You're spot on about the galvanized pipes being a sneaky culprit. Had something similar happen in our old place—thought flushing was enough, but rust kept showing up. Ended up having the water tested (pretty straightforward, btw, just grabbed a home kit from the hardware store). Turns out iron levels were high, and corrosion was pretty advanced. Swapped out for PEX piping—problem solved. Might be worth checking your pipes closely if the rust keeps popping back... plumbing surprises are never fun.
Galvanized pipes really can be sneaky troublemakers. Had a similar issue at my sister's place—rust kept creeping back even after multiple flushes. She was convinced it was just surface rust, but like you said, testing showed high iron and corrosion. Switching to PEX was a game changer for her too. Plumbing headaches are frustrating, but sounds like you're on the right track with checking those pipes closely... hang in there, you're definitely not alone in this mess.
Galvanized pipes are definitely notorious for hidden corrosion issues. Seen a few cases where the rust buildup was so bad it restricted water flow significantly, even though externally things looked mostly fine. Curious—did you notice any drop in water pressure or slow refills before the rust became obvious? Sometimes those subtle signs pop up first, but they're easy to overlook until things get messy...
Yeah, galvanized pipes can be sneaky like that. But honestly, in my experience, by the time you notice a significant drop in water pressure or slow refills, the corrosion inside is usually pretty advanced. I've seen pipes that looked perfectly fine externally but were almost completely blocked inside—like arteries clogged with cholesterol. If you're already noticing subtle signs, I'd seriously consider replacing those sections sooner rather than later... patching it up temporarily rarely ends well.
"I've seen pipes that looked perfectly fine externally but were almost completely blocked inside—like arteries clogged with cholesterol."
That's exactly what happened at my place last year. Toilet started refilling slower and slower, and I kept thinking it was just the fill valve or something minor. Finally opened up the pipe section behind the wall and found it nearly choked shut with rust and corrosion. Ended up replacing a good chunk of piping. If you're already noticing issues, might be worth checking behind the scenes sooner rather than later...
