# Hot Water

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563 "2001-11-15T17:18:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![horhay\_achoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@horhay\_achoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horhay_achoa)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563/1 "2001-11-15T17:18:20Z")

</div>

Why does hot water come out of the faucet looking white and or creamy sometimes?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563/2 "2001-11-15T17:28:57Z")

</div>

theres probably something wrong with your pipes or boiler  
since mine doesn’t do that , unless its refraction from the steam or something ,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563/3 "2001-11-15T17:33:55Z")

</div>

Naah, nothing wrong with your pipes. I’ve seen that myself many times. If you pour the hot, milky water into a glass, you’ll see it will quickly turn clear. The milkyness looks like tiny steam bubbles to me. Incidentally, installing an aerator on your faucet will mask the effect.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563/4 "2001-11-15T17:33:56Z")

</div>

From this [site](http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/water/water_quality/intro_to_wq/wq_faqs/cloudy_water/cloudy_water.htm):

> [@](#):
>
> **Hot water will sometimes be cloudy due to the physics of heating and moving the water through a pressurized system. As water is heated, the gases dissolved in the water will escape. (That’s why most water heaters have a pressure release safety device.) As the hot water is released at the tap, the gases immediately begin to separate from it. The water will clear quickly.**

Hope that helps. I also know that Dave Feldman (sorry for the faux pas!) answered this in one of his Imponderables books. I don’t know which one, though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water/93563/5 "2001-11-15T18:09:24Z")

</div>

\>\> theres probably something wrong with your pipes or boiler

Handy gets warned of banning for posting stuff like this. You better watch out.

The reason hot water looks “cloudy” sometimes is due to disolved air. Take a glass and fill it with this water. Now leave it on the counter and you will see the air slowly go to the top and the water become crystal clear. That white stuff ain’t gonna poison you.