Black slime

One of our WC cisterns keeps being contaminated with a black slimy mould.This results in the slime also building up in the lip of the lavatory bowl with lumps dropping out with the flush. STWNFI has added bleach to the cistern several times but the slime just returns.

Any suggestions?

Mike

Reply to
Muddymike
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Are you on mains water or some sort of private supply which might need looking at? Also if only one cistern is affected then the source or the nutrition of the slime must be coming from that?

Reply to
Bob Minchin

Mine too. On mains cold.

Not mine too.

One of those chemical blocks suspended in the cistern?

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

I recently got something similar in my freshwater aquarium. At first I thought it was algae (some are very dark) but it turns out to be cyanobacteria which thrive on high phosphate content in the water.

It might be worth asking your water company what the phosphate load is in your tap water. It's a real problem in some areas due to fertiliser run-off and detergents etc.

(For my aquarium I've started using iron oxide - based phosphate remover in the filter and that's solved the problem).

Would a water softener help? I'm not sure what anions they remove.

Reply to
LSR

AFAIK, it is no longer allowed to put phosphates in detergent.

Reply to
Huge

We are on a mains supply yet this does only affect the one cistern.

Mike

Reply to
Muddymike

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Reply to
Graham.

It would indicate soemthing has got into the supply pipe to the cistern. Dismantle the valve for a start.

Reply to
charles

Graham. wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Is the slime apparent in the cistern - or only under the lip of the bowl?

Reply to
DerbyBorn

"STWNFI" ?

"She That Was Not Fekin' Impressed", perhaps?

Reply to
Johnny B Good

DerbyBorn wrote in news:XnsA7AA90050B89BTrainJPlantntlworldc@81.171.92.236:

Old degraded Thick Bleach - Toilet Duck type of stuff she is squirting up there?

Reply to
DerbyBorn

It once covered everything in the cistern, not so much now after the bleach treatment. Only apparent under the lip when bits start to dangle!!! (Oh err Mrs)

Mike

Reply to
Muddymike

Never used those Blu things?

Reply to
DerbyBorn

I prevent algae in an IBC collecting rainwater with one of these

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The dispenser won't fit in the cistern, I just include that link for general interest. I'd just suggest putting one of the blocks in the cistern periodically. I'd put it the other end to the water inlet as the turbulent flow there might make them dissolve too quickly.

It's basically the same idea as adding bleach, it is a slow release source of chlorine.

Black slime rather suggests it could be anaerobic bacteria which often metabolise sulphur.

Reply to
newshound

You need to find where its actually growing and expunger it from there I think. Don't know enough about your plumbing to make a suggestion but if its in a loft and it has been left almost empty for a while things start to occur... Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

If there is no evidence of it in the cistern, then it has to be growing under the lip where the water comes through. Might even need a new toilet pan if its actually inside the thing. There seem to be a lot of different sorts out there these days. I always thought a pan was a pan, but oh no, some have big holes some small and some have slots and goodness knows what. I think to really clean it all out could be a life's work. Be interesting to perhaps get it tested to see what it actually is. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

In soft water areas they put phosphates in the water supply to prevent absorbtion of lead from old pipes.

SteveW

Reply to
Steve Walker

You still have a "reservior of slime" in the cistern. Has there been any mechanical removal of slime in the cistern or just a dollop of bleach added and the flsuh pulled?

A hefty dose, mixed in, and left for 24 hours, then all accessable surfaces scrubbed, a few full flushes to get rid of that muck. Re dose and leave again, stands a chance of killing it off in the cistern, killing the stuff off in the channels of the pan will just be a case of flushing a hefty dose of bleach through say every other day for aweek. That should also deal with slime in the syphon etc.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Into a large volume of water......

I once purchased some of those tables and put one into a bucket with half a gallon of water. It became a first world war trench weapon in that when I went back some time later the fumes cleared out my throat and lungs and I had to wash my eyes in cold water. Luckily the bucket was out of doors

Reply to
alan_m

Yes but do those the other way round, scrub out then disinfect all over. Dumping some copper in there might also help.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

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