2 Reasons To Replace Old Plumbing

Every piece of plumbing from the '60s or older is on its last legs.  That's because most of the piping used pre-1960s was galvanized steel.  In fact, if you are looking at a home from that era or earlier, chances are it probably has had so many problems that it's already been through extensive repairs.
If they have not been fixed before, here are two of the top plumbing concerns.


Galvanized Pipes

To perform a quick test of an old house, turn on the hot water heater.  If the pressure is low, the home probably has galvanized pipes that have corroded and plugged up.  Hot water pipes are usually the first to go.
The house could have good pressure in the hot water lines, but still have unseen galvanized problems.  It is possible that only the bad pipes were replaced,melanin get the remainder of the pipes still in the house and either in need or soon-to-be-in-need of replacement.
Experts will tell you to replace the entire plumbing system when galvanized piping starts to go bad, but that's pricey, and often homeowners opt for the most economical, halfway fix by just repairing the problem areas.  Worse, the bad galvanized pipe may have been replaced with more galvanized pipe instead of copper or plastic pipe, meaning the problem has been extended.
It's very difficult to determine the entire plumbing system,mince most plumbing lines are behind walls.  One way to get an idea is to,look under your sink to get an understanding.  If the house has a crawl space and you're not to uncomfortable by going into it, you can get a much better picture of the plumbing.
Anytime copper piping has been attached to a galvanized pipe, dielectric coupling is required to stop corrosion by dissimilar metals from bonding.  If repairs were a do-it yourself job, the homeowner may not have included the dielectric coupling.


Sewer Line

Plumbing isn't strictly a residential issue, it begins and ends in the street.  On the supply side, all piping on the house side of the meter belongs to the homeowner, and everything on the street side belongs to the local water district.  If you turn off all the water inside the house, and the dial still moves, there is a leak in the system somewhere.  The sewer line can be root-bound or crushed.  You  can probably rent a sewer camera for around $150 for a half day if you want to check the line yourself, but you really need a very skilled eye to understand what you are looking at.
Sewer lines can be cast iron, clay, or plastic.  A World War II era product, orange burg, made of tarpaper, and if you have that in your house, no question it needs to be replaced.  Plastic, which became common in the 1980s, is durable, but can be crushed.
Old houses, like anything else getting on in years, can be notorious for age-related ills.  When it comes to plumbing troubles you can suspect galvanized pipes and bad sewer lines are the source.


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