Usually, it is something in your tank that is causing your water to discolour. Often the problem happens because metal parts in your tank rust, the particles break off to form suspended thick layer, and when you flush it comes out and sits in your toilet bowl.
You can remedy brown toilet water by flushing the toilet a few times, unclogging blocked pipes, increasing your toilet's flush power, or installing a water treatment system to remove contaminants causing brown discoloration.
This grey sediment in your toilet bowl is actually residue from the calcium carbonate in the hard water scale. City work on water lines – The third reason is that there was work done to your outdoor water lines by the city, and dirt may have gotten in your water supply.
Green or brown stains are a sign of lime buildup. It happens because of the evaporation of hard water that leaves behind mineral deposits. These minerals dry out and catch other dirt and bacteria around the buildup, creating layers of green and brown stains.
This means that either the water coming in has rust or sediment in it, or your pipes are adding sediment to the water. Check and see if you have galvanized iron piping that is corroding.
The main thing you can do for your plumbing system is to clean drains once a week. This can be done easily with a little baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Simply pour the two substances down the drain and let it foam up before flushing the toilet. This will clear out any small clogs forming in your system.
You can still shower with it, though it might not be a pleasant experience, but pick up some bottled water for drinking if the problem persists. If brown water doesn't clear up in a few hours, that's now a problem beyond a minor inconvenience. You most likely have a leak from a rusted plumbing pipe.
The Surprising Reason Why Your Toilet Gets Dirty Fast
The high mineral content in hard water is usually to blame for those colored rings and tracks that form in your toilet bowl seemingly overnight, and make it appear dirty even if it was cleaned recently!
Older water lines in your home are corroding
If the discolored water is only present at one or several faucets (but not all of them), or if your water is discolored every morning but runs clear once you've had the tap running for a few minutes, chances are good that the problem is with the water lines in your home.
Over time, those minerals can build up, causing unsightly stains and scaling. One of the most obvious signs of hard water buildup is in the toilet. You might see a white or rust-colored ring forming at the waterline or staining at the base of the bowl.
Because water deposits build up under a toilet's rim, it can take only 24-48 hours for colonies to start breeding. As it grows, you will see what looks like black debris or rings inside the bowl. This can cause respiratory problems for people as the mold and mildew release tiny spores into the air.
Usually, the water will clear on its own within a few hours. If after a few hours and the water has not cleared then you will need to call for a professional opinion. The most common reason for residential brown water coming out homeowner's tap is from damaged or recently replaced water pipes.
"The biggest don't when it comes to toilet tanks is bleach—do not use bleach or products containing bleach inside the tank, as it can corrode the internal parts of your toilet. If you are aiming to remove tough stains from the tank, I also recommend white vinegar diluted with water."
Try this: Swish a cup of vinegar around in the toilet bowl using a toilet brush, then add a cup of baking soda, followed by an additional cup of vinegar. Let the fizzing solution sit for 10 minutes. Use a toilet brush to scrub stains. Let mixture sit for a few more minutes and then flush.
As you continue to use your fixtures and appliances, hard water will continue to build up and eventually leave rust and scale stains that seem impossible to remove. Toilet bowls are especially susceptible because they hold standing water.
Brown water can be caused by the corrosion of water pipes as materials flake away and find their way into water supplies, making the water an orange-brown color (from iron pipes) or even black (from lead pipes). Certain elements from sulfur dioxide can cause water to turn brown when combined with hot water.
This brown water is caused by small corrosion spots in the pipe that occur with stagnant water. The water is brown or reddish brown, because loose rust particles are rinsed out when the tap is first used. This is not dangerous, neither for your pipes nor your health.
As it goes down into the pipes, it may soften the pipes particularly if it is made of PVC. It can also damage metal pipes, even more if they are already old and rusty. At the worst case, it can crack the porcelain toilet bowl you will end up having to replace it.
This is what you want to do: combine two cups hot water with two cups white vinegar. Pour one cup of baking soda into the clogged toilet, and then chase it with the hot water/vinegar mixture. Leave the volcano mix to do its job, checking in about 30 minutes.
Bleach is highly effective at removing mold stains, but will actually make rust stains worse. When your toilet tank has both rust and mold on the tank interior, clean the mold stains only after using a rust remover for the rust stains to get the best performance out of both products.
While you can use bleach to completely sanitize your toilet bowl as part of a mixture, it is not recommended for your toilet tank as it can ruin the inside of the tank.