Debris in the water supply coming from the water heater: questions & answers about white plastic debris particles or other debris coming from water heater tank.

This is not the same in cause nor cure as black crud, sand, rust, or other particulate debris in the water building supply.

This article series explains how white and gray debris particles in the building water supply and clogging faucet strainers were traced to a bad water heater plastic dip tube.

FAQs on Particulate Debris in the Building Water Supply & Piping

Recent questions & answers about debris in the building water supply: flush out water heater, pipes, etc.

On 2019-01-28 by (mod) - turning on the electric water heater before it's filled burns up the heater elements

Is it an electric water heater?

Did you turn it on while there was air inside the heater?

If so the elements were probably burned-up.

On 2019-01-27 by Glenda

I drained and flushed my hot water heater and now there is no hot water coming into my laundry box hot water supply. What can I do to fix that? I appreciate any help you can give.

On 2018-02-06 by (mod) - black chips and debris in hot water

I agree it sounds like water heater contamination, rust, debris. Flush the heater, check the dip tube and anode.

On 2018-02-05 by Jimmy

Hey everyone we moved into a brand new apt unit in East Bay, CA. Built 5yrs ago, we've lives in for 4yrs, only 1 prior tenant which was the 1st year.

A few months ago, we noticed lil black "almost like" chips coming out of the bathroom tub faucet(s), obviously only when using not water & the hotter the worse.

Also when these black chips are present the water seems oily, looks oily & leaves a black ring around bathtub. We have called the office & told them what's going on but haven't heard anything from them since.

I went out yesterday & got a Brita filter to at least put on our kitchen faucet so were no longer drinking that love.

I mean the black pieces only come out when using not water but the water in general must not be all that healthy since it still has to flow thru the same pipes & originates from the same water heater, which is a Rheem by the way... Any help would be greatly appreciated

On 2017-09-22 by Sharon

We've found wood-type material clogging the aerators in most of the faucets of our house (which is just now a year old!).

We did this because of a funky smell in two of the 6 sink faucets in our house. I'm at a loss as to how wood pulp or sawdust type material can get through our whole home water filtration system! Any ideas?

On 2017-08-05 by Des

Thanks

On 2017-08-04 by (mod) - white debris may be mineral salts and scale from hard water

Des

The white stuff was probably mineral salts deposited in the bottom of the heater from years of use. Heat drives minerals out of the water. If your water is quite hard you might consider installing a water softener.

About the next day's leak, unless you were wiggling around pipes nearby it may be either bad luck, or perhaps an effect of higher water temperature or an effect of having accidentally sent some solder, paste, or crud through the piping when you replaced the water heater

. It sounds unlikely but I suppose if crud clogs a dishwasher control or valve or motor that might contribute to a leak.

Try unscrewing faucet strainers and

- see if they're blocked by crud and debris - a clue

- flush out the piping

On 2017-08-04 by Des

Our water heater started leaking. I replaced it and the new one is working fine. The old one would not drain and appeared to be plugged at the drain valve

. While it was lying on the ground I picked up the base to let it drain out the two openings (cold water inlet and hot water outlet) at the top. As I lifted it I could hear sloshing around inside, like ice cubes in a cooler full of water. Out the top came many chunks of soft white crystals.

Looked like crushed ice, but were soft and mushy, almost soapy when squeezed, then disintigrates between the finger and thumb. What is this stuff?
Also, the next day the hot water connection to the dishwater started leaking.

This dishwasher is about 6 weeks old and the connection is snug. That was two days ago. Today there is a leak in one of the bathroom faucet connections. Is there a common thread here?

On 2017-07-06 by (mod) -

I would remove and clean or replace the faucet screen. If its salvageable, try soaking it in vinegar overnight, and cleaning it with a soft brush.

On 2017-07-02 by Pj

I had gold grassy cap plugging my faucet screen

On 2017-04-21 by (mod) - yellow sand like residue coming out of the toilet

Is there a resin-type water softener installed at the building? If so perhaps the toilet is getting resin loss from that equipment. Else I'd look for rusted galvanized iron water pipes.

On 2017-04-21 by edward

have yellow sand like residue coming out of the toilet, shower head, bath taps cold water only, in this one room . the house was built in 1945.
has no water tanks in the loft. any ideas

On 2017-02-13 20:47:03.000498 by (mod) -

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On 2017-02-09 by (mod) - plastic dip tube deterioriation leaves particles that clog building pipes & faucets

LM,

Thank you for your comments. I agree the disintegrating plastic or rubber Parts LS problems with both water heaters and Plumbing Systems, including clogging.

However you might want to have your water chemistry tested.

For example if the water is particularly aggressive or corrosive or acidic you may want to treat it in order to protect the rest of your plumbing system.

On 2017-02-09 12:57:32.378884 by LM

About 20 or more years ago there was a massive recall of the fill tube in hot water heaters. This was a plastic pipe inside that the fill water goes into and is taken to the bottom of the heater so the cold water is not sucked out the top of the tank.

Got ours replace thru the recall, a plumber takes the intake tube loose and the fill tube inside can be replaced.

There was nothing left of the old one, it totally dis-intrigrated as shown by pictures in this article. I just yesterday replaced the hoses that go into and our of the top of water heater.

The old one were braided outside but with a black rubber tube inside. The black tube disintergrated and first stopped up a shower valve, then more small black pieces were come out of the hot water lines around the house.

I had them replaced with stainless steel flexible hoses, no liners, just a flexible steel hose. House is about 22 years old and the old line failed and disintergrated.

Builders put cheep junk into all parts of a house, saving a few dollars, and don't care about future problems of homeowners.

On 2017-01-26 by kkd

I figured all this out myself and cleared the faucets, my problem is, I suspect, a piece of dip tube wedged in the mixer for the shower.

My question: is there anything that I can do to dissolve this piece? This faucet was installed as part of a total redo and can't be reached thru the access panel and is also sweated in. I have replaced the cartridge and tried everything from the front.

On 2017-01-11 by (mod)

You can use the page top or bottom contact link to send photos or use the Add Image button to add an image to a comment.

I suspect you may be seeing a bacterial contamination. Have you tried having a sample from your water or water heater or this gooey slime tested by a water test lab?

On 2017-01-10 by totsin74

Clear slime like substance found in the tap and shower filters in he hot water aspect only of an internal house. Water board found no contamination but this build up keeps occurring. Cylinder replaced 4/5 years ago. New bathroom installed 6 weeks ago.

This problem has only happened from the installation. What is this. I have pictures but unsure how to upload them onto this site.

On 2016-12-18 by Darryl - plastic chips in the water supply - typically from a dip tube

A plumber found this plastic chips in our hot water supply when he let the water run into a bucket from under one of our sinks.

He speculated that this was the cause of the lack of hot water in another shower. He didn't want to change the filter/cartridge under the source of the plastic was found.

He speculated it was from the hot water tank as you said. However, when our natural gas provider checked the drop tube, it was totally fine. (I have photos.)

Here's my question: the hot water tank was replaced about three years ago.

Could the plastic chips have still been in the house pipes over that time? What's my next step?

On 2016-07-29 by (mod)

Could be rust, dirt and debris in the water supply, resin from a water softener. The white particulate debris in the article above was a bit unusual: fragments of a plastic water heater dip tube.

On 2016-07-29 by Joni

What is black or brown crud,(rock-like)in the kitchen aerator -- definitely not white.

On 2016-01-09 by (mod) - debris from brand new water heater installation

Stan

Sometimes the soldering during plumbing causes debris that shows up at faucet strainers etc.

Remove and clean them, flush the line with the strainer off, and the problem shoudl be solved unless there is a persistent source - we can tackle that next if needed.

On 2016-01-09 by Stan Christman

I installed a brand new hot water heater and now there are fine tan particles clogging the kitchen sink aerator and the hot water strainer on the washing machine.

I filled a clear glass with the hot water going to the washing machine and it had a yellow tint. How can this be with a brand new hot water heater? Thanks for any insight you may have!

On 2015-12-31 by (mod) - causes of and types of leaks in plastic pipes

Yes, Pat, depending on plastic type there are several causes of and types of leaks that occur. I'd start at PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES

On 2015-12-13 by Pat

Our Cold water PVC pipe started leaking today and when we exposed the 20" of pipe (from garage wall to joint right before entering hot water heater), we found two lateral cracks along the pipe. Any idea how such cracks can form? Again, this was the PVC pipe carrying cold water to the heater to be heated) thank you!!!

On 2015-08-28 by Nancy Herman

We just installed a new electric water heater yesterday. All of the faucets and shower heads work except for one--the hot water spiget only trickles a small stream of water. Does anyone know why this is the case? The shut off valves underneath the sink are on.

On 2015-05-10 by (mod)

Jim

Fill a large clear tumbler or pitcher with hot water and observe the cloudiness you describe.

Let the water stand a few minutes. If the cloudiness disappears I suspect it's fine air bubbles entrained in the water, not debris.

On 2015-05-09 22:52:55.545560 by Jim Pilling

I have a two week old A.O. Smith 40 gallon electric water heater. When I turn on the hot water, I get a white film that is in the water for about a minute and then it goes away. It also happened to a Bradford-White water heater that was in for a week.

Local plumbers can't solve the problem.

My neighbors had new water heaters installed without the problem and we all use the same water lines. I need help. Thank you.

...

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Recommended Articles

• WATER HEATER SCALE DE-LIMING PROCEDURE
• WATER HEATER FLUSH PROCEDURE - how to clean out a hot water heater tank
• WATER HEATER DRAIN PROCEDURE

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