Without sturdy pipes for your home’s plumbing system you and your family could be in for a very rough time, indeed. (Sewage back up, anyone?) Still, at some point, a home’s plumbing will need to be replaced and the cost won’t be pretty: a 1,500-square-foot home with two bathrooms could cost between $4K and $10K for new plumbing, and also entails cutting holes and walls and floors.
Still, it’s a price you’ll eventually have to when old pipes finally become too old.
Yet no one wants to have to pay that price if it’s not necessary. Read below for some of the signs that will tell you it’s probably time to replace your pipes. (Some good news: Unless your home is older than 50 years, you’re probably OK at least a couple of decades.)
- Understand that the type of plumbing in your home will determine how long the plumbing will last. If you don’t know the type you have off hand, check the home inspection report you received when you purchased the home.
- Your supply pipes are the ones that are the most likely to cause water damage should they leak. Happily, whether the pipes are made of brass, copper or galvanized steel, they should last between 80-100 years, with copper piping lasting “just” 70-80 years.
Just be glad you don’t have to replace THESE every 80-100 years!
- Drain lines made of cast iron should function well for 80-100 years.
- But if your drain lines are made of PVC (formal name: polyvinyl chloride), they’ll need to be replaced within 25-40 years, so if your home has PVC piping and was built before 1990, you may want to have the drain lines checked by a reliable Dallas plumber.
- No matter how old your home may be, if it has lead or polybutylene (used in homes built in the 1970s through 1990s) pipes, remove them immediately. Lead pipes have the nasty propensity to leach lead into your drinking water, which could cause some serious health issues. Polybutylene pipes break fairly easily.
Don’t panic if you live in a home older than 50 years; well-maintained plumbing can last a long time! Read below for some maintenance tips.
- If you live in an older home, routinely check out any exposed pipes in your basement, utility room and crawlspaces. You’ll want to check the pipes’ tubing for dimpling/pimples, flaking, stains, and discoloration. All of these could be a sign of corrosion. If you see something, bring in your trusted plumber to do a more thorough inspection.
- Keep a careful eye out for leaks. Even the smallest of leaks could be an indication that a full-plumbing inspection is in order.
- If renovating your home, take the opportunity to inspect your plumbing system and replace any that you find need to be replaced as your reno crew opens and tears up walls and floors.
When looking for a reliable, honest Dallas plumbing company to inspect your older home’s pipes, call upon Plumbing Dynamics. Give us a call at 214-929-3431 or send us an e-mail using our online contact form.
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