Rusty Faucets and Shower Heads: Remove and Prevent Further Corrosion

If you live in an area where the water supply is not ideal, one of the most common complaints is often hard (rusty) water or the home’s water pipes themselves have aged and have become corroded over time. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the best way to combat rust build-up on fixtures like faucets, shower heads, pipes, and toilets is to prevent the rust from occurring in the first place.

Prevention

If the water supply in your area is known for hard water, you’ll want to seriously consider installing a water softener. A simple test can be performed on your water to determine its level of hardness. Some homeowners will decide to install a whole house filtration system, which consists of a small container fitted onto your pipe system that will filter out unwanted sediment, like rust, by way of removable filter cartridges. Other homeowners may decide to have a water conditioning system installed, which does the work of both a water softener and a whole house filtration system. 

Cleaning

Keeping your fixtures free of rust stains is another area where prevention is best. Faucets, toilets, shower heads and anything else that can accumulate rust stains should be cleaned on a weekly basis. Cleaning products that are slightly abrasive, such as baking soda or powdered cleansers, along with a slightly abrasive sponge can help remove rust stains. For stubborn rust stains, many hardware stores carry pumice stone “sticks” that you can use to scour away stains. It is always best to test these over a small area first however, because they might scratch some surfaces.

Rust can do some serious corrosion and damage, but it can be easily kept at bay. For more information on water softeners, whole house filtration system, and water conditioners, please contact us.