Black slime in faucet spout.

[dolot]

I have a problem in my bathroom faucets. Every few days I have to clean the spouts because there is black slime growing on the edges of the screen. I took out the spouts and there's no black slime in the insides, just on the outside. Also, this only occurs in the bathroom sink faucets. The showers and kitchen faucets are OK.

Any idea what's going on?

 

[sherylmacali]

This occurs when there are high levels of dissolved wastes and nutrients in the water. But, I'm not sure why this is happening only to your bathroom sink faucets. You should contact your interior designer who have prescribed this faucets.

 

[dolot]

I have a two-stage whole house water filter system. The first filter is just a sediment filter, while the second filter is a carbon filter to remove chlorine.

 

[Caduceus]

Take a picture, if you can. I'm curious as to what the 'black slime' looks like. Sometimes small flakes of carbon from the filter can get into the drinking water, but the question would still remain why it is only in the bathroom faucets. You haven't mentioned it, but is there an odor to the water?
To sherylmacali. Not to assume, but I will anyways...you are an interior designer.
I believe that the quote "This occurs when there are high levels of dissolved wastes and nutrients in the water." is referring to the growth of cyanobacteria in aquariums and the blue-green slime that can affect them. Different conditions are needed for this and I would also think that dolot would have noticed an obscene odor coming from the water, but we will see.
Let us know, dolot.

(I got good Google-Fu)

 

[phishfood]

I am trying to figure out what an interior designer from Miami, I mean Jacksonville, would know about black slime in a faucet screen.

And why would you think that the original poster had an interior designer help them select their faucets?

 

[Caduceus]

I'm just curious as how contacting your interior designer who prescribed the faucets could resolve the situation...other than selling you another faucet at and up-charged rate that will still develop the same problem. It just seemed that there were some apples sitting among the oranges in the solution.
(Hint: Highlight, control+v, insert to Google search, check top hits...always check the details before plagiarizing.)

 

[dolot]

The water from these faucets doesn't have any particular smell or odor. I can try to get a picture of it. It might be tricky because the way I find it is by turning on the faucet and then rubbing my finger on the screen under the spigot. it usually falls into the sink and is gone.

I actually wondered about it being the faucet design, although it certainly wasn't an interior decorator who put these in. The guy who built the place used builder's grade stuff in many places.

 

[dolot]

Here's an image of the stuff floating in the water - not very clear at this resolution.

 

[heater963]

Hello,

I am not a plumber, but I had a very similar issue when I moved into a home that was built and left vacant for 5 years. When I turned on the hot water and allowed the water to set in the sink, the oxygen in the air turned the water black.

After flushing the heater several times, it began to dissipate. Since I am on a well I had a Kinetico system installed. As part of the install they tested the well water output and found it was very high in Iron content.

I have no idea if ANY of my experience has application to yours, but your description sounds familiar, so I thought I would put my experience down. If you flush the system, you may find it the black slime dissipates. Just athought.

 

[dolot]

Update:
I found some of the stuff on the kitchen faucet spout. Not sure why I've never noticed it there before, but it was clearly there.

 

[havasu]

I also discovered it myself today in one of the bathroom faucets. I'm chalking it up to the extreme high heat in my area, and being on a municipal water supplier. I just rinsed it off and all is well.