Dirt in tap water when washing machine is being run

gravedigger

Apologies for starting a different thread so soon, but I have one more urgent issue I'd like to get advice on if possible. For as long as I can remember I have been seeing small dark particles from our kitchen cold tap, fed from the mains. Its not very noticeable if the washing machine or dishwasher is off and not using water.

You can see a load of it however if you run the tap at full flow into a glass when the washing machine is using water and the pressure drops at the kitchen tap itself.. This stuff also seems to end up and accumulate in the attic tank, into a brown silt, which I mentioned in my previous thread.

Can anyone suggest what this problem might be? Its a real pain, and slightly worrying, considering all the uses that water has.

jabaroon

hmmm....thats interesting indeed. Sounds like either a supply issue or that somehow the central heating circuit has been crossed with the cold water circuit.

gravedigger

How could that happen though? Surely these polythene mains undersoil pipes can't cross contaminate? Its a weird problem.

Merch

Get a water filter jug, any DIY or got anyone in to do work on plumbing in stuff lately?

Actually your kitchen tap should be off the mains and then feeds the tank also, any other cold water supplies (dishwasher, washing machine) should be tapped from the mains fed tank, it sounds like your tap is fed from the tank.

I dont think it is a regulation here but think in the UK it is a requirement that any line that tee's into a main supply line in a house has to have a double non return valve in it to prevent anything going back up the line.

The sediment you mention from the tap sounds like the dust/fibre sediment you can find in the cold water tank in the attic.

gravedigger

No, the kitchen tap is not fed from the attic tank. The pressure is much higher for one thing, and if I turn off the stopcock on the footpath or the one under the sink itself, the water goes off on that tap but can still be run on other taps fed from the tank.

Merch

You say the kitchen is fed from the mains, fine but the pressure drops on the kitchen/mains fed tap if you use the washing machine, I think it sounds like the washing machine is connected to the mains supply, tee'd into it? when I'd think it is meant to be connected to a tank fed supply.

The silt you mention in the attic tank, I am still sure that is dust settling into the tank, fibre dust, I drained and cleaned my tank even though it had a cover some still got in, if you're concerned you could get a filter to put on the line that goes to your tank or leaves the tank and you can get under sink filters for kitchen. They can be gotting in atlantic and probably b+q

I'd consider checking if the mains is connected to the washing machine, turn off the mains, if you have a valve operated connection to the washing machine see if there is a flow under pressure (you'd have to pull out the washing machine and disconnect the supply, this might be messy or difficult if you dont have a valve operated connection) If the line drains but has no pressure it could be connected by a tee and it might be better if it had a non return valve so dirt/sediment or bacteria cant travel back up the line. I'd still consider that unlikely as we have chlorine in our water and the pressure flow is away to the appliance, it may depend on how old the piping is? how old the machine is and possibly if they are on the same line how close the connection of the washing machine is to the tap.