Black specks in hot water (only second floor)

Water heater less than 2 years old, plus you changed out your anode rod already. I don't think it's your wh. Well water is notorious for this. Start with a good cleaning of your water softener or have it serviced. How old is your water softener?

It's probably in all your hot water faucets. Just hasn't showed up yet. Faucets have an arerator that may be preventing them. Remove the arerator and you may find the black specs there as well.

You say the black specks smear, this may be due to a reaction of the new anode rod you put in. Idk, just a guess. there are three types of anode rods zinc, magnesium, and aluminum. In your case, I do not know what would be the best anode rod to use. What type of anode rod was installed?

Reason I ask is well water is considered hard water plus you are using a salt water softener. If you can find out which anode rod you have, try another one. Your current one may be the culprit. Just a thought.

Try googling your issue, there may be other people who had the same problem and posted a solution. Lot of information out there. Worth a shot.


Hope you get it figured out soon speed.

It's possible, but it doesn't look bad. Imo, It's the chemical reaction of the salt water softener and anode rod that is causing those greasy black specs and not the anode rod itself.

The anode rod is just a sacrificial rod that helps prolong the life of your water heater from rusting out and leaking.

I'm not for sure, but to me, that looks like a magnesium anode rod. Which are the most common. You have well water with a salt water softener. I do not know which anode rod would be best in your case. Having a water softener eats away at the anode rod much quicker. But checking/replacing it yearly as you are doing, is a great preventive maintenance procedure.

However, it doesn't seem to be helping with the issue you are still having. I don't know if another type of anode rod would solve your issue or not.

You could try flushing the wh more often and see if that helps. Turn gas control valve off or turn it down to vacation mode and just hook up a garden hose to the drain and turn it on and let it flush for about 5 minutes or so. Do not turn off water to water heater. See if that helps.

Remove all your arerators and shower heads and flush them out to.

That's about all the suggestions I have. As I said, you could try googling your issue as well. I'm sure someone out there has had the same issue and posted a solution which worked for them.

Good luck and hope you get the black specs out soon speed.

Bpete said:

I have black tar-like specks and they look like tiny pieces of a screen.
They are only in one of my tub when the hot water -not cold— and the other tub is on the other side of the wall. They are tar-like and stick to the tub and smear when trying to clean them. I replaced the hot water tank, but they started again after about 9 months to a year. It has to be in the piping of this one tub— some kind of hose seems to be breaking down.
Hope someone can tell me what it is!!
I have a new tub and don’t want to take a bath in black tar.

Click to expand...

What kind of piping do you have?? Also best to start a new thread instead of an old one. You will get better results. Just a suggestion.