Sand in toilet tank. HELP

[earthmother]

So I have a question. I noticed about a week ago in the upstairs shower it looked like dirt ,my kids were in it and I was like they can't be that dirty. But it wasn't anything that was so ridiculous that I was didn't think anything about it. The shower drain was fine, a shower work.

Then I noticed in the upstairs toilet only ...no other toilets were affected just the upstairs, I noticed when I flush the toilet there was sand. Where did this sand came from. Open up the back of the tank to see if there was something going on and found about three and a half cups of sand at the bottom of the tank. Got a hose cleaned it out, clean the inside of the tank, flush the toilet more f****** sand. If this is a well problem why is it only the upstairs bathroom that's collecting sand. I don't have money for a new well. And all the other toilets in the house are clear, I just got a new water softener, a new water heater, and redid half the damn pipes ( PVC) it was the original galvanized that we replaced. So my question is is this a problem that could be fixed since it's only on the top floor could I switch out that or is it definitely a well problem.

Please help poor Mama of 2

 

[Reach4]

Look at the aerator of the lavatory of the problem bathroom. If the sand came via the pipes, I would expect the aerator to have trapped such sand.

Compare the sand that was in the bottom of the toilet tank with the sand in your sandbox. Look similar?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

If this is a well problem why is it only the upstairs bathroom that's collecting sand.

You would need to examine the piping layout to answer that. My guess is that the sand being heavier than the water that they separate a little depending on the velocity in the pipes along that path and the path of least resistance leads to that toilet and bathroom. While it may sound reasonable that a downstairs bath would have a path of lower resistance, the piping layout and subsequently the velocity might be such that the sand can separate from the water stream.

It is not uncommon to see more sand come out of a particular fixture.

 

[Reach4]

If this is a well problem why is it only the upstairs bathroom that's collecting sand. I don't have money for a new well.

Do you have a filter after your pressure tank? Could it be that the cold supply to the problem bathroom branches off before that filter?

Have you used the drain faucet at your pressure tank? You should do that periodically... I don't know what that period should be, but I expect most people go a few years. I think more frequently would be better if you get stuff.

Anyway, watch what comes out. Do you get similar sand?

 

[LLigetfa]

My guess is that it is coming from the well. What are the particulars of the well? You might need to pull the pump and air lift out the sand. You might also need to slow down the pump with a dole valve. Sometimes putting a long shroud over the pump can help if the sand is top fed and provided there is enough bore hole below the pump for sand to accumulate. Sometimes a sand separator in the well can help.

 

[LLigetfa]

Have you used the drain faucet at your pressure tank?

It depends on the style of tank. Captive air (bladder) tanks have only one port at the very bottom of the tank so the tank is not likely to accumulate sand as might a hydro-pneumatic tank.

Some folks expressly put in a HP style tank (without air) before their bladder tank as a sand separator. The water goes in and out separate high ports and the blowdown port then purges out the sand.

 

[Reach4]

My guess is that it is coming from the well.

But then why not sand in other rooms?

I guess I would also want to flush the WH. It is good to do anyway, but it would be interesting to see how much sand that has.

Water heater (WH) flushing can be done different ways. The simplest is to
1. Turn off the WH water, and put the WH in vacation mode, if it has one. Otherwise off.
2. Open a hot water tap to pass air.
3. Drain the WH completely. Usually you would use a hose to direct the water.
4. Turn the water supply on fully for a few seconds, and turn off. You are trying to cause turbulence to the bottom of the tank.
5. Do steps 3 and 4 several times. If you have a way to monitor the drained water, you could judge by what you are getting out.
6. Turn the water and WH back on. Close the hot water tap once the air has been expelled and just water is coming out.

Precharged Pressure tank flush:
1. Connect a hose to the sediment drain valve, and run that to where you plan to drain the water. I suggest filtering the output through a cloth if you suspect the sediment may include sand.
2. Turn off the pump.
3. Open the faucet, and let it drain until the water stops. It would be possibly interesting to watch the first water that comes out.
4. Close the valve, and turn the pump back on.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 a time or two.

 

[LLigetfa]

But then why not sand in other rooms?

As I explained, you would have to follow the piping to gain an understanding of why the sand chose such a route. If there is a horizontal section of pipe where the sand can flow along the bottom of the pipe and the first takeoff to that toilet is at the bottom, the sand may flow by gravity down that path.

It is kind of the same only opposite of why only certain fixtures may spit out air where the air flows along the top of the horizontal section and rises up the first takeoff at the top.

 

[Reach4]

As I explained, you would have to follow the piping to gain an understanding of why the sand chose such a route. If there is a horizontal section of pipe where the sand can flow along the bottom of the pipe and the first takeoff to that toilet is at the bottom, the sand may flow by gravity down that path.

I like this explanation. The first one not as much.

 

[hj]

IF the sand is "golden" and feels slippery when you rub it, it is probably the resin from the water softener, because it connected backwards or something is broken inside it. The softener would "filter out" any sand from the pump or well.

 

[LLigetfa]

The softener would "filter out" any sand from the pump or well.

Maybe, maybe not. If the softener is losing resin then the sand would/could follow the same path. What the OP is calling sand might be fine silt that could go through the coarse screens in a softener.

Some folks bypass certain fixtures since there is no benefit to soften water used to flush poop.

 

[Reach4]

Some folks bypass certain fixtures since there is no benefit to soften water used to flush poop.

Those folks would be making a mistake, since it is mostly calcium and magnesium compounds that leave mineral deposits.

Regarding resin, colors vary. Some is black.