Cleaning out plumbing

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Our farm doesn't have a well. We get our water from a capped off spring, pumped up with a jet pump. It's some of the best water you will ever taste.

The people who sold us the farm say that they used to run bleach through the system once a year. We have a UV light installed in the pump house, but other than that our water is untreated.

So, I decided yesterday to run bleach through the system. After dumping about a gallon of bleach into a pipe attached to the system for that purpose, situated just above the pump, I ran the water in the house until the bleach started coming through, then shut the water off for about an hour. When I turned it back on, it came out looking like iced tea for about five minutes, then ran clear again.

I'm wondering what that stuff was that the bleach knocked loose. We have copper pipes, so did I just take corrosion off? Our water never has suspended particles in it usually. Is the bleach treatment bad for the system?

Note to self: Next time, make sure ALL the bleach is out of the system before showering, to avoid further strange looks from co-workers, and to avoid being called "Qtip".

-- Chuck (woah@mission4me.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

Chuck, the bleach oxidized some of the reduced iron (ferrous) in your system to the oxidized form of iron (ferric). Oxidized iron is more soluble and has a reddish color.

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_MN@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.

I don't have an answer fo you but a question .You new picture reminds me of some famous basketball player any relation ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), April 08, 2002.

you shouldnt need to do that, ,UV is better a sanitizer than bleach

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 08, 2002.

The iron that has been pointed out as being in your system is most likely from your jet pump, if all your lines are copper. Just because you don't visually see anything in the water doesn't mean that there is nothing there.

The fact that your water has a taste to it, means that there is something dissolved in it, doesn't mean that it is bad, just that it is there.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.


You're right, Chuck. That IS a strange colour for hair - particularly on you.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 08, 2002.


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