Sometimes a home’s plumbing has to be replaced. Wondering what is involved in repiping a house? This article explains.

Unless your home is a cabin in the woods with no running water (or if you live—to quote the late, great Chris Farley—in a van down by the river), you are going to have to deal with plumbing issues at some point. For some, that means fixing a leaky pipe or two. For others, that means having their entire plumbing system replaced.

Repiping a house normally involves 4 steps:

  1. Inspection.
  2. Estimate.
  3. Demolition.
  4. Plumbing.
  5. Reconstruction.

To be clear, replacing your home’s plumbing is not a DIY job. You are going to need a professional, licensed plumber to handle this project. Are you thinking of repiping your home? Here’s what you need to know.

How Do I Know If I Need to Repipe My Home?

Before we get into the specifics of what is involved in repiping a home, you first need to determine whether your home requires it. Repiping is an expensive, time-consuming process — but here are a few signs that your home needs a new plumbing system.

Lead Pipes

Lead pipes are common in older houses from the 1920s and earlier, but even later homes may have this kind of piping system. They present lots of health hazards for you and your family. When these pipes corrode, lead can leak into your drinking water and cause harm to your heart, kidneys, and reproductive organs (even at low levels).

The bottom line: If your home was built before 1986, find out what materials your plumbing system is made out of and replace any lead pipes!

Galvanized Steel Pipes

Before the 1960s, galvanized steel pipes were common in homes. However, these pipes are coated in zinc. While this zinc lining helps to prevent rust and discoloration, lead deposits can build up when it corrodes. Not only is this harmful to drink, but the deposits can also build up and clog your plumbing.

If your home was built before this time period, consider giving your plumbing system a once-over.

High Plumbing Repair Costs

If you seem to find a new plumbing problem every month, it might be time to replace the pipes in your home. Even if the issues seem minor, the repair costs can quickly add up over time. Instead of spending money on numerous small fixes, installing a new plumbing system might be cheaper.

What is Involved in Repiping a Home?

In this section, we’ll cover what happens before, during, and after a repiping.

  1. Inspection.

If you are unsure what kind of work you need to be completed, you don’t need to worry. The first step in the repiping process is an inspection conducted by a plumbing professional, who will listen to the problems you have been having and look for signs of the kind of work you need to be done. Without a thorough inspection, you can’t know what is involved in repiping a house.

  1. Estimate and Recommendations.

Once your repiping specialist finishes the inspection, they will give you their recommendations. Depending on the age of your home, the layout of your plumbing, your needs, and any other relevant details, they will recommend the best course of action, including which materials are best for your situation and what work is most urgent. You may need to replace everything or only a small section.

It is critical to think about how much you are willing to risk your home if you decide only to do a small section or to repipe your home bit by bit. It may help you budget to cover the costs, but if your pipes are at risk of failing, it could save you money, in the long run, to do the entire project at once.

You should also expect an estimate for the work that is to be done. Most plumbing companies, including Custom Plumbing of Arizona, offer a free estimate to give you an idea of the cost.

  1. Demolition.

Once you accept the estimate, it’s time for the professionals to get to work. If you watch even for a few minutes, you will see first-hand what is involved in repiping a house—and it’s a lot! From locating the pipes behind walls and in ceilings to demolition and installation, they do it all.

Good plumbers will take care to protect your home from any possible water damage during repairs, placing plastic sheeting over furniture and moving family possessions when necessary. They also need to turn off and drain any water lines.

Once they turn off your plumbing system, they will get to work cutting through your drywall. A plumber will try to remove as little material as possible to minimize reconstruction costs.

  1. Plumbing.

After your plumber has made their cuts, they will detach your old pipes and install new ones. For pipes in your floor, they will try to go through the ceiling of the bottom floor if possible.

Once the repiping is done, your plumber will need to turn the water lines back on in order to test the new pipes and determine if there are any leaks. If there are leaks, your professional will take care that they are patched up.

  1. Reconstruction.

Once it’s determined that all the pipes are working properly, your drywall contractor or other professional will need to patch up your walls. They should repair and seal your drywall, then paint over it for a nice, smooth finish.

How Long Will I Need to Wait for the Job to Finish?

The length of the repiping project will depend on how large your house is and how many bathrooms you have in your home. A plumbing expert might take only two days to complete small houses. However, larger houses could take up to a week.

Want more information on what is involved in repiping a house? Talk to the plumbing experts at Custom Plumbing of Arizona.

Get in touch with Custom Plumbing today if you are interested in receiving a free estimate for your home repiping project. Call us at 602-883-2761!

Posted on Categories Residential Plumbing Services, Blog, Plumbing Service & Repair Phoenix AZ, RepipingTags Leave a comment on What Is Involved in Repiping a House? A Beginner’s Guide

If you are wondering whether it’s time to replace the plumbing in your house, a few different signs could indicate that you need to act sooner rather than later. This article talks about some of the most common signs that you need to repipe your home.

One of the questions that we hear quite often has to do with knowing when it is time to replace a home’s plumbing. It’s not an easy question to answer, especially since the answer depends on a case-by-case investigation by a trained professional. Repiping a house is a major project, so you should be certain that you need to do it before beginning. Knowing these 5 not-so-subtle signs could help you find the certainty you need to make a decision.

Your Pipes Are Leaking

Obvious, we know. If your pipes are leaking, you should probably replace it. But what you might not realize is that when all of your home’s pipes are the same age, that means that when a leak appears in one area, it is more likely to happen in another.

If you have experienced multiple leaks in the past year, it might be time to replace the plumbing in your house.

Your House Is as Old as Disco

If your house was built at or before the time when the Bee Gees were “Stayin’ Alive” or when the Village People were touting the advantages of staying at the Y.M.C.A., you should probably consider replacing all the pipes in your home.

Homes built around this time often have plumbing that is made of galvanized steel, which is more prone to leaks than current plumbing options.

You Can See Corrosion on Your Pipes and Plumbing Fixtures

When you look at your home’s plumbing, what do you see? Do you see stains or discolorations? Are your pipes flaking or rusting? If so, you are better off replacing your plumbing rather than trying to patch any leaks that occur.

Your Water Is Discolored

Nobody wants to drink or wash their clothes in brown, rusty water. If you notice that your water often looks discolored when you turn on the tap, that’s a sign that there is sediment building up in your pipes, often the result of slowly deteriorating pipes.

Water Pressure Problems

This sediment buildup and corrosion could also lead to another common sign that you need to replace the plumbing in your house—bad water pressure. If enough sediment builds inside your pipes, they could become blocked, which affects water pressure. Water pressure trouble could be the result of many different problems, so it’s important to speak to a plumber before trying to diagnose what is wrong yourself.

Need to Replace Plumbing in House? We Are Waiting for Your Call!

Interested in learning more about replacing your home’s plumbing? Need a quote? Get in touch with Custom Plumbing of Arizona today so that we can send one of our plumbers to your home.

Posted on Categories Blog, Repiping, Residential Plumbing ServicesLeave a comment on Time to Replace Plumbing in House? 5 Not-So-Subtle Signs

If your home was built before the 70s and you have not done significant work on the plumbing since then, it might be time to consider repiping your house. When should repiping a house top your home improvement list? That’s a question for an expert plumber, but to get you started, here are seven signs that you need new plumbing.

7 Signs Your Home Needs Repiping

Pipes have changed a lot over the years, from the materials manufacturers use to make them to their durability and even safety. For instance, before the 1920s, many homes’ pipes were made of lead, which we know today to be extremely harmful to our health if it leeches into the water supply. Even if your home’s plumbing is not made of lead, however, it could be time to replace it before major problems develop.

Repiping a house is a fairly straightforward process. When a plumber replaces your plumbing they will bypass the original pipes with new pipes. If you notice any of these seven signs, you should consider contacting a plumber to discuss your options:

  • Rusty water
  • Water or drains that have an unusual odor
  • Frequent leaks
  • A drop in temperature from hot to cold when the toilet is flushed
  • Unreliable water temperature
  • Unreliable water pressure
  • Water takes a long time to heat up

To keep your home’s plumbing in good shape, it’s important to keep an eye out for any of these symptoms. Be sure to record the first sign you see and let your plumber know during their next visit.

When Repiping a House, What Materials Should You Use?

When you repipe your home, you will have a few different options for materials. Most modern homes use copper, PVC, or both for their plumbing.

Copper is a good option because it is a versatile material and it is durable. In addition to these benefits, it is also recyclable and naturally bacteria resistant. However, there is a tradeoff—because of its versatility, durability, and other benefits, it is also an expensive option. When many homeowners see the price they will need to pay to install copper pipes exclusively, they decide to go a different route.

The alternative is polyvinyl chloride pipes, or PVC. Because of their affordability, PVC pipes are an extremely attractive option for many homeowners. PVC pipes are durable like copper, but they also do not corrode. One important note to mention, however, is that PVC pipes do not do well with hot water. In fact, PVC becomes toxic when heated, so be sure that any water lines that carry hot water use chlorinated polyvinyl chloride pipes, also known as CPVC.

Is Repiping a House on Your To-Do List? Call Custom Plumbing of Arizona Today

Get in touch with the expert plumbers at Custom Plumbing now to learn what your options are for repiping your home. Contact us, or call 602-883-2761.

Posted on Categories Blog, Emergency Plumber, Plumbing Service & Repair Phoenix AZ, Repiping, Residential Plumbing ServicesTags