ShareThisQ: I am a single mother of two and recently purchased my first home. I have been learning how to fix things around my house on my own. It is an older home, and I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake.I have to replace the filter in my water pump on a weekly basis, and when it is replaced it is covered with what looks like rust. What type of person do you get to look at something like this? -- Melissa B., McConnellsburg, Pa.A: With the information you listed I must assume that your home's water supply is from a private well or a nearby municipality, although a few homes in urban settings continue to use cisterns for drinking water.When checking aerial photos of your town I did not see a municipal water tower, which would be used to store and deliver chemically treated water to your home. What you are seeing in the filter is either iron algae or iron bacteria. There is simply too much rust in the filter for the problem to be from old galvanized iron pipes, although that is still worth checking.An experienced plumber should be contacted. If you do not use a cistern or other open-water sources exposed to sunlight, you can rule out iron algae, which is more plantlike and leaves a blue-green stain rather than a rust stain.Iron bacteria often appear in shallow wells or wells with a low capacity to store water. Again, you need a plumber or possibly a new well.I have had some limited experience with shocking a well using chlorine, but that can be a tough job to do yourself -- there are Internet resources that go through the process step by step.In the meantime, keep changing the paper filter to protect the plumbing appliances from rust and mineral buildup and, just to be safe, boil your cooking and drinking water. If the faucets appear to be clogged, you can remove the aerator and filter screen at the tip of the faucet. Simply unscrew the faucet's cover, being careful not to drop any of the parts down the drain. There may also be a small rubber ring stuck inside the faucet tip, so be careful not to damage this seal.If the water pressure is better without the aerator, clean the loose parts -- not the rubber seal -- in vinegar and then replace in the order they were removed.(Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home improvement questions at C. Dwight Barnett, Evansville Courier & Press, P.O. Box 286, Evansville, Ind. 47702.)
Rust on a water pump causes problems
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