Having outdated pipes in a home can pose significant risks, including contamination and water damage from leaks. While repiping a house that has old pipes is a major undertaking, it can be well worth it by helping you to avoid these risks and ensuring that your plumbing is in good shape. It can also increase the value of your house and make it much easier to sell should you decide to in the future. If you notice any of these signs or experience any of these issues, you should definitely consider investing in repiping services.
Galvanized or Polybutylene Piping
One sure sign that you have outdated plumbing pipes is if they are made of galvanized steel or polybutylene, both of which can present certain risks. One concern with galvanized pipes is that the zinc coating used to prevent the steel from corroding degrades over time. This eventually leads to the pipes rusting and corroding, which increases the chances of them leaking. The bigger concern is that the coating on galvanized pipe often also contains lead. As the pipes age and corrode, lead can start leaching into the water and posing significant health risks to everyone in the household—especially young children.
Polybutylene pipes were commonly used as an alternative to copper pipes from the 1970s until the early 1990s, when they were then banned. The reason they were so popular is that they were relatively cheap and much easier to install. The problem is that they deteriorate quickly and are highly prone to leaking at the pipe fittings.
It’s estimated that leaks from polybutylene pipes have resulted in over $1 billion in damage. If you have polybutylene pipes in your house, they’re essentially a ticking time bomb and almost guaranteed to start leaking in the near future. Most polybutylene pipes are gray, but you can also find some that are black, blue or white. If you have plastic water lines that are any of these colors, we recommend having a plumber inspect them to see if they are polybutylene.
Frequent Leaks
While you may encounter the occasional plumbing leak, leaks are thankfully fairly rare. If you find yourself having to deal with frequent leaks, it’s usually a good indication that your pipes have reached the end of their life. As pipes age, they can be more prone to leaking as a result of corrosion. High water pressure, turbulence, and fluctuations in pressure can also cause solder joints to deteriorate and lead to leaks at various pipe fittings.
Sediment in the water can cause pipes to become thinner over time and eventually lead to pinhole leaks forming as well. If you experience frequent leaks, repiping will save you the hassle and expense of continually needing plumbing repairs and having to deal with water damage.
Discolored Water
Discolored water can be another sign of old pipes in a house. Occasional discoloration can happen due to issues like a broken or leaky water main, allowing contaminants to get into the water supply. Rust and corrosion inside a water heater can also lead to your hot water looking rusty or discolored. If both your hot and cold water are constantly discolored, it generally indicates that there’s a significant amount of corrosion in your pipes and they’re at an increased risk of leaking.
Another thing you should watch out for is any sign of visible corrosion on exposed pipes, as this also means there’s a risk of the pipe failing and beginning to leak. While you could just replace a single pipe that’s corroded, there’s a fairly high chance that most or all of your pipes are corroded if one is.
Low Water Pressure
Hard water is a problem in many parts of the country and can eventually create significant issues for a plumbing system. The concern with hard water is that it continually leaves behind hard mineral deposits inside pipes. As the layer of mineral deposits builds up and gets thicker, it reduces the inside diameter of the pipe and begins to choke off the flow of water. This then results in the water pressure continually decreasing over time. The only option to fix this problem and ensure you have sufficient water pressure is to replace the pipes. It’s also a good idea to install a water softener if your home has hard water, as it will remove the minerals from the water to prevent any issues with mineral deposits.
If you’re searching for a reliable plumber in the Fairfax, VA, area, Home Service Doctors is the company to call. We’ve been helping Northern Virginia homeowners with their plumbing repair needs. Whether it’s repiping, leak detection or whatever else, we can guarantee you’ll be 100% satisfied that you chose us. If you’re concerned about outdated pipes in your home, give us a call to schedule a camera inspection to determine if repiping is a good option.
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