A Guide To Repiping a Home in the New Year
In many homes built during the 1970s and 1980s, galvanized pipe was the material of choice. Galvanized pipe is a type of iron-based steel pipe that has been coated in zinc. The reason for coating the pipe in zinc is that water causes steel to rust while zinc can’t be corroded by water. Galvanized piping was expected to last for many decades, but most of it used 40 years ago is already starting to show signs of wear. When galvanized pipes start to corrode, they will cause lots of plumbing problems.
The only solution to permanently fix the problems that galvanized piping will continue to have is to repipe the entire home. Here are some details about what that process looks like.
When Is Repiping a Home Necessary?
Repiping a home can be a fairly involved process. While it is necessary to do at some point, there’s no reason to do it unless there are signs that a home needs repiping. Some of the signs that a home needs new pipes include:
- Rusty water
- Low water pressure
- Premature failure of appliances like water heaters, coffee makers, and washers
- Faucets and fixtures covered in scale
- Frequent repairs
- Multiple pinhole leaks
While repiping can be costly upfront, when plumbers are called multiple times for repairs only for piping to spring leaks in different locations, repiping a home becomes the better financial choice in the long-term. Couple that with the fact that piping can cause appliances to fail, and it is easy to see how repiping can actually save money.
What Materials Are Available To Use?
When repiping a home, there are a few main types of piping materials to consider. The most common are PEX and ACE DuraFlo Both have significant pros and cons.
- PEX: PEX piping is a plastic-based, flexible pipe that has quickly become the industry standard for plumbing and repiping. PEX is cheap and durable, and it’s easy to install. It is expected to last for many decades and is non-corrosive. When plumbers install PEX pipes, they will need to cut into walls and floors to expose the existing pipe to replace them. This makes repiping more costly and somewhat of a hassle.
- Copper: Copper piping is perhaps the most popular option for pipes, next to PEX, as it can be used for both hot and cold water lines. This is because copper is sturdy and can last for decades (even longer than PEX) without needing to be replaced. The one downside to copper pipes is that they are a bit pricier to install than PEX.
What Is the Process Like?
For a repiping project, plumbers will come in and locate all existing pipes. This will require taking out walls and whatever else impedes them from replacing pipes. Responsible plumbers will dispose of all waste and keep the job site as clean as possible. After the repiping is complete, the walls will need to be repaired. Luckily, this is likely the last time that any homeowner will need to perform this process.
About PlumbCrazy
PlumbCrazy serves the Abingdon community with the highest level of customer service. Professional and licensed plumbers are able to give personal attention to every problem faced by their customers. Emergency service makes them available at any time for fast and effective repairs. Call PlumbCrazy today for repiping services in Abingdon.
