How To Remove Brown Stain At The Bottom Of Toilet Bowl

Heather Robbins
by Heather Robbins

Is the water that refills the bowl when you flush the toilet brown or colored? Are you noticing that this just happens in your toilet and not at any other taps (shower, sink, etc.) around your house?

Most of us rely heavily on water usage to meet our most basic daily needs. Because of this, having a problem with your water supply might be upsetting. Although unusually colored water can be unsettling, there is no reason to be alarmed.

If your toilet is stained brown, you will need to scrub it to remove any fecal debris. However, the deep stained brown is usually caused by mineral build up and will require a new toilet. Check to ensure your pipes are not rusted and that the minerals in your water are at a minimum.

To address this, consider reducing the iron level of your water with chlorine or water softeners. Make an appointment with a qualified plumber to identify and resolve the problem if it continues.

But before things worsen, let us assist you in identifying the problem and offering a fix. We’ll go through some of the possible causes of brown toilet water as well as possible solutions.

Get a New Toilet

The toilet may become worn out with regular use. It’s possible that your toilet’s creases haven’t been cleaned in a while.

After a thorough flush, thoroughly clean the toilet bowl with a brush. Make sure all the trash is removed, then check to see whether the brown water problem still exists. If it does, it’s time to get a new toilet.

Check & Replace Your Pipes

The first thing to do is to examine each and every tap in your house, from the kitchen sink to the shower in the bathroom. You have a plumbing issue throughout your entire home if all of the taps are leaking brown water.

This indicates that your water contains a surplus of iron. This is particularly true for residences that use well water and for cities where the water supply contains more iron than the average city. Rust levels may become abnormally high and become a problem in such circumstances.

It’s highly conceivable that your water supply has corroded and your iron pipes are old. Your water supply is dispensing that foul-smelling brown water as a result of these aged pipes.

If so, you’ll need to contact a licensed plumber to assess the problem and make the necessary repairs. In other cases, if the rust has been a persistent problem for a long time, it may have stained your porcelain bathroom fixtures, in which case you will need to replace the fixture.

You should use pumice stones, baking soda, lemon, and salt, or other professional cleaners like Limeosol or Magic Erase if you decide to DIY and remove rust from your home’s fixtures.

In the best-case situation, your plumber might only need to replace one or two corroded pipes before your water supply returns to normal. The plumber will be needed to perform an accurate evaluation.

Install A Water Softening System

Your plumber might advise installing a water softening system or adding other additives to clean the water supply. These devices and substances can reduce the iron level in your water supply.

Bacteria can also be eliminated, restoring the safety of your water for drinking and taking showers. It won’t completely get rid of all the iron traces, but it can be an excellent temporary fix.

Stop Using Chlorine

The majority of microorganisms are quickly destroyed by chlorine. It has been demonstrated to work particularly well against iron bacteria. It kills the bacteria by causing the many iron particles to oxidize. While it won’t solve your rusted pipe problem, it can help destroy the iron bacteria in your water supply.

Replace Your Well

Even though it’s uncommon, it’s possible that some form of organic material has dissolved in your well if your house uses well water. This may contain sediments and cause the brown color you are experiencing.

You should get in touch with an expert to look at fixing the system as your well water is now contaminated. This typically happens during storms, building or landscaping projects, or both.

Fix Your Toilet Parts

If you’ve examined all the faucets in your house and only the bathroom produces brown water, the problem may be a corroded toilet component.

It’s possible that your toilet is attached to a different water supply than the other outlets in your home, and that your pipe simply rusted, even if you may still have rusty pipes. The components within your toilet could also be rusty.

To diagnose, look behind the toilet tank to see if you can spot any parts that are severely corroded or broken. It’s usually reasonable to presume that your toilet’s connections to the pipe are rusted if you don’t immediately notice any damage.

Unclog Your Pipes

Clogged pipes are another potential cause of brown toilet water. This doesn’t apply to you if your plumbing system is very fresh. Minerals in hard water can cause pipes to clog.

The water in your toilet’s tank rapidly becomes brown when manganese, calcium, and oxygen come into contact. And if you use a particular toilet cleaner, such minerals may even begin to accumulate.

Some chemicals are flushed through your plumbing system when you use specific toilet cleansers, which over time leads to a buildup.

A deposit soon develops into a blockage, which prevents water from flowing freely through your pipes. The colored water subsequently becomes visible as a result of the water backing up directly into the toilet bowl.

These minerals also damage your plumbing, which results in rust on some of the metal components of your toilet tank. Such accumulation frequently forms a thick layer that traps further material.

Once this has place, the material may solidify and result in more blockages. Last but not least, this tough waste occasionally breaks off into tiny pieces that flush down the toilet and enter your water system.

Go the DIY route and clean the water tank on your own to prevent such obstructions from harsh chemicals. To soak the toilet’s parts, try using homemade cures like white vinegar or hot water. It’s probable that this will aid in mineral dissolution.

Diagnosing this will be challenging. Your pipes may be clogged as a result of debris returning to the toilet bowl; a plumber will need to inspect them.

A plumber will need to gain access to your plumbing system and inspect it for obstructions in order to prevent and remove such blockages. You don’t have the knowledge or resources to do this as a homeowner.

And you need to resolve this problem right away. Your blocked pipes risk breaking or cracking under the increasing pressure if you don’t clear them. The cost of repair will be significantly more than just clearing a blockage if your pipe ruptures or cracks.

Additionally, such bursts may result in water backing up into your bathroom and even the growth of mildew. Either do it yourself or contact a water damage restoration business to clean up the mess.

What Causes Toilet Pipes To Rust?

Iron oxide is a component of rust. Simply explained, when steel reacts with airborne oxygen to rust, a typical chemical reaction occurs. Water is the primary cause of corrosion. Despite the solid appearance of your pipes, water molecules can enter tiny cracks and holes in the metal. The rusting process starts as soon as moisture enters.

The likelihood of a rust issue is higher in homes where the plumbing was put in before 1960. Iron naturally rusts with time, and many ancient plumbing pipes were composed of this material. After 1960, pipes made of other materials, such as PVC, began to replace metal ones as the norm.

Rust is more likely to form on outdated pipe materials. It may be possible to lessen the possibility of a rust issue by choosing more modern plastics like PVC or PEX rather than iron or galvanized steel.

What Should You Do About Brown Toilet Water?

The first thing you should do is rule out the chance that leftover waste is what is causing the brown water. Wait for the bowl to refill, let the flushing process finish, then flush once more to be sure everything has been eliminated. The good news is that if your water is still brown, it is most likely not excrement that is causing the taint.

Fortunately, a rusted pipe is not something you cannot control. This issue can be resolved quite easily by hiring a specialist. The problem can be examined and diagnosed by qualified plumbers. They’ll have a clear idea of where to start and how to solve any issues they encounter.

Your best course of action is to call a plumber to assess the situation and ultimately replace your pipes. They can help you save a lot of headaches and help you save money in the long run. If the problem solely affects your toilet, only those specific pipes will likely need to be replaced. To prevent any further issues, it is however worthwhile to get the rest of your pipes inspected.

Cost to Replace the Plumbing

Plumbing replacement typically costs between $350 and $2,000 on average. The size and scope of the project will determine everything. The cost of a plumber normally runs from $45 to $150 per hour, depending on whether the task calls for a straightforward repair or a more involved replacement. Don’t forget that the majority typically have a minimum fee, a higher first-hour fee, or a trip fee.

When it involves replacing the piping itself, small-scale piping repair costs range from $352 to $1,838. This service costs, on average, $1,077.

It’s best if the water discolouration problem you’re experiencing is limited to your toilet because re-piping an entire house or installing new plumbing may be quite expensive. Typically, plumbers bill anything from $1,500 to $15,000 or more. It’s also critical to keep in mind that the project can demand more work depending on the severity of the corrosion.

To access the pipes, this can include removing drywall or a section of the wall. The average cost of the complete operation might range from $5,000 to $15,000. Even though repairing your home’s pipes might be an expensive process, it can help prevent further plumbing problems.

Heather Robbins
Heather Robbins

Heather is a passionate writer who loves anything DIY. Growing up, she learned everything from home repairs to design, and wants to share her tips with you. When she's not writing, she's usually hiking or searching for her next DIY project.

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