bwilker]

Last summer I drove a new well with a submersible pump, put in a new holding tank and installed a new water heater. My water was very clear until I left the cottage unused for a couple of weeks and the water sat in the water tank. Since then, the hot water has a light brown tint to it but the cold water is perfectly clear. During the winter months, I drain the water out of the whole system when I close the cottage so there isn't any water in the tanks. Can anyone explain why only the hot water is tinted? I don't think there has been enough time for the hot water tank to build up any iron deposits on the walls. Is it possible that when the water is heated there is some kind of chemical reaction that colors the water? Both the hot and cold water have a slight well water smell.

[nomind]

Hi bwilker,
- I'm moving your problem to 'water heaters' , as I think it has more to do with that than the supply. :cool:

Do it Right - Do it once.

[majakdragon]

Water heaters have Anode Rods in them. This is a sacrificial metal rod that attracts corrosive materials to itself rather than the heater tank. That could be where the color came from. Good luck.

[bwilker]

Thanks Majakdragon, what would happen if I were to take the anode rod out? Would it eventually eat away at the walls of the tank?

[majakdragon]

Removing the rod would make the integrity of the heater more quickly diminish. It is also very hard to remove. We get posts all the time from people trying to replace them and they really have a hard time doing it. Draining and flushing would be the thing to do to remove the tinted water anytime it sits for a length of time. It should be done at least once a year anyways to remove any deposits and debris accumulated on the bottom of the tank. I have included a link showing the proper way to do this. Just click on the link. Good luck.

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=134483