Scheduled visit
Hot water coming out brown or rusty
Hot water runs brown, orange or cloudy, while cold water from the same tap is clear. It may be worst first thing in the morning or after the heater has been off. Sometimes there is a metallic smell.
Plumbing
Active leaks are treated as emergencies. Pressure and drainage complaints are normally same-day or next-day.
Call nowRequest heater check on WhatsApp01LIKELY CAUSES
What usually sits behind this symptom, and what tells one cause from another.
Anode exhausted and tank corroding
Anode inspected and found consumed.
Sediment stirred up in the tank
Drained water shows sediment; clears after flushing.
Corroding fittings on the hot side
Discolouration only at certain outlets.
02BEFORE ANYONE VISITS
What you can safely check.
- Compare hot and cold water at the same tap.
- Check whether all hot taps are affected or only some.
- Note the heater’s age if known.
- Avoid drinking discoloured hot water.
03WHAT WE MEASURE
We drain a sample from the heater, inspect the anode where accessible, and check hot-side fittings at affected outlets. That separates a heater problem from a pipework one.
04IN A VILLA
Villas often have several heaters — one per bathroom cluster, sometimes one for the maid’s room — and some are rarely used, so sediment settles and corrosion goes unnoticed. Heaters in hot lofts and ceiling voids also work in demanding conditions, and the anode that protects the tank is used up faster than in a cool cupboard.
05THE FIX
Which repair, and when.
Corrosion continues until the tank leaks, often at an inconvenient moment.
Flush the heater
Sediment is the cause.
Replace the anode
It is exhausted but the tank is sound.
Replace the heater
The tank is corroded.
06Typical villa plumbing callout
AED 200 – 1,400 depending on access
Tap, trap and fixture work sits low in the band. Pump and vessel replacement sits mid. Anything requiring buried-line access or surface breaking is quoted only after the leak is located, because the location determines most of the cost.
07QUESTIONS
- Is rusty hot water safe?
- Avoid using it for drinking or cooking until checked.
- Can the heater be saved?
- If caught early, flushing and a new anode may help.
- Why only hot water?
- The source is in the heater or hot pipework.
- Does it mean the cold supply is contaminated?
- No. If the cold water is clear, the incoming supply and tank are unlikely to be the cause.