# What the hell? The water coming out of my bathroom faucet is white. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634 "2010-03-16T07:13:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/21 "2010-03-17T11:40:50Z")
The size of bubbles an aerator introduces are large enough that they quickly rise to the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Famousair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Famousair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Famousair)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/22 "2017-08-01T16:28:43Z")
So what if it’s the cold side that is bubbling? I was brushing my teeth this morning and as I’m rinsing out my mouth I notice the water gets different and its bubbling like peroxide does. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/23 "2017-08-01T17:01:22Z")
> [@Famousair](#): > > So what if it’s the cold side that is bubbling? I was brushing my teeth this morning and as I’m rinsing out my mouth I notice the water gets different and its bubbling like peroxide does. Cold water can hold more dissolved gas than warm water does. And then when it’s dispensed from a faucet, it warms slightly and is mechanically agitated, possibly causing the gas to precipitate into bubbles. That’s my guess, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/24 "2017-08-02T14:23:16Z")
Water in a closed plumbing system is under higher pressure and can hold more dissolved gases … when we fill a glass with this water the pressure is released and returns to normal … and this _could_ allow the dissolved gases to precipitate out … no clue where the excessive dissolved gases are coming from if not your water supplier … I’d suggest the OP and zombie-resurrector use beer when they brush their teeth … that seems the only commonality … ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/25 "2017-08-02T14:34:39Z")
I guess the bubbles can have multiple causes, but in my experience, they’re caused by the water heater, since the cold water never has the tiny bubbles. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/26 "2017-08-02T16:39:31Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > I guess the bubbles can have multiple causes, but in my experience, they’re caused by the water heater, since the cold water never has the tiny bubbles. Tiny bubbles come from Don Ho. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634/27 "2017-08-03T13:47:02Z")
If you just let the water stand for a while, it should clear itself, IF indeed it’s just air bubbles. But if OP finds that he must let the water stand for 7 years for it to clear up, maybe that’s not it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634.md?page=1)