Old plumbing can become corroded, rusted or decayed, and these are the top three reasons to replace old pipes. If you fail to do so when it becomes necessary, your house can become flooded, and you will have water damage to contend with as well as a plumbing issue. Before disasters occur, you can consult a Houston plumber who will perform an inspection of your current home or a house that you wish to purchase. Your plumber will let you know whether or not you need to replace the pipes right away for any of the previously listed or following reasons.
Plumbing Has an Expiration Date
Another very important reason to replace old plumbing is because it has an expiration date. For example, supply pipes are under a great deal of pressure, and over the years, these pipes may begin to leak and cause water damage. If you are living in an older house, the previous owners may not have cared for the pipes as well as they could have, so the plumbing may have deteriorated to the point where it needs to be replaced before problems become apparent. Furthermore, you may be in an area where the water contains a number of minerals, and this could be another reason that the pipes are expiring before their time.
Some Plumbing Presents a Health Hazard
Although some older plumbing is perfectly fine, others must be replaced right away. One example is lead pipes. People began constructing homes with lead pipes in the early 1900s, and they present a health hazard to the population. Although they were created to last 100 years, they can allow lead to seep into the home’s drinking water.
There May Be Problems with Previous Re-Piping Efforts
Builders were placing galvanized steel pipes in homes up until the 1960s. However, galvanized steel is not the best material for the plumbing in a house. The proof is the fact that these pipes can cause several problems to occur, and previous owners would have found it necessary to re-pipe their homes.
If your house was built before the 1960s, you cannot assume that the previous owners re-piped the entire house. Replacing all of the plumbing in a home can be very expensive, and the previous owners may have opted to replace only the pipes that were causing issues. This means that the house you wish to purchase or already own may have some galvanized plumbing along with copper or plastic.
The problems with previous re-piping efforts do not end there. A Houston residential plumber would know that if they are going to use copper or plastic pipes along with galvanized steel pipes, they would need to use dielectric coupling. This helps to prevent the corrosion that can occur when two different types of pipes are placed together. A do-it-yourselfer may not have been aware of this.
There Might Be Problems with the Sewer Line
Older houses can also have problems with the sewer line. It will need to be replaced if the house was constructed during World War II when builders were using Orangeburg sewer lines that were made out of tarpaper. Homeowners own and are responsible for the sewer line until it reaches the street. If there is a problem with the existing sewer line, it can be replaced with newer cast iron, clay or plastic pipes.
Even if the sewer line is made of cast iron, clay or plastic, it can still need to be replaced. Cast iron pipes are vulnerable to corrosion. Clay is susceptible to root intrusion, and plastic can be crushed. However, a professional plumber can send a camera through the system and look for any problems that may exist. In fact, these professionals can perform all of your plumbing needs, including water heater repair and drain cleaning.