Home refrigerator water trouble

[nchvac]

My wife and I drink only water, and we get it from our refrigerator. Last week I noticed some white flaky looking material in the water, so I put about 20 ccs of clorox in the line and pumped some water in behind it into the holding tank until it started coming out of the hole. I let it sit for about 10 minutes, blew it out with nitrogen, and flushed it for 10 minutes with water. I also changed the water filter, which showed no evidence of having any type of slime, etc growing in it. I did cut it open.
Anyway, this morning my wife informed me that the crap is back.
I am wondering if I should just hook up a hose to the copper line and pump some clorox and water mixture into the tank at a higher ratio. I am not getting this material at any of the other water faucets, and the filter shows no signs of having the flakes, so I am assuming something is growing in the tank.
This is well water by the way, so I am assuming this is some type of growth. It doesn't look like slime, but it is just white looking flakes of something.
Any ideas are appreciated.

[craig1]

Are you getting ice with the water or just water? If your getting ice too, the white stuff may be in the ice. Sometimes the coating on the ice maker breaks off and then the aluminum starts to corrode and you get aluminum oxide flakes in the ice.

[luskys a/c]

Try taking some of the flakes and putting them into some CLR and see if there is a reaction to the flakes. Verify these flakes if you can --plastic , lime or part of the filter housing.

[nchvac]

Well, I have changed the filter since it started. I don't think it is plastic due to the way it floats in around in the middle of the cup full of water, if that makes since. In other words it really doesn't seem to sink or float on top necessarily.
The flakes are from water only. Now, my wife has said that she thinks there may be some in the ice, but I haven't melted any to confirm. I will call and tell her to fill up a cup with ice and melt it today to see. As far as i can tell without really looking hard, I don't think the icewater comes out of the storage tank, so if there is flakes in the ice and the water, then the problem will be with the supply.
I didn't think about CLR. I may try to flush some of that through. I did not notice any flakes at all when I flushed the filter or the water line without the filter, so I still go back to the storage tank.

[nchvac]

Try taking some of the flakes and putting them into some CLR and see if there is a reaction to the flakes. Verify these flakes if you can --plastic , lime or part of the filter housing.

I take it that the CLR will disolve it if it is lime?

[VTP99]

It's probably a build up on the inside of the water tank. Just my :.02: Can't you remove the tank and give it a good cleaning ?

[nchvac]

I can, but I will have to install 2 compression fittings when I re install it from the appearance of it. I will revisit how the plastic lines enter the tank, but it doesn't look like they can be removed without destroying the connection, so compression fittings in the lines will be the only option. That is why I was thinking of just taking a pump sprayer and attaching a hose to the end and the copper line and pumping some CLR or clorox in and letting it sit and then flushing it. Less probability of having a leak latter on that way, plus it will clean out the lines.

[Adnshel]

nchvac, is clr rated for potable water - I am guessing no. you could get yourself sick if you run it through your piping. Removing the tank would be your best option if that is where the problem is. If you buy decent quality compression fittings(ones with brass inserts would be recommended) you should have no trouble with leakage. Does your system continue to put out water if you remove your filter? If it does, remove it when you work on the system, especially if you run bleach through the system.

[oldfart]

If your talking about removing the tank in the Ref, you will need special fittings, as you can't use brass rings on plastic line. You can order a new tank, I don't know what the cost is, I'll guess $60.00 or so. What about adding a small in line filter after the tank. You should be able to find some place under the unit to add it.

[Adnshel]

Oldfart, you can use brass rings, you have to have the insert I described for it to work, do not over-torque

[nchvac]

I believe you can. It can be used in coffee makers. here is what they say about that:

Coffee makers:
Mix 1 part CLR to 8 parts water.
Run through automatic machine as if making coffee. Rinse thoroughly by running 4 full pots of cold clean water through a complete cycle.

Sounds like it will need a really good rinsing. Would the bleach be better? I have no problem with using plain bleach.
I am assuming something is possibly growing in there. i will check the material today if I collect it. It is just a flake or piece or two per cup full, but enough to make the wife not want to drink it. not such a big deal to me as I see what goes on in restaurants, so that little flake of whatever is no big deal.

[Adnshel]

Sounds like you could use it then. A question though. Your water, do you have any problems with lime scale. You would notice it the most in your water heater. For instance, if you have and electric heater - it will often build up on the lower element and burn it up. I suspect that is the issue you are having and the clr will probably be more effective. I would follow it with a cup to gallon mixture of bleach to sanitize after you finish flushing the clr, then flush the bleach after it sits for an hr.

[nchvac]

no lime problems that I know of.

[Paul Bee]

We used to use Citric acid crystals to clean 50 lb. Ice machines (fruit fresh for canning is the same thing). It is non toxic, might give you the runs but won't kill you.

[nchvac]

I am getting a little agrevated at this thing. I took the selonoid off and blew it out, and did get some gray looking material out of it. I have ran clorox through, and still got the flakes, but more of them, so maybe some of the crap in the lines is breaking loose. I cut the tank out and have not reinstalled it, I just put a compression fitting in the water line where I cut it out.
This evening, I ran CLR through the lines and let it sit for an hour. Pumped through a couple gallons and I am still getting some very fine something or another circulating in the water. I looks like bubbles, but you can tell that they aren't bubbles. Usually bubbles tend to stick to the sides of the glass or rise. These things just swirl. Kind of like watching an Alka Seltzer when the fizing has died down, just not that cloudy. In fact, the water is clear, it just has these particle things that look like bubbles in it.
So far I have blown it out, cloroxed it and CLRed it and flushed with gallons and gallons of water.
I have reconfirmed that the water coming out of the filter is clear.
Any ideas?

[Adnshel]

Have you installed a water heater recently?

[nchvac]

Have you installed a water heater recently?

no new water heater. I poured some clorox in the well today to sanitize it, and now I am getting the particulate in all of the water, so I must have a problem in the well. We will be using bottled water till I can get it straightened out. I know a guy at the water treatment plant and he told me to pour the clorox in and that it would clear for drinking purposes in about two days or so. He is going to test it for me when we get together on it, but he said that the clorox usually sanitizes wells pretty good. We will see. I may have to install a whole house filter system.