When your home’s plumbing system is exhibiting these signs, it may be time to re-pipe your home. Low water pressure, discolored or rusty water, leaking and corroded pipes are all signs indicative of a household plumbing pipe problem. Knowing what signs to look for can help you decide if it is indeed time to re-pipe your home before they fail, potentially causing household catastrophe. A final analysis from a licensed plumbing contractor is recommended to confirm if a re-pipe is necessary.
What is a Plumbing Re-pipe
A plumbing re-pipe is a complete replacement of your homes plumbing system. Most times, it involves just the water supply lines — both hot and cold — in your home. Rarely does it include both the water supply lines and sewage lines, but it does happen. As your pipes age and become unhealthy and inefficient, you will eventually need to replace them. A re-pipe of your homes water supply lines usually averages between two and three days.
Your Home has Galvanized Piping
As galvanized piping ages, it begins to rust. Originally designed to be rust resistant, the once popular material is anything but. Galvanized pipe begins to rust soon after installation. This leads to rusty iron contaminating your drinking water as well as your bathroom fixtures. Another sign old galvanized piping might exhibit is low water pressure. As the years go by and the rust builds, it restricts the water passing through the pipes. This can cause low pressure in your showers, sinks and toilets. Galvanized pipes, especially old galvanized piping, should always be replaced.
Leaking or Breaking Pipes
If your plumbing pipes are brittle and/or springing leaks on a regular basis, it might be time to consider re-piping your home. Different materials used in residential plumbing applications– galvanized, poly vinyl chloride “PVC” and copper — react differently to water conditions as well as age.
Atmospheric conditions such as harsh winters can also shorten the average life span of the materials. As time goes by, your pipes can succumb to these conditions and begin to break down. When this happens, the pipes can become brittle requiring constant monitoring and repair. The repeated repair costs and excessive water bills can total hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
The bottom line is although a total re-pipe of your home may be costly; it will save you money over time by eliminating those unexpected repair costs. It can also reduce your exposure to dangerous contaminates in your water associated with deteriorating pipes.
For answers to your questions, contact the Pink Plumber today.
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