Water Residue - brown / sand(?)

[mj62mj62]

Hello,

We have been sterilising water for the babies bottles in a new Philips Avent Sterliser.

In the bottom of it, we've been seeing a residue that is brown in colour and has little bits in it.

The bits look like sand but feel a bit like a soft paste...

There is no smell and I've been putting brita water into the steriliser most of the time...

Is this normal or any cause for concern?

I don't know how to tell if it's just the steriliser or if there is something in our water supply. The whole house has new (as of 2010), plastic plumbing...

Thanks
Matt

2 pictures from the bottom of the steriliser, with and without the flash:

View media item 28923 View media item 28924

 

[cider]

I dont know what it is but wouldnt feel happy giving my kids bottles if the steriliser looked like that.
Stick them in the dishwasher of sterilise in the microwave (presuming they are microwavable bottles). Or wash in VERY hot water till youve cracked it (the problem not the bottle).

Looks like the inside of a potty not a steriliser

 

[mj62mj62]

> I dont know what it is but wouldnt feel happy giving my kids bottles if the steriliser looked like that.

I agree. Worry not, my child hasn't been having any of this as part of his food and I have other ways to sterilise (fyi - they say never use the microwave!!!). He's breastfed at the moment, but we had been putting measuring spoons and soothers in the steriliser before we noticed the problem.

Also, just to alleviate your fears - the pictures look **infinitely** worse than it is in real life. I've just zoomed in to show you the residue, which is in a small area.

Kettles never get this - they get white limescale type build up. But the steriliser boils the water until it is gone, leaving only residue... And the residue doesn't appear at first, it only appears if you run it a few times without rinsing it out inbetween.

Of course the manufacture says rince and dry it every time, and we can do that, but I'd still like to know what IS this residue and where is it coming from??? The unit itself? The water supply??

Any idea how to test the water? Have you seen this anywhere else?

Thanks

 

[SpecialK]

Fill the steriliser with bottled water and see if the residue remains? I would think there is a problem with the unit!.
Personally I only sterilise items that have come into contact with milk, everything else just gets rinsed :]