I received a call from my daughter who said that the water pump was making a grinding noise. She sent a photo to me showing 0 psi on the gauge. I came home to find it actually working again but after running water straight from the pump I found that it is really rusty. What is this caused from? Our water was nice and clear! We've had freezing conditions here. Still doesn't explain the sudden rust.
it relatively is probably not appropriate. a threat that the sump pump and the nicely pump have been tied jointly and has a GFCI breaker interior the line. See in case you will discover a GFI it relatively is likewise tripped.
Ok there are several possibilities one is that since pressure went to zero you stirred up sediment in the surge tank especially if it is the old style before bladder type also if air got into pipes that will loosen rust but these are minor and will clear with time and use but i would worry what is wrong with pump that goes to zero and makes noise you better check that out or your at risk it wont restart next time
If you have galvanized pipes there is always a trace amount of metal (rust) in your water but if you use the water every day it isn't noticeable, as it comes through in such small quantities. It could be that one or more of your pipes froze and cracked, releasing some larger chunks of rust from the walls of the pipes or pressure tank. Run the water steady for a while and see if it clear up. It would be wise to check all of your exposed pipes/tanks for leaks now too because if a pipe or tank cracks it will either be leaking now or shortly in the future. The rust/ice could have also been temporarily blocking the pipes, causing the 0 pressure. If the pump is running with no water, it will run faster and much louder.
