Blog

Photo By Pradit_Ph at istock

Do you enjoy hot water in the morning when you jump in the shower? You can thank your plumbing system for that little joy. Most people don’t think much about the intricate collection of pipes that run throughout their home until they have a problem, but if you start experiencing a lot of problems within a short time frame it may be time to give repiping a serious thought. Most plumbers don’t like recommending repiping unless they have to, for three very obvious reasons.

First off, it is a very time-invasive task. The piping within your home is buried behind walls and runs throughout the ceilings. It is not easy to access all of your home pipes and doing so requires a lot of destruction and then therefore repair. Repiping is not in any way the easy solution to any problem, so your local Granbury, TX plumber will do their best to avoid this scenario.

Second, repiping is not cheap. As you might imagine, replacing the entire piping system in your home is a costly venture when you consider the price of piping on its own. Add in the costs of everything else associated with your pipes and the cost of tearing out and replacing walls, ceiling, and flooring, and the price tag gets pretty high. The only good news is that plumbing is generally not hiding behind every wall in your home, just the ones near the bathroom, kitchen, and basement utilities.

The third reason a plumber will shy away from repiping is that it makes your home virtually unusable during the process. Repiping is not a one-day job, and while the process is occurring you cannot access any water within your home. This means you cannot shower, flush the toilet, or cook in the kitchen. In other words, you will probably need to temporarily stay somewhere else until the plumber is done with the job.

With all of this in mind, it is easy to see why repiping is probably last on the list of things you want to have done, but, if you have an older home or one where the plumbing is not properly installed it may be a necessity. Are you trying to weigh whether or not it is time to repipe your entire home? Here are some signs that it is time to call a plumber in Granbury, TX, and weigh your options. Keep in mind these signs are only indications that you may want to think about repiping. A trained plumber is the best source of information, and most professionals will happily come out for a consultation to help you figure out whether or not repiping is in your best interests.

Age of Your Home

The age of your home has a lot of influence over its time to repipe your home or not. Simply put, your plumbing system is not going to last forever. While it would be nice, it is not practical to expect it too even with the most proactive maintenance and repair efforts by a trained plumber. In general, you can expect copper or brass fittings to last for about five decades, but time will slowly wear away at them after this.

Steel fittings have a lesser lifespan because they corrode and rust a little easier. In fact, galvanized steel generally rusts pretty easily, and eventually, you will notice that rust particles are showing up in your water. Another sign that your pipes may be rusting out is rust-colored water. If you are noticing anything wrong with the water that comes out of your taps it is time to get serious about repiping. Not only is it gross, but it is unhealthy to consume the water or bathe in it. The presence of particles or discoloration is an immediate sign that you need to call a local Granbury, TX professional.

Even brass and copper will eventually result in the same thing if decades have passed since they were first installed. It is not uncommon for people to own century homes in certain neighborhoods, and while the 60s and 70s don’t seem that far away, a home that was built in the 60s is now almost 60 years old. That means that there is a good chance that the plumbing is starting to fall into disarray.

Once again, the age of a plumbing system does not mean that it needs to be completely replaced, but it is a heavy factor to consider if you are deciding between repiping and an expensive plumbing repair. At some point, an old system will give out, so it may be time to bite the bullet and have a plumber repipe your home instead of continuing to sink money into repairing the old system section by section.

Poor Maintenance

There are a lot of reasons why people don’t keep up with their plumbing maintenance the way that they should. Some people don’t realize that regular plumbing maintenance is something they should be doing. While they probably know to replace the roof, have their HVAC system maintenance yearly, and change their oil in their cars they don’t know that scheduling a routine plumber visit is a good idea.

Other people simply don’t have time and choose to ignore small problems that quickly grow into much larger problems. For instance, a leaky faucet is not always an emergency, but if you ignore it long enough and the leak causes a burst pipe then you have a major issue on your hands. Also, one small leak may not seem like an issue, but five leaky faucets and a drain that doesn’t run properly is an indication that the entire plumbing system is starting to break down.

You can head off some of these issues if you call a plumber and fix them as they arise, but once everything starts to break down it may make more sense just to have things repaired correctly in the first place. Take a look around your home.

Are there multiple drains that don’t drain right? Do you avoid using certain sinks because you know they don’t drain right and you don’t want to deal with another clog? Do you have fixtures leaking? Do you avoid turning on one side of your bathroom vanity because it is more trouble than it works? Does the toilet in your downstairs bathroom clog easily? If you can answer yes to all of the above or more then it may be time to dig your head out of the sand and call a plumber. At this point starting with new plumbing may be the best and most cost-effective solution for your Granbury, TX home.

Poor Plumbing Materials

Returning to our old point out older plumbing systems, sometimes our new knowledge of building materials allows us to make better plumbing decisions. There are a lot of pipe materials that were used that are not considered health hazards. If you have any of these materials present in your home plumbing system it is time to call a plumber and get them replaced. This may mean repiping your entire home, but it is worth it to ensure that your family is safe.

Health issues with older pipe materials are actually the number one reason that homeowners choose to have their pipes redone. Even if it doesn’t bother you, keep in mind that it will bother a home inspection. If you ever plan to sell your home the inspector would notice your old plumbing system and likely demand that it be redone before the bank offers you a loan or a buyer agrees to go ahead with the sale. In short, the presence of old piping can hurt you in many more ways than just your health, even though that should be your primary concern. A professional can assess the situation correctly and offer you advice.

One particular problem that demands immediate repiping is the presence of lead pipes. Lead pipes are not common anymore as most people have realized the danger of lead pipes and moved on. However, in certain circumstances, homes do still have them. Most cities have banned the use of lead-based plumbing materials, but it is not uncommon to find lead soldering around the fittings.

If you are not sure whether or not lead is present in your home ask your local Granbury, TX plumber to perform a water test. This will determine easily if there is lead present in your water so that the professional can analyze your plumbing system and determine the best course of action. You can also take a look at your pipes to easily determine if they are made out of lead.

Lead pipes generally are a dull gray color and if you scratch them with a sharp object you will see shiny metal sitting under the initial oxidation. Once again, a plumber can tell for sure whether or not you have lead pipes, but if you have any reason to suspect you do after reading this then it is important you have the issue looked at promptly.

Polybutylene Piping

While lead is the most dangerous old piping material, it is not the only one that you need to be concerned about. Polybutylene piping was very popular at one point in time and it is much more likely that you have these installed in your home compared to lead pipes. However, they are still an issue that needs to be solved and repiping is often the best choice.

From the outside polybutylene often seems fine. This type of piping looks like gray plastic from the outside almost like a colored version of PVC. The problem is that chlorinated water breaks down the inside of the pipes over time turning what should be a thick plastic into a thin and brittle plastic that will easily burst if too much water pressure is applied.

Over time polybutylene will continue to weaken until one day it simply bursts. At this point, you will call your plumber and have them clean up the flood damage and fix your pipe. It may seem like an isolated incident at this point, but if you don’t take action within a few years you may be dealing with another burst pipe and another huge mess. Unless you want to keep dealing with the same plumbing emergency over and over again, it may be time to look into replacing your pipes with the help of a professional.

Consult with a Professional Granbury, TX Plumber

Still unsure whether or not you should repipe your plumbing system? As mentioned above, these are some of the most common signs that it is time to repipe your system, but they are not the only signs. You may already have a good feeling that it is time to repipe your system based on how much you have paid in repairs over the past few years. You may also have a completely different issue that points towards old pipes or wide-spread corrosion.

This is why it is best to consult with a professional Granbury, TX plumber before taking any action to get a better idea of whether or not now is the time to replace your pipes. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth has been helping Granbury, TX customers with their plumbing issues for years. We have an array of trained plumbers who can come out to your home to look at isolated plumbing issues or analyze the integrity of your current plumbing system. If you need help deciding whether or not now is the time to approach repiping your home give us a call. We will send a trained plumber out to offer you solutions based on what they find.