Water from taps tastes like metal

iba

Hi,

The water coming from my kitchen tap, and indeed the bathroom tap, tastes like metal.

I read that I need to flush my system - is this right?

If so, I read that I should turn off the water going into my immersion - is this right?

If so, which tap in these pictures turns off the flow of water into my immersion.

In fact, there are 5 taps in the hot press and I don't know what any of them do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as Im having to buy bottled water atm.

Thanks

K.Flyer

Where are you tasting metal from?
Cold kitchen tap or bathroom taps?
If it's the bathroom taps have you checked you cold water storage tank for contamination?
If it's from the hot water tap only, you may have a hole in the heating coil and central heating water is contaminating the cylinder.
If it's only from the kitchen tap then all that flushing through may be pointless unless you plan to scrub clean the cold water storage tank.
But then that water comes from the mains, which may be the source of the problem, then what, fill the tank again with that water?
If there is nothing obvious amiss in your water tank and it's not the hot water only, phone your local council on Monday and ask them where the nearest Water Testing Lab is to you or look it up online.
The Lab will provide you with the correct items and instructions on how to collect and deliver the sample and they will tell you if there is anything wrong with your water.

iba

K.Flyer wrote: »

Where are you tasting metal from?
Cold kitchen tap or bathroom taps?
If it's the bathroom taps have you checked you cold water storage tank for contamination?
If it's from the hot water tap only, you may have a hole in the heating coil and central heating water is contaminating the cylinder.
If it's only from the kitchen tap then all that flushing through may be pointless unless you plan to scrub clean the cold water storage tank.
But then that water comes from the mains, which may be the source of the problem, then what, fill the tank again with that water?
If there is nothing obvious amiss in your water tank and it's not the hot water only, phone your local council on Monday and ask them where the nearest Water Testing Lab is to you or look it up online.
The Lab will provide you with the correct items and instructions on how to collect and deliver the sample and they will tell you if there is anything wrong with your water.

Thanks very much for your quick and detailed reply.

I taste it from all the taps, cold and hot in the kitchen and in the bathroom.

I opened up the tank in the attic and could not see anything obvious wrong with it (but Im not an expert)

Thanks for the info about the Council. I guess Ill check with my neighbour tomorrow and see if their water is okay.

iba

I checked with my neighbour and their water is fine.

Notwithstanding the comments from K. Flyer, can anyone suggest what I should do to try and get my water back please?

Cerco

Do you have two separate taps on your kitchen sink or a shared swan neck type?
If the hot water is contaminated then it could leave some residue in the swan neck type.
I would suggest running the cold water for a few minutes and taste again.
As K.Flyer says your water tank may be contaminated.
Do you have separate tanks for you central heating and main water tank? I heard of one attic conversion where they got rid of the CH tank. The two old tanks replaced with a new combined one

K.Flyer

If you are definitely getting the bad taste from your kitchen cold tap as well, especially after running the cold water for a few minutes as Cerco suggests, then the water supplying that tap also supplies water to all your tanks and in turn to your other taps.
So it would appear that the issue may relate to your incoming mains water.
Are you on Irish Water mains supply or an individual well?

iba

Cerco wrote: »

Do you have two separate taps on your kitchen sink or a shared swan neck type?
If the hot water is contaminated then it could leave some residue in the swan neck type.
I would suggest running the cold water for a few minutes and taste again.
As K.Flyer says your water tank may be contaminated.
Do you have separate tanks for you central heating and main water tank? I heard of one attic conversion where they got rid of the CH tank. The two old tanks replaced with a new combined one

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

I have a shared swan neck so Ill try running the cold for a while and see if it washes out.

I just have ne tank in the attic. Immersion in hot press. No renovations, house came that way.

So then, if the I run the kitchen cold tap for a while and then it becomes ok, then I know that the taste is coming from the hot water tap and therefore the tank is contaminated .

iba

K.Flyer wrote: »

If you are definitely getting the bad taste from your kitchen cold tap as well, especially after running the cold water for a few minutes as Cerco suggests, then the water supplying that tap also supplies water to all your tanks and in turn to your other taps.
So it would appear that the issue may relate to your incoming mains water.
Are you on Irish Water mains supply or an individual well?

Ill run the tap for a while and see what happens.

With Irish water

iba

Well I ran the cold water tap in the kitchen for a good 15 minutes but still have the taste coming from cold.

I think I understand everything that you guys have said as follows:

Cold water tap in kitchen has a bad taste = feed comes direct from mains = suggests problem with mains supply but my neighbours water is fine.

Cold water tap in bathroom has a bad taste = feed comes direct from tank in attic = suggests tank in attic contaminated.

Hot water tap in bathroom and kitchen have a bad taste = feed comes from attic via immersion = suggests tank or/and immersion contaminated.

What should I try next. Should I try emptying the tank in the attic? Do I do this by turning off the the mains water supply coming into the kitchen, is this where the tank in the attic gets its water from? Then run all my taps and let the tank in attic empty?

K.Flyer

If you drain the tanks there are 3 possible scenarios..

1. You drain the water, but you are not actually physically cleaning / decontaminating the water tanks.
2. You then refill the tanks with the mains water that you believe to be tainted, so you are back to square one again.
3. By emptying the water tanks you run the risk of creating air-locks in the pipework.

I'd suggest phoning Irish Water (01)7072828 and explain the issue to them. But I wouldn't think they will have anyone out to you before next week.

Another thought has occured to me, as I came across this before.
Are you certain that the cold tap in the kitchen is from the mains water supply and not from the water tank, yes I have seen it happen..
Check by shutting off the incoming supply by only using the valve on the path if you can. When shut off the water in the tap might take a minute to stop running.
Check this before doing anything else.

phormium

Is this just a recent thing? Have you tasted the water in your neighbour's house to make sure it tastes different to yours? I know I will drink the water from my tap no problem but my daughter thinks it's foul so different people have different tastes.

Is there more than you in the house that thinks it tastes bad? Just to check that it's not your taste buds

BaronyOfIda

Sounds like your mains water is the issue. Buy a cheapo jug filter first to see if that makes the water to your liking. If it does, it's the chemicals in the water which your tastebuds may have woken up to.
Next step invest in a decent drinking water filter tap and change the filter regularly i.e. usually between 6 months and a year depending on usage and your water quality.
Having had a filter tap in my own home & workplace for years, I shudder when tasting most tapwater in restaurants etc. i.e. what most people drink in blissful ignorance.