How To Know When Your House Needs Repiping

If your home was built before the 1970s or hasn’t been remodeled, you will most likely have old pipes that need replacing. Take a look below at a few tips and questions to ask yourself that will help you determine if your house needs repiping.

Signs You Need Repiping:

1. LOOK FOR SIGNS OF TROUBLE

It is important to spot signs of trouble in order to prevent larger-scale plumbing problems from occurring.

Exposed pipes: Take a look at exposed pipes in your basement.
Crawl space: Crawl space below your house or even the pipes connected to your water heater.
Signs of Corrosion: Look for flaking, stains, discoloration, dimpling, etc. These are all signs of corrosion.
Water discoloration: Another obvious sign of your pipes decaying is yellow or brown water coming out of your sinks or tub.
Water leaks: If you notice a leak in your pipes, there may be other leaks you are unaware of. Leaks are a sure sign that your pipes are old and worn and need to be replaced. Rather than having to continually repair them, the best option is to replace them.
Noise: Your home’s plumbing should generally not be making any odd noises. If you notice that you have noisy plumbing, it is typically a bad sign and something that a plumbing professional should get checked out for you as soon as possible.

2. DOES YOUR HOME HAVE HAZARDOUS PIPE MATERIAL?

If you have an older house that was built in the early 1920s or around then, the piping is most likely made from lead and polybutylene. These are dangerous pipes and should be replaced immediately. Lead seeps into your drinking water and can cause dangerous health issues. Polybutylene pipes are also more prone to breaking and leaking.

3. HOW OLD IS YOUR HOUSE?

This is one of the first and main questions that you should ask yourself when it comes to repiping and replacing plumbing in your home. The age of your house is a critical component to understand whether or not you should repipe your home. This is not only because your plumbing has aged with time, but also because homes that were built before a certain time period are more likely to contain galvanized steel, known to be a metal that is out-of-date in the world of plumbing and beyond due to its sensitivity to rust. If your home was built before the 1970s, we strongly advise that you hire a plumbing professional to inspect your home’s plumbing and check if there are areas that need repiping. If your home was built decades before that, chances are that your home may need extensive repiping so that your home’s plumbing can function at optimal rates.

4. HOW OFTEN DOES YOUR HOME HAVE PLUMBING PROBLEMS?

Another important question that you should ask yourself is how often you notice your home having plumbing problems. If you notice that you are constantly faced with plumbing issues, then that is something that you may want to take into great consideration. It is a good idea to have leak inspections done in your home about every two years, in order to prevent any larger-scale, costly damages.

When Is The Best Time To Replace Plumbing In Your Old House?

Home remodeling or home renovations are the perfect time to replace your home’s pipes. However, if your house is built on a raised foundation then replacing the pipes can also be done with minimal damage. Homes built on a slab foundation can benefit from having their pipes replaced though the amount of drywall patching and painting is usually higher.

Copper & PEX Pipes

When you’re ready to replace your pipes you will need to decide which material to use. An experienced plumber can help you choose the best option for your home. Because many homeowners don’t know anything about these pipes, we have listed differences and advantages between copper and PEX repiping below.

COPPER PIPES

A few advantages of copper pipes:

They are longer lasting than PEX pipes
They are a recyclable material
They can be used outside
Bacteria resistant
Safer in natural disasters
A few disadvantages of copper pipes:
They are more expensive
They are more prone to pinhole leaks
They are louder than PEX pipes

PEX PIPES

A few advantages of PEX pipes:

They are less expensive
They are easier to install
They don’t get pinhole leaks like copper
Excellent for both extreme cold and hot weather
More resistant to bursting due to its flexibility

Water Pipe Replacement In Your House

Replacing the water pipes in your home is essential for maintaining a healthy functioning water system and an overall optimal home plumbing system. Low water pressure and pipes made out of galvanized steel lead to higher levels of rust and corrosion. These occurrences also negatively impact your home’s plumbing and can lead to greater issues that can be prevented with the appropriate pipe replacement.

Cost To Replace Plumbing In An Old House

If your house was built before the 1970s, you have all the more reason to consider repiping your home in order to be provided with up-to-date technology that will ensure optimal functioning and will prevent future home catastrophe. The cost of repiping depends on what exactly and how much of is it being replaced, as well as what you are replacing it with. Costs can vary across plumbing service providers. At Do It Right Plumbers, we offer our customers with affordable plumbing solutions and flexible financing options with no interest. We proudly provide complete transparency and are happy to discuss rates before we start any work at all.

Call A Plumber in Orange To Repipe Your House

If your home’s plumbing isn’t working properly, it can create many unnecessary problems. Replacing your home’s piping provides numerous benefits including health benefits, lowering water leak damage costs, reducing stress and much more.

As always, speak with your expert plumber for advice on repiping. A plumber can give you their professional opinion and help you determine which pipes will be best for you and for your home.

Trust our professional experts at Do It Right Plumbers to get your home’s repiping done for you right. Contact us at (714) 862-2393 and we’ll take care of improving your quality of life through our experienced plumbing services.