The short answer is: It depends. For example, different pipes have different lifespans. Plastic pipes from the year 2000 up until today will last forever most of the time. Cast-iron pipes last up to 100 years. Pipes of other materials last anywhere from 20 years up to 75 years. These materials include galvanized steel, copper, and brass. Fortunately, lead pipes are a thing of the past, and the only time you have to repipe your house immediately is if it’s older than 1986 and has lead pipes. From 1986 onward, lead pipes became illegal, so any home built after that won’t have them. Lead pipes create poisonous water, and that’s why, if you have them, they must be replaced right away.
The Problem With Galvanized Steel Pipes
Despite these pipes’ tough-sounding name, they are among the shortest lasting pipes in use from the end of World War Two until today. They’re also dangerous because they’re coated inside with zinc, and most of the time, the coating isn’t pure and doesn’t last that long. If the coating flakes off, then other contaminants can enter your water, including lead. Therefore, while they’re not as emergent as lead pipes themselves, they should also be changed as soon as you can.
The Issue With Polybutylene Pipes
While today’s plastic pipes, which include PVC, PEX, and CPVC, are tough and long-lasting, the polybutylene pipes from the 1970s are prone to breakage. While they’re not poisonous, they are troublesome and will eventually need replacement anyway. Therefore, it’s a good idea to replace them now before they break and possibly cause water damage to parts of your home.
Other Signs That You Need to Repipe
Other than replacing pipes at the end of their life cycles, the following are occurrences that indicate the need for repiping:
- Leaky Pipes: If you notice pipes leaking, then you have to replace those pipes. Most of the time, however, you won’t actually see the leaks. It’s one thing to see water trickling out from under the sink, but it’s quite another to see through walls to notice leaks in dark spaces. Often, your first clue will be water damage to the wall itself.
- Low Water Pressure: If you turn on your faucet on full, and only a few drops or a very weak stream comes out, then there is likely a leak somewhere. Also, the answer might be a clog in the pipes somewhere. In either case, the offending pieces of pipe must be replaced to restore the correct water pressure to your faucets.
- Visible Corrosion: If you have pipes fashioned from metal, and you notice that they’re becoming corroded, then it’s time to replace them. Corrosion weakens the structure of the pipes, which can lead to bursting, creating a water damage disaster.
- Rust in the Water: Metal pipes shouldn’t rust inside. If you notice a brownish red tinge to your water, then that indicates rust therein. Pipes that are rusting on the inside are weakening themselves in the same way as those pipes that have corrosion on the outside. They may not fail as catastrophically or suddenly as corroded pipes, but rusty pipes putting iron and/or other heavy metals into your drinking water isn’t good from either a safety or “taste-of-water” standpoint.
- Different Temperatures at Different Faucets: If you don’t live alone, and you notice wildly different temperatures when you and someone else use faucets at the same time, then that might indicate a need for repiping. Something could have blocked one or more of the pipes in your home, or one or more of your pipes could have sprung leaks.
- Ominous Noises From Your Plumbing System: Plumbing systems make noises naturally, and some of them can be pretty weird. However, loud bubbling, gurgling, or heavy vibrations aren’t normal. These out-of-the-ordinary noises indicate a need for repiping. They could show anything from a potential burst to a clog or series of clogs.
- Displeasing Odors: Water shouldn’t smell. If it does, then something is wrong. A smell like dirty socks could be because of unwanted biological substances on the inside of pipes. A smell of sulfur or decaying fish indicates a different kind of disagreeable biological substance. In any of these cases, you should repipe the house as soon as possible.
What to Expect When Repiping
First, the professional contractor whom you hire will assess the job, match your home to the right kind of new pipes it needs, and provide you with a written estimate. With your approval, the contractor will then proceed. While the job is progressing, you won’t have any water in your home, so you’ll need to make arrangements for about a week or more. These would include bathing elsewhere, budgeting for ordering food in, and other things that you won’t be able to do without water.