Brown algae type stuff in hot water. What to do?

[sherlock]

Hi. I live in an apartment building which is 100 years old. WE live on the top (second) floor and are one of 9 apartments. Lately I have been noticing this brown algae type stuff in our hot water. THe neighbours have not noticed it in theirs. It seems to be getting worse lately. THere is a large old lead lined tank in the attic which has been looked into by a plumber who reports that there is nothing too horrendous in it and that he would only consider cleaning it in emergency circs. In any case since no-one else in the building is experiencing this problem it is probably from our cylinder ?
We have a gas central heating system and the cylinder is an ideal elan 2 which I have been told is an indirect and not a primatic (whatever that means) THe algae stuff comes in gushes and is not always there. Sometimes you can have a bath and there is none in the water and at other times the water is brown. What do you suggest?

 

[Agile]

Are you using hot water regularly? Most days for example?

Tony

 

[JohnD]

Might it be rust? Does it float or sink?

 

[sherlock]

It doesnt' look like rust. Looks a little stringy like plant bits seems to folat kind of. and yes we use hot water every day as we have two kids etc.

 

[Agile]

It sounds as if some kind of growth has become established in your hot water system.

It might kill it if you could introduce a bottle or two of household bleach into the cylinder and ideally leave it for about 10 hours and then flush it out well.

Tony

 

[JohnD]

It may also be useful to increase the temperature of the hot water cylinder. Someone will be along in a minute who knows the temperature that prevents things growing in it.

Does it have plenty of insulation round the cylinder and the hot pipes?

If the cold cistern in the loft does not have a lid, it would be a good idea to have one fitted. They accumulate dead spiders and dust, and sometimes larger dead things.

 

[sherlock]

The plumber who came before said that our water was a good bit too hot and that it may be causing stuff to detach from the insides of the pipes i.e. the algae, so he reduced the temp on the fronto of the boiler. However, I have to say I am now not happy with the hot water situation as the hot water runs out very quickly, so maybe I will increase the temperature to above what it was before and see what happens.

In terms of lagging. NO the tank is not lagged nor are the pipes.

 

[JohnD]

Then splash out on one of those red waitcoats for a start, and the thick stiff foam pipe lagging. You may have parts of the cylinder or piping that are lukewarm rather than hot.

You are also throwing money down the drain.

 

[sherlock]

To be honest, it would be very difficult to lag the cylinder as it is in a tiny cupboard and high up. Also, it may actually be lagged but I am not recognizing what it is is covered with as lagging. It seems to be made of stuff lake plaster that you could chip away at, but that may be covering a metal cylinder?

 

[doitall]

The boiler is the Elan2 not the cylinder, which could be primatic.

Do you have a seperate header tank for the heating.

Sounds to me like the coil could have gone, or you have lost the bubble if primatic.

Either way you need to get the water tested fast.

 

[sherlock]

Hi
The cylinder has a sticker which says: hercal - coil indirect cylinder . I don't see a header tank anywhere. Who would test the water? I rang environmental health at my council and they said they only test mains water.
I had a plumber in a few weeks ago because my rads are all hot at the top and cold at the bottom so I think a power flush is needed. He didn't seem too interested in the algae problem nor in the rads and never gets back to me when I ring.

 

[doitall]

Look in the yellow pages, or ask at a chemist, you should find several water treatment Company's.

Its important to find an header tank for the heating, or trace the pipes, not having one could mean someone has connected the heating to the storage tank, which would give you the problem.

Please restrict the use untill solved, because if the water has been contaminated with the heating water, it will make you very bad.
,

 

[doitall]

On a seperate issue is your plumber, he should be taking this very seriously, perhaps it's time to find another.

 

[sherlock]

Somebody did suggest running the hot water tap for about 3 hours to try to drain the cylinder and flush out all the stuff. Do you think this would be worth doing until help can be found? Or do you think it would be bad for the system?

 

[doitall]

Ideally you would be better draining the cylinder first, preferably into a bucket so you can catch any nasty stuff that comes out.

Finding out where the boiler gets it's water from would help.

If you find a water purification Company in the book, they are your best approach as they will also be ably to chlorinate the system, and do the test.

I will send DP an email and ask if he knows anyone in your area.