Cloudy Water From Faucet – Reasons and Solutions

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When you turn on the faucet to fill a glass with water and see cloudy water comes out, you start thinking, why cloudy water from faucet and whether it is safe to drink or not?

You are not alone and, in the USA, cloudy water frequently occurs in many houses. Sometimes cloudy tap water is the result of the trapped air bubbles. So, it is safe to drink but if air bubbles are not the reason, you should avoid drinking cloudy water.

There are a couple of reasons that cause cloudy water from the kitchen faucet, we will see every reason in the detail and also what solutions you may try to clean cloudy water.

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Why Cloudy Water From Faucet?

Air In The Water

The most common reason for cloudy water from faucets is the air in the water. Air may enter the water in many ways.

• Recently, you have done any plumbing work in the house.
• Your plumbing line has a tiny leak.
• Water coming from the municipality contains more air.
• Also, when you turn on the faucet, the air mixes with the water.

When air mix with the water, the pressure of the water breaks down the air into tiny bubbles and the result is cloudy water in the glass.

There is a simple way to find out whether air bubbles are the reason for cloudy water or not. Take an empty glass and fill it with water. Wait for a few minutes, if the cloudiness starts to clear from the bottom to the top, it proves that your faucet supply lines contain air. So, you can drink this cloudy water. There is nothing serious about air bubbles in the water.

If you are getting cloudy water due to air bubbles, it has a simple solution. After filling a glass or anything, just wait for a few minutes and all cloudiness will be gone and you can drink water.

Hard Water

If your area has hard water, cloudy water is normal for you. Hard water is rich in minerals. You can easily find hard water without any tests. If you see limescale buildups on pipes, it is hard water.

Hard water contains magnesium and calcium minerals. There is no side effect of these minerals on the body. Hard water affects washing. Due to minerals, the detergent doesn’t mix well in the water and the result is clothes are not cleaned properly.

Hard water doesn’t affect the water and pipes immediately. But over time, limescale buildup inside the faucet and pipes. When this buildup mixes with water, it creates cloudy water.

To remove the hard water effect, use a faucet for hard water or a water softener or water filter for the faucet. All are able to remove minerals from the hard water so you don’t get cloudy water.

Water Heater

People use a water heater for hot water in the kitchen and bathroom. Hot water makes washing easy. Hot water removes stuck food from dishes easily without any extra effort.

The water heater comes with anode rods. If your water heater is old, it is a high chance that sediments from the rods mix into the water. So, you get cloudy water when you turn on the hot water faucet.

To solve this issue, you need to repair the water heater. This work is not easy, call a specialist to repair the water heater.

Water Supply

When water comes from the municipal water plant to your house, it travels through various pipelines in the city. Maybe some pipes in this network are old and allow sand or silt particles into the water. These particles change the color of the water and it looks like milky or cloudy water.

How will you find out that cloudy water is due to water supply lines? Fill a glass and wait for a few minutes, you will see sediments will slowly sit down in the glass and the upper portion of the water in the glass is clear. Don’t drink this type of cloudy water, it is not good for your health.

A water softener is a good solution for the water supply issue. It will remove all harmful sediments from the water and make it drinkable.

Aerator

An aerator is a common part of the faucet. In any faucet, at the start of the spout, you can see the aerator. It has lots of holes so water flow becomes smooth and there is no splashing of the water on the countertop.

But over time these holes are clogged with sediments or buildup. When water comes into contact with sediments, it turns clean water into cloudy.

Its solution is simple. Remove the aerator and clean it. Check our guide on how to clean an aerator to know the full process.

Methane Gas

Methane gas is not a common issue for cloudy or white milky water. When people see cloudy water from the faucet, they don’t think about the methane gas. They never expect that methane gas can cause milky water issues.

People who use well water are victims of methane gas. Methane gas occurs naturally in the well and is hard to detect. Because it doesn’t have any color, taste, or odor. If methane gas is within the limit then it is not harmful to the body.

If the quantity of methane gas is 10 mg/l then it is considered safe. But you can’t taste its quantity at home.

Here is one method to find out whether methane gas is in your well water or not. Turn on the faucet and see whether water spits and sputters in the sink or not. Also, if bubbles are in the water is a higher chance of methane gas in the water. You can’t fully remove methane gas from the water. Use an aeration system to clean well water so it reduces the impact of methane gas.

Why Only Hot Water Is Cloudy?

Sometimes, it happens that cold water looks normal but when you turn on hot water, it looks cloudy. First, turn on both cold and hot water to make sure only the hot water is cloudy.

The water heater is used to make the water hot. Anode rods in the water heater turn cold water into hot.

In most water heaters, anode rods are the main reason for milky water. When you get cloudy water from the hot side of the faucet, you can easily find out that it causes due to water heater.

Anode rods are rust and corrosion-free. But over time, they start deteriorating so their parts mix up in the water and change color of the water. It’s time to change or repair the water heater.

Is Cloudy Water From The Tap Safe To Drink?

If the reasons for the cloudy water are air bubbles and hard water then it is safe to drink. But if you are getting cloudy water due to sediments, water heaters, aerators, or methane gas, you should avoid drinking it.

When you see cloudy water, don’t drink it until you don’t know what are the reasons for its cloudiness. Air bubbles and hard water don’t make any bad impact on health but others are not good for the human body.

We have shown, how you can test cloudy water to find out its source. When milky water comes out from the tap, try to find out its reasons and if you can’t, call an expert, it will test the water and tell you the actual reason for it.

Final Words

No one wants cloudy water from faucet. Cloudy and dirty water is not good for the health and people hesitate to drink it. In our research, we have found that cloudy water is not harmful in all conditions. We have shown testing methods to check the reasons for the cloudy water from the kitchen or bathroom tap.  

Ralph Matthews

Meet Ralph Matthews, father of 2 cute daughters and a skilled plumber with over 10 years of experience in the industry. Ralph has particular expertise in repairing any type of faucet and has helped countless homeowners and businesses solve their plumbing problems with his expert knowledge and attention to detail.