Calcium "gravel" in water lines

[DanMan]

Can anyone help? Over the weekend my hose bib on the back of my house completely clogged up. When I took off the hose bib, the pipe was clogged with what looked like gravel but it was chunks of calcium buildup, which must have broke loose from somewhere. My house is less than six years old and I do not have a water softener but I can't believe this much buildup would occur in less than six years. I cleared the line and ran water through the pipe then replaced the hose bib. It immediately clogged up again in the same manner. After this all of my sinks and toilets started clogging up. I had to take the shutoff valves off from the walls and clean the lines. Shower heads clogged up and toilet valves stopped working as well. I spent all day trying to clean out as much as I could and I think it is somewhat under control other than filter screens at the sinks clogging and toilets still messing up.

Has anyone heard of this happening? What might cause this and what can I do to totally clean my plumbing out in my house?

 

[Jadnashua]

Are you on a well or municipal water supply system?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DanMan]

I am on a municipal water system.

 

[Markts30]

work on a municipal line broke calcium buildup loose and you are just getting the benefit of this....

 

[Mikey]

Time to buy a whole-house particle filter.

 

[Herk]

More likely, the water in your water heater expanded when it heated (normal) and pushed the particles out into the cold water line. If you have a bottom-feed water heater, this would be an obvious problem. But because of the dip tube, it can push it out the top as well. Your water heater needs to have the sediment cleaned out.