Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

Why Is My Tap Water Rusty or Brown?

You turn on the faucet, and instead of clean, clear water, you’re staring at a glass that looks dirty and brown. If this happens in your Bellevue home, take a breath. It might look alarming, but rusty water doesn’t always mean there’s a serious problem.

It does, however, mean something in your plumbing—or even the city’s water lines—needs a closer look. At 2 Sons Plumbing Bellevue, we see this a lot, and the cause usually comes down to just a few common issues.

What Usually Causes Rusty Water

Brown or reddish water almost always means corrosion or sediment has found its way into your tap. Here are the big three we run into in Bellevue:

Old Pipes Wearing Out

If your home has older galvanized pipes, the insides can rust. Bits of that rust break off and mix with your water, which is why it comes out brown, yellow, or orange.

A Water Heater Going Bad

If the problem shows up only on the hot side, your water heater is the likely suspect. Sediment collects at the bottom of the tank, or the tank itself may be corroding. Either way, rusty water shows up at the faucet.

Work on the City’s Water Mains

Sometimes it’s not your plumbing at all. When the city flushes or works on water mains, sediment gets stirred up. The water looks brown for a few hours, but usually clears on its own.

Quick Checks You Can Do

Before calling anyone, there are a few things you can try:
Run the cold tap. Let it flow for a few minutes. If it clears, it was likely a temporary disturbance.
Check hot vs. cold. If only the hot water is rusty, your water heater is probably to blame.

Compare samples. Fill two glasses—one hot, one cold—and look at them side by side. If both are rusty, it’s likely your pipes or the city line.

If the water clears quickly, you may be fine. If not, it’s time to dig deeper.

When to Call a Bellevue Plumber

Rusty water that sticks around is a warning sign. If it happens all over the house, your pipes could be corroding. If it’s only hot water, your water heater may be failing.

At 2 Sons Plumbing Bellevue, we’ll track down the cause and fix it. Replacing a water heater typically costs $1,200–$4,500 depending on size and efficiency. If your whole house needs repiping, costs vary, but we’ll walk you through the options and give you a clear plan.

Get Back to Clean, Clear Water

No one wants to cook, shower, or drink water that looks rusty. Even if it’s not dangerous right away, it’s a clear sign something’s going on with your plumbing.

At 2 Sons Plumbing Bellevue, we’ve helped plenty of local families with this exact problem. Sometimes it’s just flushing the system, other times it’s a new water heater or fresh pipes—but whatever the cause, we’ll find it and fix it the right way.

Call us today at (206) 487-1757. We’ll track down the issue, explain your options in plain English, and get your water running clean again fast.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3393 reviews

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Maria Kute

23:01 18 Nov 25

Thank you, Bob, for your professional, courteous, and kind service! My downstairs tub was running with high pressure due to some worn out stems. Bob was thorough—but unfortunately our fixtures are quite old, and he didn’t have appropriate replacements available the first day. However, they were able to find the appropriate stems for our tub and fixed the leak right away day 2. I cannot speak highly enough about how grateful I am for the way 2 Sons accommodated my schedule when they needed to return with the appropriate fixtures. The technician was a genuine joy to work with—and I appreciate the quick follow up and turn around. I also appreciate the way Bob walked me through the process and double checked for leaks.

Maria Kute

23:01 18 Nov 25

Evan Rose

16:17 18 Nov 25

We had a great experience. Brandon and Chris were very polite and professional. We had a massive leak under a toilet and they came and fixed it on a Saturday. They were very timely and hardworking. Ethan was another who was also very polite and professional. Pricing was also very manageable for the extent of the problem we had. I would highly recommend.

Evan Rose

16:17 18 Nov 25

YuliyaG

22:06 14 Nov 25

I had a great experience with 2Sons Plumbing. Communication was on point from start to finish. Dave arrived on time, was very friendly, and knowledgeable. He also gave me a helpful heads-up about our heater and offered great advice. I really appreciate the professionalism and will definitely use them again!

YuliyaG

22:06 14 Nov 25

Brandy Przybylak

19:28 05 Nov 25

We really enjoyed our experience with 2 Sons. We had an emergency that had water all over our kitchen and basement. They were able to send someone out later in the evening for us after several other companies either cancelled on us or said they couldn't come until the next day. Our technician/plumber Riley was great to work with - friendly, quick, and effective! They even gave us a call back a few days later to check in on our experience and to answer some extra questions we had. Highly recommend!

Brandy Przybylak

19:28 05 Nov 25

Carol Wong

19:21 04 Nov 25

I have not decided to go with 2 Sons for the plumbing issues I have yet. However, I am very impressed by the technician, Guy, who came for the appointment. He was professional, friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, and thorough. I told him that I was just getting a quote and not ready to commit to do the repair right away. He was very understanding. I have a clogged kitchen sink, disconnected washer hose causing water damage, and likely a disconnected pipe behind the wall. He explained the steps I need to take before he can help for all three issues. Like I should hire the restoration company to repair the water damage before reconnecting the pipes. He also helped to take pictures and referred me to a restoration company for the jobs outside of his scope. Before he left, he measured the water pressure to make sure the pressure is within a normal range. Just to make sure the water is not putting too much pressure on the fixtures resulting leaks. It was definitely a surprisingly pleasant and thorough experience with Guy.

Carol Wong

19:21 04 Nov 25

Joanne Chan

01:00 31 Oct 25

Excellent service from 2 Sons Plumbing – highly recommended!

We recently had 2 Sons Plumbing come out to fix several issues at our place. We couldn’t be happier with the results. Marcos and Chris were absolutely fantastic — professional, knowledgeable, and very thorough in their work. Every single job was done with precision and care.

Marcos and Chris took the time to explain what they were doing, answered all our questions patiently, and made sure everything was up to code and functioning perfectly before they left. They worked efficiently, left the area spotless.

It’s rare to find such reliable, honest, and detail-oriented professionals these days. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to my friends and neighbors.

Joanne Chan

01:00 31 Oct 25

Jurusha Emerson

16:11 28 Oct 25

I called 2 Sons Plumbing and was able to get them to come out to the house the very next day. The over the phone customer service were very personable and friendly. On the day of my appointment, Bob was the one sent to our house to fix our kitchen faucet. Bob was extremely friendly and helpful in fixing my faucet. He was very considerate and quick with his work. I did not feel like I was being taken advantage of or overpriced as far as how much they were charging. Bob was always transparent with the cost and also trying to find the most cost-effective way to accomplish what needed to get done? I would recommend 2 Sons plumbing to anyone who needs plumbing service. 2 Sons plumbing has a gem for an employee (Bob). If I were to call 2 Sons plumbing again for service, I would definitely want to request Bob as my priority person.
Thankyou so much

Jurusha Emerson

16:11 28 Oct 25

Mackenzie Maynes

02:22 28 Oct 25

After the recent power outage I discovered that my combi-boiler went on the fritz, meaning no hot water and no heat in my home—a very chilly situation for Seattle fall. 2 Son’s was so friendly and able to send out Adam same-day which was a huge relief! Adam quickly assed the issue, fixed it and provided a thorough explanation of what he did to get the system up and running again (which I deeply appreciated). I am thoroughly impressed by his knowledge of these units; turns out the pressure reducing valve on my machine also needs to be replaced, which explains why my water pressure has always been a bit funky between hot and cold. Adam provided an affordable proposal for a future repair to my unit for optimal functioning. Would absolutely recommend Adam and 2 Sons!

Mackenzie Maynes

02:22 28 Oct 25

Amy J

01:15 28 Oct 25

Had a great experience with 2 Sons Plumbing, Heating & Air. Their scheduling system was smooth — I got a call when Carey was assigned, could track his arrival, and everything ran on time. Carey was fantastic! He inspected the garbage disposal, coordinated with my property manager for approval, and quickly installed the new system. He was respectful, efficient, and made sure everything worked perfectly. Really appreciated his help!

Amy J

01:15 28 Oct 25

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Our house decided to replace our own toilet, but we got stuck halfway through because we didn’t have the right tools and accidentally broke an anchor bolt. I called 2 Sons Plumbing, and they showed up within an hour to help us out. Derek, our plumber, was super friendly, explained everything clearly, and got the job done quickly and professionally. Excellent service all around—highly recommend!

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25