Is there a plumber in the house?

[Bronn]

So last night my wife was running a bath to lie in and soak some sore muscles before taking a shower.

She noticed that the water would turn dark for a split second every now and then. She came and got me to check it out and, sure enough, every couple of seconds the water would turn gray/black.

Long story short, we tried several other fixtures and eventually got the same result, in the hot water primarily, but also in the cold.

I did some research and thought I might have too much sediment/junk in my water heater, and decided to drain it today and refill it (since it hasn't been done in the 7 or so years it has been in use) to see if I saw any come out that way, and if it would flush it out.

There was a bit that came out with it, but it wasn't a lot. I refilled the tank, and of course now the hot water comes out brown/with more (finer) sediment from stirring it up in the water heater. I suspect that is because the water in there now needs to settle before we get it clear again.

That said, I still get larger particles coming out. It almost looks like pepper, some specks even larger, and some float while some sink. There is no odor, and some have a metallic flaky look, while some look organic, almost like bits of leaves. Nothing is gritty like soil.

My water lines are all white PEX, so there aren't any metal lines breaking down or anything. The house was built in 2004 and finished in 2005.

I'm on town water, and, at this point, I suspect that it is some sort of particulate that has been sucked into my line due to someone locally working on a line or something.

Anyone have any expertise and/or thoughts on what it could be?

[cookinbrak]

The city is probably flushing the lines or doing some repair somewhere. Call and ask if this is the case. Or ask a neighbor.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

do a little tappy on the pipe with one of them thingymajiggers

[thennek]

A hot water heater should last more than 8-9 years (your house was built in 2004), however, if it was a cheap/builder grade hot water heater, it could be going bad. You may want to get it tested/checked out to make sure it does not need to be replaced.

[Ja Rhule]

I'd ask your neighbor. Its more than likely the city did some repairs or pull a new line.