Mould coming out of hot taps?

Tucker65

Hello,
For the last few years (usually in the winter, too) when I run a bath, little bits of black mould have come out of the hot tap, today after I ran a bath there were quite a few bits in the water, so before emptying the bath I decided to capture some of the bits and have a closer look (kinda wish I hadn't now..) and found them to be a leathery kind of mould... I stuck them under the microscope (as you do...?) but can't post pictures apparently, so can't show anyone.

Any ideas what I might be looking at here? is it something I need to be worried about?

Tucker65

Here are some pictures from the microscope:
http://imgur.com/obNCLp8
http://imgur.com/0oYlP8l
http://imgur.com/VOQSWRZ
http://imgur.com/ZLueIC3
http://imgur.com/p9iTJzc
http://imgur.com/WqevBM1
http://imgur.com/bEPU5Bs
http://imgur.com/dXhIcqO
http://imgur.com/KPmHcJk

southcoastrgi

If you have a hot water cylinder I'd pop my head up in the loft & have a look in the big tank

Tucker65

So I just did that and it turns out there wasn't a lid fitted and it has some sludge and stuff in it... What's the best way to clean it before putting a lid/cover on it?

Edit:
Here's a picture
http://imgur.com/fj8woda

Hasbeen

Tucker65 wrote: »

So I just did that and it turns out there wasn't a lid fitted and it has some sludge and stuff in it... What's the best way to clean it before putting a lid/cover on it?

Turn off cold supply usually under sink or second one supplying at side of tank.

Run hot water, tank will empty, clean tank, have seen bottom of these without lids full of little bird skeletons, sludge mostly YUK! turn water back on, get lid or cover best you can.

Tucker65

Brill, I'll give that a go later today!

Are there any chemicals you would use? or would you stick to good old fashioned elbow grease?

Hasbeen

Yes can use cleaner and elbow grease. If tank has separate valve turn it back on to fill rinse/wipe down tank, then empty again by running hot water until satisfied clean.:T

Once happy fill up and run hot water taps etc in house to ensure no air locks.

Tucker65

Hasbeen wrote: »

Yes can use cleaner and elbow grease. If tank has separate valve turn it back on to fill rinse/wipe down tank, then empty again until satisfied clean.:T

I could be there for a -very- long time :rotfl:

Did you see the picture? Not sure if that build up above the water line will come off easily... Though I imagine I'll get some level of satisfaction from trying xD

Hasbeen

Tucker65 wrote: »

I could be there for a -very- long time :rotfl:

Did you see the picture? Not sure if that build up above the water line will come off easily... Though I imagine I'll get some level of satisfaction from trying xD

Looked like a modern plastic tank from pic? if old style galvanised not so good.

But plastic will clean up, use chemical cleaners to shift, but ensure all washed down and emptied until good.

Worth doing as said I have found dead birds in tank bottoms that managed to get into eaves/loft etc and sludge to make you sick.

George_Michael

Hasbeen wrote: »

Turn off cold supply usually under sink or second one supplying at side of tank.

Or if your stop !!!! looks to be in poor condition or very hard to turn, you can tie up the ball valve in the tank so that when you run off the hot water, the tank won't start filling up.
It might also be worth sticking a bottle full of Milton fluid in the tank, adding a bit of water and then turning the taps on to run it through the system and then leave it a couple of hours before flushing it through.


Blerdy auto censor!

southcoastrgi

Unless you have double check valves on any taps connected to the cold water mains I wouldn't use any chemicals to clean that