Different Types of Water Stains and What They Mean

Using impure water carries a number of unwanted consequences. One of the most obvious indicators of the existence of impure water is staining on your toilets, clothing, and fixtures. These stains come in a variety of different colors and consistencies; all with their own, individual culprits.

Have you been noticing stains on your clothing, toilets, or fixtures? If so, this is what they indicate.

Black Stains

If you’ve been noticing black water stains in your toilet bowl, shower, or dishwasher, you could be dealing with an excess in a number of different minerals. These minerals include iron, manganese, sulfates, and hydrogen sulfide. When iron combines with sulfates, they form iron sulfides. Iron sulfides not only cause stains, but overwhelming sulfur smells as well.
While a good scrub down will eliminate the staining in the short term, there are also a number of things you can do to eliminate staining in the long term. Namely, a water filtration system can be used to get rid of iron, sulfates, and manganese in your water. Iron filtration systems can eliminate iron particles, while reverse osmosis systems can eliminate manganese.

Pink Stains

Pink stains that appear on your toilet bowl, shower fixtures, or shower walls form, not as a result of contaminated water, but as a result of airborne bacteria. However, some types of water are able to stave off the bacteria, preventing staining from happening in the first place.
These types of stains are often found in homes which use either well water or city water which is low in chlorine. You can typically proactively eliminate these stains by adding chlorine to your water supply, or by periodically cleaning your appliances with bleach.

Red Stains

Perhaps your dishwasher or toilet chamber has become stained with a reddish or rust-like substance. If this is the case, you’re more than likely dealing with an excess in iron. Those who use well water are typically most prone to having excess amounts of iron in their water supplies.
The stain comes as a result of iron becoming oxidized. Iron by itself appears as a clear color that blends in with water. But as it sits, and as it becomes more and more affected by oxygen, it starts to turn a reddish, rusty color. There are a number of ways to eliminate iron from your water, from water softeners, to reverse osmosis water systems, and more.

Light Brown Stains

Maybe you’ve been noticing some light brown staining on your clothes, sinks, or shower fixtures. If so, you’re more than likely dealing with an excess of manganese in your water. Like iron, manganese is often found in high amounts in well water.
While it’s not a particularly hazardous mineral, it does affect the overall taste and consistency of your water. Like iron, it appears as a clear substance until it’s met with an abundance of oxygen. You can reduce or completely eliminate manganese in your water by using a water softener, reverse osmosis filtration system, or another type of water purification system.

Blue Stains

The last types of water stains you may encounter on your toilets, sinks, and fixtures are blue stains. Blue stains are caused by the corrosion of copper pipes. The reason that copper pipes sometimes corrode is that they’re subjected to water that possesses either too high or too low of a pH balance.

So, to eliminate the problem of your pipes corroding, you must neutralize the pH balance in your water. There are a lot of factors that go into neutralizing a pH balance, but most of them can be solved by the use of water purification systems. If you’re suffering from blue water stains, it would be wise to call in a professional to assess the problem.

The water professionals at Johnson Water Conditioning can help you diagnose and solve any water problems you are experiencing. Call today to speak to one of our experts.