Unlike public toilets, home toilets are thought to be cleaner and more sanitary most of the time. But if you’ve used your toilet unit for several years, you might ask yourself: Why is my toilet water yellow?
Of course, you don’t want visitors to be greeted with yellow toilet water whenever they visit your bathroom. It’s incredibly sickening! But it’s not all times that things go as you’ve planned. Also, this problem can persist no matter what efforts you put in to ensure you have a hygienic sparkling toilet. You may still get disappointed to notice the yellow color change.
Why Is My Toilet Water Yellow?
When your toilet water suddenly turns yellow, you’ll have endless questions and corners in your brain. First, you might suspect the bad flushing behavior of your kids while you are at work. But if the problem becomes frequent, you’ll want to explore other causes.
If you notice yellow toilet water, the odds are that something is seriously wrong with your toilet, but don’t fret! Although yellow water in the toilet makes it look nasty and unsanitary, the causes may have little to do with urine. Here are some common causes of toilet water discoloration:
1. Presence of Iron in the Water Pipes
Some residential homes use iron pipes. It is typically possible for iron pipes to resist rust after a long use period, leading to color discoloration. If you’re aware that the toilet line was installed in the 1960s, you shouldn’t be surprised to see discolored water. Such a scenario is popular with old water-pipe plumbing systems.
While water passes through the rusted water-pipe fitting, it gets contaminated with small iron particles, resulting in discoloration. The color change could vary from reddish-yellow to dark-brown. It implies that freshwater gets mixed with small iron particles in the rusted lines every time you flush your toilet.
You may assume that there’s no solution to this problem! However, it’s not always the case. You can have your entire water supply system upgraded using PVC piping. Another possibility is that water from the supply line has too much iron concertation, but it’s uncommon with modern sewage systems.
2. Presence of Minerals and Hard water remnants
If you reside in an area where the tap water comprises hard water, it will influence the color of your toilet water. Hard water contains various minerals, and leftovers will influence the color change of your toilet water if not removed promptly. This occurs most frequently when supply lines distribute filthy and badly treated water to the toilet water pipes. Unfortunately, this is a prevalent cause in most houses across the world.
Hard water also contains magnesium and chloride elements. Therefore, frequent flushing of your toilet with hard water causes the color to change to yellow. However, low mineral concentration has minimal chances of causing discoloration. And as previously stated, the issue arises when the water has excessive minerals, such as chloride and magnesium.
Both magnesium and chloride chemically react with water hence causing the color change to yellow. It gives your toilet a dirty and ugly look that you may consider unsanitary and distasteful.
Furthermore, the chloride and magnesium elements attach to your toilet walls with time. The more it remains in your toilet bowl, the more the discoloration. Additionally, minerals will gradually collect in enormous numbers around your toilet wall. As a result, a chunk of the collected mineral deposit will be flushed away from your toilet’s wall. This discolors the water, making your toilet appear filthy and disgusting.
3. Rusted Bolts and Nuts
Last but not least, rusty bolts and nuts can also cause discoloration of your toilet water. Your toilet tank and bowl contain several bolts to securely attach to the toilet system and the main water supply line. Over time, your toilet becomes old, and the nuts and bowls catch rust for many reasons.
When the bolts and nuts that hold the toilet tank and bowl together get excessively rusted, they’ll fall into your toilet’s bowl while flushing the loo. As a result, your toilet water will appear yellow. As you flush your toilet, rust chips off from the nuts and bolts, resulting in a yellow stain within your toilet bowl.
How To Get Rid Of Yellow Toilet Water
Nobody loves to have yellow toilet water! Not only will this make you cringe, but it also puts you in a position to justify a lot about the case to your beloved visitors. Things like yellow water and yellow stained toilet bowl can be a big disgrace. It’s often annoying and uncomfortable!
Well, to get rid of yellow toilet water, you must follow some essential steps. Of course, first thing first, you’d want to identify the source of the problem. Then depending on the circumstances, you can take a variety of actions. Once you’ve identified the source of the problem and where mineral deposits have hooked on your toilet, it’s the right time to act.
Here’s what to do:
1. Clean The Mineral Deposit
Often, the mineral deposits might be found in an easily accessible location in your toilet, like on the sidewalls of the bowl or in the tank. Be warned that if it’s the case and you fail to deal with it promptly, you may need to unclog your toilet more frequently! This kind of deposit can lead to nasty problems.
Open up your tank’s lid if the deposit is inside your toilet’s tank. Carefully identify all points where the deposits have accumulated and remove the mineral deposits with a scrubber or brush. Once done, flush the toilet twice to check whether the water regains its clear condition.
Alternatively, use a top-quality toilet brush to clean any spotted mineral deposits on your toilet’s sidewalls. However, if you lack a good toilet brush, use a toilet bowl liquid cleaner to help remove the mineral deposits. Once done, remember to flush the toilet several times and check to confirm if the yellowness has disappeared. The watercolor should return to clear if this was the problem.
2. Clean Rust
Rust often occurs within the toilet’s water tank. If your water tank appears yellow, this is a frequent cause. As previously stated, the rust can occasionally form on the nuts and bolts of your toilet tank. It typically occurs after they get subjected to moisture and water.
If rust is the major source of the problem, then the answer is straightforward. Open up the lid of your toilet and begin wiping off whatever rust has accumulated on the nuts and bolts. To accomplish this step, consider using a firm brush capable of removing residues. Begin cleaning with mild pressure because you don’t want to damage your toilet’s cistern.
It is important to remember that brushing off the rust from the toilet’s nuts and bolts is challenging. It is particularly true for old bolts that have corroded beyond recognition. If this happens to your toilet tank, it’s better and less expensive to purchase new nuts and bolts to replace the aged ones.
3. Purchase New Water-Pipe Fitting
As you’ve observed, eliminating rust from bolts and nuts is never an easy task. But if you should be able to access the troublesome area without difficulty, things can be easier. However, you’ll still experience the problem if the original water-pipe fitting has corroded.
It’s even more difficult to clean water-pipe fittings. You would virtually need to get new replacements. Corroded water-pipe fitting is a horrible problem that quickly decolorizes your toilet water to yellow.
Before starting any procedure, attempt to pinpoint the exact location of the corrosion. If you can locate the rusty fitting, you can easily repair it quickly. However, this isn’t something most homeowners can achieve on their own. We recommend you hire a professional to handle the job appropriately.
Is The Yellow Water In Your Toilet Harmful?
Many factors can result in your toilet water looking yellow. These include the existence of pollutants in the water, chlorine, and many other chemicals. In other cases, the yellow water in your toilet is safe, but it can be harmful in other circumstances.
Final Verdict
Yellow water in your toilet isn’t a cause for concern if you understand the source of the yellowness. However, it creates an ugly scene whenever anyone notices yellow water flowing into your toilet bowl. As a result, getting rid of the yellowness is necessary. Fortunately, all you need to do is stick to the above-outlined procedures and wait for the amazing outcome. Also, don’t hesitate to call your local plumber in critical situations.
