None wrote:
Hi all,

Last post from me on this subject, though a long one. I'd just like to
fully lay out the water problem in my house, and hopefully somebody,
whether a plumber or whatever, can have a clue what might be awry.
Here goes.

For many years, we have had terrible quality mains water, slimy and
containing sediment, which in turn would hasten us to clean the attic
tank every few months due to sediment at the bottom. It wasn't until
late last year that a breakthrough happened, totally by accident, when
we were having our washing machine replaced. I detached the feeder
pipe to the old washing machine and drained it at mains pressure for a
minute or so before I replaced it with the new feeder hose to the new
washing machine. Didn't think anything of it.

Suddenly, the water became much clearer and fresher than before out of
the mains tap, noticeably so. Still not really up to standard, but
much better to us at least. Within less than a week, it had gone bad
again, you know always can tell in our house as the hot water starts
to smell musty, and the cold water leaves your hands a little yellow!
So I repeated what I had done before, draining out the WM feeder pipe
at mains pressure into the sink. Same result, same cycle again.

I then had a leak detector come round, who assured us that he could
not detect a leak... more frustration. I then had our local council,
who regulate the water come round and flush the nearby hydrant. This
they did, and the water became very clear for a couple of weeks before
going back to a terrible state again.

On this group, it has been suggested to me that my house could be at a
dip in the mains or a 'balance point' where we are in the middle of
two seperate directional mains flows, each one bringing its dirt into
the house.

I still flush out my system using the washing machine method, at least
whenever it is absolutely necessary, and believe me, you know when you
have reached that point. What I cannot get my head around is why this
would be so effective (at least in the very short term), and why the
water gets so bad so quickly. If we don't have a leak, I don't know
why this works like this. The water is not supposed to be such a
problem in the general area either, the council tell me they never get
many complaints.

If anyone could shed any light on these ramblings, by all means, be my
guest.


Very interesting. I had to read it twice before I fully understood the
nature of what you were saying.

Basically what seems to be happening from your description, is that any
sediment in the incoming mains, ends up at your house. High flow rates
as from flushing various things, clear it, but it eventually returns.

It sounds to me like there IS a pipe leak..although its odd that it is
pulling IN crap - usually its just water loss - in the main.
Do your neighbours have this problem? Or is it just you?

Do you get good mains pressure and flow? It might be a problem due to a
part buggered pipe incoming to your house alone.

I am not sure, but I think that you can get your water quality tested by
the local health people..when I was on pumped borehole water they did
this every year. If it is substandard you may have a case against the
water company.

There is a possibility that your actual internal plumping is e.g.
sucking in stale water from e.g. a hose..you ate supposed to have
no-return valves for this sort of thing etc.

Is your cold water all mains pressure as well? I assume this problem is
common to all taps etc?

Is your hot water mains pressure or header tank? I know you mentioned a
header, but that could have been CH only.

What is your general location with respect to other houses etc..are you
perhaps the tail end charlie on the main? or at the bottom of a dip?

Sediment I can understand, but the bad smell bothers me. Mustiness means
some sort of aerobic activity generally..that may mean the water is
lying open to the air..I don't understand that.

What part of the country are you in?

Sorry to ask more questions than answers, but this seems a very unusual
problem to me.