Blogs from December, 2021

Over time, any plumbing system will eventually wear out. Water is naturally corrosive, and materials will eventually wear out, resulting in damage that could create leaks and other problems that you will have to deal with. Older plumbing is also more prone to serious damage as a result of freezing, sharp changes in water pressure, and more. All of this means that you will eventually need to replace your plumbing with a whole-home repipe.

A repipe service phases your old plumbing lines out and instead directs your water through a new network of pipes composed of more durable materials that will be able to last you for the next several decades. However, how do you know when the time has come to replace your plumbing? While an expert plumber can give you truly personalized advice, there are a few indicating signs that perhaps you are due for a whole-home repipe service.

Your Pipes Leak. A Lot.

Do you have a plumber on speed dial because your pipes leak so much? Have you found yet another area where a slow water drip has caused damage to your drywall, flooring, ceiling, or any other part of your home? Pipe leaks are no joke, and they can be seriously annoying to constantly have to fix, especially when the leak is hidden in your walls or even down in the slab beneath your feet.

A whole-home repipe solves these problems by either completely replacing your old lines or by “deleting” them—a process that omits the old line by avoiding it altogether. If you’re sick of calling a plumber or breaking out the tools to fix yet another leaky line, it’s time to start thinking about a whole-home repipe.

Your Water Is Tinted Blueish-Green or Rusty Brown

Water that is tinted with a strange color is an indication that the water has dissolved a fair amount of a metallic substance. Reddish-brown is a common color for oxidized cast iron or galvanized steel, while blueish-green is the color of oxidized copper. While these materials are generally corrosion-resistant, they can and do eventually rust as a result of constant exposure to water and the oxygen in it. As they rust, materials erode away, resulting in brittle materials that give way to water pressure and result in leaks.

You Hear Thumping, Tapping, Clanking, or Other Strange Noises in Your Walls

Strange noises coming from within your walls are a sign that something could be seriously wrong with your pipes. Thumping, tapping, clanking, or other strange noises could mean you have water pressure issues, your pipes have shifted or adjusted over time, or that something was never properly installed in order to avoid the noises altogether. In some cases, these problems can be fixed. However, problems that develop over time are more often a sign of extensive wear creating a serious issue that is usually best to rectify with a whole-home repipe service.

Your Pipes Have Visible External Corrosion

An inspection of your visible plumbing lines can reveal a lot about their condition. For example, a copper plumbing line that has turned a distinct shade of greenish-blue in certain areas is one that is starting to corrode. And wherever you find corrosion on the outer surface of a pipeline, you can almost be certain you will find it on the interior surface as well. Take some time to visually inspect your visible water lines when you can and look for signs of trouble. If you see any large and unmistakable instances of corrosion, talk to a plumber about repiping that particular area of your home.

Your Home Utilizes Polyethylene (Quest) Plumbing

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, homes around the country were constructed with polyethylene pipes, a popular type of material known as Quest pipes. The material was cheap, lightweight, easy to work with, and readily available, and that meant contractors and plumbers around the country installed millions upon millions of feet of these lines. However, before long, testing started to show that this type of plastic was prone to flaking and corrosion. And while no definitive link was ever established between these lines and certain problems, today these pipes are widely regarded as some of the riskiest and dangerous plumbing lines out there. As they thin and corrode, these lines become prone to becoming brittle and breaking, resulting in catastrophic home damage. In fact, some home insurance companies won’t even insure homes that still utilize these plumbing lines at all.