Black Particles in Water
We live in a 9 story 5 year old new construction building in Brooklyn. Each unit has its own gas powered hot water heater. This wednesday night while filling the tub for our daughter we noticed black particles in the water. We drained the tub to rinse it out & found that they were malleable…
We live in a 9 story 5 year old new construction building in Brooklyn. Each unit has its own gas powered hot water heater.
This wednesday night while filling the tub for our daughter we noticed black particles in the water. We drained the tub to rinse it out & found that they were malleable & smeared when you tried to wipe them. They are smaller than coffee grounds.
We checked every water source in our apt (except the dishwasher & washing machine). Everything has black particles – even the toilets. The sinks and tub only have them when we run the cold water. Presumably our hot water heater has a filter which is why we don’t have the particles when we run hot water.
Most online research says that it is likely a rubber hose or gasket that is breaking down due to the chloramine that NYC uses to treat the water, which completely makes sense. Except the only hoses with rubber in them inside out unit are the flexible steel ones at the sinks (they have rubber on the inside).
We are trying to find out if everyone in the building is having this issue or just us. We never would have noticed if we were not filling our white soaking tub to bathe our daughter.
I know very little about plumbing & would like to be a little more informed before I call in a (pricey) plumber. Our building management co is almost useless. Has anyone ever had this problem? Is this wrecking/damagng our hot water heater? I am also trying to find out how city water gets into this building. If there is a filter, gasket, hose something that could be deteriorating at the source in our building. Does anyone know where to find that official info?
We are also (quite painfully I might add) aware that purchasing new construction 5 years ago might not have been the greatest idea. Please don’t rub it in. If we had a ‘do over’ button we would likely use it.
Any comments, suggestions, recommendations would be greatly appreciated on this rainy Friday.
Jen
We’re having a similar problem — did you ever discover the cause/fix?
“Most online research says that it is likely a rubber hose or gasket that is breaking down due to the chloramine that NYC uses to treat the water, which completely makes sense.”
That makes no sense at all. There is nothing in the city water supply in any concentration that could attack any elastomeric material and cause it to break down. Whoever is saying this is probably from the same crowd that says the fluoride in the water causes cancer.
In any case, were it true, the entire city would be having the same problem. Since they are not, your problem is most likely different.
I would do what modsquad suggests, check the water coming into the building compared to what you are finding in your apt. Check with your neighbors as well.
I would be more inclined to think it is some kind of dirt, scale, or rust, maybe stirred up by nearby construction. The reason they do not show up in the hot water may be what you suggest, or it may be that they are dissolved by the hot water.
Most buildings have no water filters or particle screens of any kind. Same goes with your hot water heater. I was thinking it might be flux or pipe dope from when the plumbing was installed. Both of which can be black and greasy, but generally all construction debris will pass through the pipes within a few months, not after 5 years.
At the water main’s point of entrance into the building there has to be a tap for a garden hose. Check if the water is dirty there. If not then something in your building is creating the particles.
If it’s a big building then there might be a water pressure booster that has lots of rubber gaskets, etc that can deteriorate over time. Probably not a big deal.
use a magnet to see if they are metallic particles. Most likely they are rubber o rings detterorating with time inside the fauscets.
Sorry didn’t read entire post. If you do have a filter system for the whole building (a waste of money) there still has to be a faucet between it and the water meter. That’s where I’d check first. You can drain down the hot water tank from the bottom. Might as well wait until you solve the problem.
First thing I’d do is go to the basement and check the water coming in from the street. Must be some spigot near the water meter?