Even though homes are built to last many decades often they will need repairs and updates to keep them functional and to increase their lifespan. Your home's plumbing system is no exception. Because of better technology and updated building codes, many of the older technologies that homes were plumbed with are reaching the end of their life expectancy.
When outdated technology reaches the end of its life expectancy you can expect certain problems to occur like leaks or frequent plumbing issues. That means that it's time to update. Luckily the experts at Valley Plumbing Pros offer repiping services to outfit your whole home with the latest Plumbing technology. Updating your home's piping means that you won’t have to worry about the integrity of your home’s piping for decades to come.
Want to keep your plumbing in top shape? Be sure to keep up with routine maintenance like drain cleaning and annual inspections.
Signs Your Pipes Are In Need Of Replacement
Worrying about repiping your home can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. Understanding what repiping is and knowing why it is necessary can help you make an educated decision when the time comes. Some of the signs that you need your pipes replaced are:
- Old Age: Constant use of your home's piping takes its toll on your plumbing. Regardless of the material used piping will eventually need to be replaced.
- Frequent Repairs: As with anything, piping becomes less reliable as it ages, leading to more leaks and repairs than when it was initially installed.
- Outdated Materials: Metal piping has a life expectancy between 75 and 100 years. Unfortunately, it was all phased out around 50 years ago. So, many homes plumbed with metal pipes are ready for a repiping.
- Poor Water Quality: Old pipes are subject to scale build up that can impede water flow and cause cloudy or discolored water. Metal pipes can leech rust into the water and color it red and make it taste and smell bad.
What Repiping Materials Can You Choose From?
When it comes time to decide to repipe your home, it’s important to know your options. Choice of materials boils down to a choice between copper or a plastic-based alternative. Copper has been a standard for plumbing for hundreds of years. In recent times, copper became expensive so it wasn’t used as widely. Copper prices are cheap again, making it an acceptable material to repipe your home with. Copper pipes are expected to last nearly 70 years. They are resistant to scale and work particularly good for hot water pipes. Labor can be intensive, so while the materials are cheap they take longer to install.
If you choose a plastic alternative your main choices are PEX or PVC pipes. Both are expected to last at least as long as copper. Both are easy to install and the materials are cheap. Most new homes are plumbed in PEX since it is designed to handle cold and hot water, whereas PVC is usually just used for cold.
Even with the best piping material, poor water quality can still impact your system. Be sure to ask about our water softener installation to help protect your new pipes.
Benefits of Whole-Home Repiping
Whole-home repiping resets the clock on your home’s plumbing. It can reduce repair bills over the long term and it is likely that you will only have to repipe a home once in your lifetime. Instead of constantly dealing with low water pressure, leaks and discolored water, you can update this important system of your home and take away the hassles that come with old plumbing.
New pipes remove the threat that a pipe may burst and flood your home, causing extensive damage. Burst pipes are responsible for millions of dollars in property damage per year. By replacing your pipes, you can ensure that your plumbing is not a liability for your home.
