Anyone here know why water makes a stain in the bathtub?

Question

My water makes a pink slimy stain when it pools up somewhere for a day or two. It stains the drain and the toilet. Also, when you leave a few drops of water in the bathtub, a pink stain appears. Its gross, it comes off with soap. But I wonder why it does that?

Answer 1

Check this out....it is off the internet:

What White Water Mold is & what it looks like:

a naturally occurring bacterium (of the newly formed genus Methylobacterium) (this is NOT a form of Algae, it is animal not vegetable)
Pink-pigmented, forms a heavy, protective slime coating providing the organism with an unusually high level of protection, methanol consuming, oftentimes found WITH White Water Mold
that is very resilient against halogen-based (chlorine, bromine) as well as non-halogen sanitizers or germicides can remain a contaminant even after treatment
this is NOT a biguanide problem ONLY
bacterium has an affinity for the matrix that exists on the surface of PVC plastics; it will attach itself to & inside of the matrix, allowing it to re-contaminate long after it appears that it has been destroyed (includes pool toys, floats, ladders, steps, fountains, automatic pool cleaner parts, skimmer baskets, weirs, directional fittings, garden hoses, etc.)
small quantities can lead to a re-establishment of the problem
caused by improper water & pool maintenance, environment, poor circulation
prefers areas that are "dark" (not exposed to direct sunlight) & with "slow moving" water
** in another industry, medical technology, this bacterium occurs regularly in laboratory tubing

White Water Mold & Pink Slime are NOT CAUSED BY USING BIGUANIDES (Soft Swim, Baquacil, Polyclear, etc.)!
It is an environmental issue.

Prevention:
Prevention of "white water mold" & "pink slime" is preferred over treatment. Follow these steps to help prevent white water mold:
1. Physically brush & clean ALL Spa surfaces weekly, including steps, jet recesses, & behind pillows
2. Expose ALL pool surfaces to as much sunlight as possible (sunlight & UV are natural
oxidizers)
3. Remove the lid from the skimmer to allow sunlight into the basket for several hours each
day ** INGROUND POOLS MUST USE EXTREME CAUTION in doing this in order to avoid
a person falling into or otherwise injuring themselves due to an open skimmer.
4. Regularly add oxidizing chemicals into the skimmer to purge & clean the filtration lines of
any bio-film*
5. When adding make-up water from the garden hose, allow the water to run for 2 to 3
minutes before putting the hose into the pool.
6. Regularly clean spa & hot tub toys & floats (use BioGuard® Stow Away)
7. Regularly clean pool solar blanket (use BioGuard® Stow Away)
8. Chemically clean pool filter every 4 to 6 weeks (use SpaGuard® Filter Cleaner or SoftSoak® Filter Cleaner)
9. Add regular Maintenance dosages of "Shock" (SpaGuard® Spa Shock, SpaGuard® Enhanced Shock, SpaGuard® Chlorinating Concentrate, SpaGuard® Brominating Concentrate or SoftSoak® Shock) every week as prescribed
10. Run the filter a minimum of 6 hours daily to prevent "dead spots" in the pool
11. Remember to clean & rinse the brushes, hoses & vacuums that you use to clean the spa
12. Leave as much of your spa equipment exposed to the sun
13. Keep the water balanced at all times. Recheck after heavy usage or rain or large "top-offs" of new water. Water balance refers to Free Available Sanitizer level, pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness.

Answer 2

Red stains are normally caused by iron in the water. You must test to determine the amount and the type of iron you have. Some types are oxidized, soluble and bacterial. All are a problem. It takes only 0.3 ppm to stain fixtures, clothes etc.
Oxidized
This type of iron is usually found in surface water supplies. This water contains red particles when first drawn from the tap. The easiest way to remove this type of iron with a fine mechanical filter. A cartridge type filter is usually not a good solution, due to the rapid plugging of the element.

Soluble
Soluble iron is called "clear water iron". After being drawn from a well and contacting the air, the iron oxidizes, forming reddish brown particles in the water. Depending on the amount of iron in the water, you may solve this problem with a water conditioner, or a combination of softener and filter. You may use an iron filter that recharges with potassium permanganate, or feed chemicals to oxidize the iron and then filter it with a mechanical filter.

Bacterial
Iron bacteria are living organisms that feed on the iron found in water. They build slime all along the water flow path. Occasionally, the slimy growth breaks free causing extremely discolored water. If a slug breaks loose, it can pass through to the point of use, plugging fixtures. If you suspect bacterial iron, look for a reddish or green slime buildup in your toilet flush tank. This type of iron problem is hard to eliminate. You must kill the bacteria, usually by chlorination. You must use high amounts of chlorine throughout the plumbing system to kill all the organisms. It may be necessary to feed chlorine continuously to prevent regrowth.

Answer 3

It is usually caused by the iron content in your water. Make sure you keep cleaning it up with scouring powder or bleach - whatever you use. If it sits long enough, the rust will stain your bathtub or toilet.

The other option might be old copper plumbing that was used when your house was built. Over the years, it degrades a little bit. Same thing, though, it will stain if you don't keep it cleaned up.

Answer 4

You need to have this checked by a professional.
Iron in the water is more of a red/rusty color (almost orange)
it is not PINK and it is not slimy. and it does not wash off with
soap. On a porcelin tub it requires a acid based clean to remove and on fiberglass(plastic) tubs it takes an abrasive cleaner to remove.

Some wells give "sulphur water" but it has a rotten egg smell you didn't mention so I'll assum that isn't your problem.
The SLIMEY part of your question concerns me., Anything slimey usually means bacteria or fungus or mold in the pipes.

Answer 5

it's not the water itself that causes it
it's what the water coming out of the tube consists of
so for example Iron is known to created red spots