Red stains in water level tube

[mc2fool]

I have a rainwater butt which has a splitter on the tap, one side of which is connected to a 12mm clear PVC tube that goes up vertically at the side of the butt and allows me to see at a glance the water level in the butt. The top of the tube is, of course, open to the air.

Shortly after fitting it, a few months back, some red "stains" appeared on the inside of the tube. They're only along around a 2 foot section in the middle of the tube and don't seem to be growing at all; they're much the same now as when I first noticed them.

I've been meaning to try cleaning it (which will have to be by disconnecting the tube, attaching a small nut or similar to a length of string, dropping/jiggling that through the tube, and then using the string to pull through a bit of j-cloth or similar....) but haven't got round to it yet, and in the meanwhile was wondering if anyone might know what it could be.....

[Itsallaguess]

It sounds like Serratia marcescens -

About the Bacteria

Many experts agree that the bacteria that causes these pink stains is most likely Serratia marcescens, a bacteria which is found naturally in soil, food, and in animals. Serratia, which produce a characteristic red pigment, thrive on moisture, dust, and phosphates and need almost nothing to survive.

https://www.mawc.org/staining-plumbing-fixtures

If it's not growing, then I'd be tempted to soak and clean internally with white vinegar and connect it back up, and hope it's just built up off a previous residue that's cleaned with the vinegar.

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[swill453]

Bleach or the like will kill it, but not get rid of the pink stain. Drying it and putting it in bright sunlight might work.

Scott.

[Breelander]

... some red "stains" appeared on the inside of the tube.

It sounds like Serratia marcescens...

I get the same red stains in the water I leave out for the birds.

[bungeejumper]

I get the same red stains in the water I leave out for the birds.

So do I, in the bird bath. Usually caused by pigeons using it as a bidet, I think. And I had thought it was an algae.

I drop the tiniest amount of our granddaughter's paddling pool chlorine into it - a mere dusting of powder for a couple of gallons of water - and it's all cleared by the morning. Bleach, I think, would have the same effect. It doesn't seem to bother the bees who also use the bird-bath as a drinking fountain.

BJ

[kempiejon]

It sounds like Serratia marcescens -

I get the same red stains in the water I leave out for the birds.

Perhaps the bird bath is something different.

Haematococcus is a genus of algae in the family Haematococcaceae. Members of this group are the common cause for the pink color found in birdbaths.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haematococcus

[mc2fool]

Thanks all. I've now tried cleaning the tube, pulling a bit of J-cloth through it, and neither water nor vinegar nor bleach touch the stains; none of the red transfers to the J-cloth and they look just like they did before.

The Wikipedia entry for Serratia marcescens says it forms a "slimy film", at least in bathrooms, so if it was that bacteria it's only the stain that's left. As I say, it's not changed at all since I first noticed it a few months back, indeed, that's why I haven't had the impetus to do anything about it (if it had been growing I'd have acted before now!), so I rather suspect it was a transitory growth that left its mark but very quickly died out.

It is kinda curious that it's only in a middle section of the tube. All of the tube bar the top 6 inches is wet when the butt is full and all bar the bottom foot or so is open to the air when the butt is empty, so either airborne or waterborne you'd expect more of the tube to be affected. And it was a new tube so, well, curious.....

[swill453]

Thanks all. I've now tried cleaning the tube, pulling a bit of J-cloth through it, and neither water nor vinegar nor bleach touch the stains; none of the red transfers to the J-cloth and they look just like they did before.

Like I said above, if it's sunny where you are leave it (dried) in sunlight for a while.

Scott.

[mc2fool]

Thanks all. I've now tried cleaning the tube, pulling a bit of J-cloth through it, and neither water nor vinegar nor bleach touch the stains; none of the red transfers to the J-cloth and they look just like they did before.

Like I said above, if it's sunny where you are leave it (dried) in sunlight for a while.

Noted the first time. Sunny on and off at the moment but will try in the coming week when Sol is due to be in all day full ray-gun mode.

[Gengulphus]

Thanks all. I've now tried cleaning the tube, pulling a bit of J-cloth through it, and neither water nor vinegar nor bleach touch the stains; none of the red transfers to the J-cloth and they look just like they did before.

The Wikipedia entry for Serratia marcescens says it forms a "slimy film", at least in bathrooms, so if it was that bacteria it's only the stain that's left. ...

That "slimy film" is probably a biofilm. Biofilms can adhere quite tenaceously (think about a dentist or dental hygienist descaling teeth, which is basically removing the dental plaque biofilm), and are also quite effective at protecting the bacteria within them from chemicals in the environment... Not certain whether I can suggest anything much that can be done about that, though, beyond making certain that it gets a good long soaking in bleach (rather than just putting some bleach through the tube) if you haven't done that already.

Gengulphus