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Wednesday, January 26th
The inside of your toilet’s tank is nobody’s favorite place to look or clean. Whatever makes you need to lift the lid and look inside is enough of an issue already, but if you notice that the water in your toilet tank looks dirty, it’s bound to put a whole new set of concerns in your mind! There are many causes of water discoloration. If your toilet tank is a very dark black color, you probably have high levels of manganese in your water. If the stains are more brown, there is likely iron traveling with your water and the presence of iron has the potential to open a whole new can of worms… If the water in the back of your toilet is not just brown water, but a thick, slimy mess , there’s a good chance that iron bacteria is growing in your toilet tank. Iron bacteria, as its name implies, is a bacteria that attaches to iron particles in the water. It isn’t dangerous in normal amounts, but it’s still a nuisance most people would rather just live without.
Iron bacteria, despite having a scary name, is not known to cause any illnesses in humans or even most animals. The slimy or oily residue it can sometimes leave on the surface of the water in a toilet tank still makes people worried about the purity of their water. It looks revolting, can smell awful, and it is difficult to clean out. If iron bacteria is plaguing the inside of your toilet tank, you might have it growing in other areas of your home as well. It thrives in any pools of water that have iron in it and go undisturbed for long periods of time, like instead your water heater. Even if it can’t hurt you, iron bacteria usually makes people opt for wasteful bottled water or sugary drinks instead because they don’t like the taste or smell of their water.
If you notice that there is a slimy layer around the normal water level inside your toilet tank, this is likely caused by iron bacteria. Additional brownness or other discoloration to the tank itself isn’t caused by the bacteria alone, but most likely because of excess iron or manganese in the water. These problems usually only arise if your home’s water is supplied by a well. Municipal water supplies will usually treat for most metals, so iron bacteria contamination and iron staining is less common, but not unheard of.
The EV1 Conditioner, EV2 Conditioner, and the EVFE water filtration systems are all effective at treating iron contamination in water. Finding out which system is the right one for you is difficult to do without the help of a water expert. All Evolve® authorized water treatment experts are trained to test your water and customize a solution that will turn your water into something you are excited to drink, wash with, and use in your appliances. Partnering with a water expert means fewer steps between you and better water.
An in-home water test conducted by an Evolve® authorized dealer will teach you some things, but if water-borne illness is a concern of yours, you can have your water sent to a laboratory to be tested for bacteria and other problematic contaminants. Either way, you need to call your local Evolve® authorized dealer today to get a quality water treatment system installed.
If you do have iron bacteria in your toilet tank, a few extra flushes won’t change anything. You can add a chlorine bleach to the back of your toilet and let it soak for a while to take care of the existing bacteria, but it may still return in the future. The root of the problem lies in excess iron being present in your water supply. Until that problem is solved, iron bacteria can keep coming back, no matter how you treat it. The answer to iron and iron bacteria is water treatment. A comprehensive water filtration system can not only eliminate your iron and iron bacteria concerns, but it can also give you water that tastes better, smells better, and doesn’t leave hard water stains or limescale.
While hard water is a problem many people face, it is usually not the reason your toilet tank is being stained. Hard water is responsible for the white crusty scale left behind on faucets, in sinks and tubs, on shower doors, and around shower head nozzles. Although the scale deposits do look dirty, the calcium and magnesium of hard water leave light colored, gritty residue on everything it touches. If your water is staining your toilet tank brown, red, or orange, it isn’t because of hard water.
However, iron and manganese often are found in well water sources that also experience hard water issues. There are a few Evolve® products like the EV1 and the EV2 water conditioners that can both soften water and remove iron and other metals. Using unique Crystal-Right media and the technology behind its formation, you can unlock the full potential of your water, giving you fresher, better tasting water, right from the tap.
Cleaning the inside of your toilet tank is only going to take you so far. Instead, treat the problem at its source, and get an Evolve® water treatment system installed in your home. Contact your local Evolve® dealer today to learn more about what options you have!