Every few days when I fill the kettle for my morning cup of tea, the water comes out of the tap cloudy, sometimes very brown. It is only ever a glassful or so and it is not due to flushing mains. I'm guessing it is corrosion in the taps/spigot.
How far back in the plumbing needs to be replaced?

Sounds like it's connected to the sewer
note I'm not a plumber, I'm on $50 hr less

is it cloudy straight away? or does it come through clear initially.
If it's there immediately the problem is close to the tap, I'm assuming the other taps in the house are OK?

So the volume of water that's cloudy will indicate the length of pipe, depending on the pipe's internal diameter. If it's rusty it's probably galvanised, 1/2". Lets assume that's 10mm, (if the pipe is rusty, it will be a bit blocked, and 10mm makes calculations easy).

My maths are getting rusty so don't take this as gospel, but I make that aprox 12m per litre.

It's just the first bit. I thought pipes are copper, decent fittings are brass.

Depends how old, I'm not sure when they switched from galvo to copper, but it was a while ago.
But copper/brass doesn't rust, that's why I assumed galvo.

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decrepit said..
is it cloudy straight away? or does it come through clear initially.
If it's there immediately the problem is close to the tap, I'm assuming the other taps in the house are OK?

So the volume of water that's cloudy will indicate the length of pipe, depending on the pipe's internal diameter. If it's rusty it's probably galvanised, 1/2". Lets assume that's 10mm, (if the pipe is rusty, it will be a bit blocked, and 10mm makes calculations easy).

My maths are getting rusty so don't take this as gospel, but I make that aprox 12m per litre.

They can weigh the universe with that kind of thinking.
Measure the volume of clean water , then 2 pie r in reverse .
Totally makes sense. Love it

Could be a crap Chinese mxing tap that was delivered for half price compared to Bunnings .

Is it a mixer , with an "Easy hooker" on it?
the hookers are renowned for rusting out particularly if there's a loop in it hanging lower than the wall outlet, corrosion in a mixer would also drain there

You using the hot or cold tap?
It could be a few things if brown including spindles all crappy, rust, sediment....
First thing I'd do is clean out aerator in outlet and work back from there.

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BlueMoon said..
Is it a mixer , with an "Easy hooker" on it?
the hookers are renowned for rusting out particularly if there's a loop in it hanging lower than the wall outlet, corrosion in a mixer would also drain there

Those guys are only braided steel externally and have black rubber lining internally. Rust can't come in contact with the water.

Thanks, Saltiest. If I get what you are saying, I should try changing the washers in the tap body.
The plumbing is probably 30-40 years old and doesn't seem to have any sort of aerator.

do you have an electric hot water system, or electric booster on a solahart??

possibly the sacrificial anodes are fizzing away to nothing and stirring things up,

Heat pump system. I think it was brown on the cold tap yesterday
Hadn't thought of that possibility

Btw plumber 31yrs.
House 40yrs old might have a section of gal nearby but mostly copper by then unless rural area. Gal will need removing.
Storage hot water units can gain sediment and heavy deposits that get stirred up once thick enough in base but this doesn't flush through for ages. Minutes usuallly.

Hey guys, Ive been getting a lot of mixed replies in regards to the LPG system on my house boat. Long story short, this local plumber/gasfitter has told me that I cant get my gas system certified as it needs to meet new standards however he has not had much of a look at it and failed to inform me of what those standards are despite being asked. All he said was "it's not worth it" and to change the whole lot to electric and buy a generator.

This houseboat was used commercially up until 2009. I'm by no means an expert on this subject but I just find it difficult to believe that a complete retrofit would be more viable than a recert or repair. The entire gas system is there and from the general reading of the marine standards (very general) I cant seem to find what the trouble is. The plumbing contractors are very few in my area and this tradie seems convinced that I won't be able to find anyone to do the work (that will be a legal certification).

This looks like the right thread to pop this in so if there are any experts out there I am really keen to get your take on this.

Outside of the box get a big Maxi rail mount bbq or a Webber Q if that's your thing and have it on deck. No compliance hassle. For a stove indoors get a metho and if you really need to roast There's a little can thing that takes a briquette and does a ripper of a job. Gas inside sucks well maybe I'll change that it expands vigorously, hot and uncontrollably!

Mate gas installs on boats can be a nightmare. It's likely he sees the bigger picture.
Bottle storage, sensors, oven auto cut outs, isolation valves, clearances, type and size of tubing.....
I've recommended same as him more than once.