Repiping your home is something that not too many homeowners in Cincinnati think about until it’s too late. Our goal with this article is to make you aware of what to look for and walk you through some of the benefits to staying on top of replacing your pipes, rather than waiting for your pipes to let you know it’s time. How Will I Know If My Pipes Need to Be Replaced? There are a number of signs that point to potentially serious issues with your home’s piping system.
If you don’t have a newer home, it’s a good idea to do an annual inspection in any areas you can reach (utility closets, basements and even crawl spaces, if you can get to them), to look for warning signs such as:
- Flaking
- Dimpling
- Rust spots
- Stains
- Discoloration
- Leaks
Another telltale sign of old age is seeing brown or yellow water coming out of your pipes. This is most commonly seen when returning from vacation (when you haven’t used your pipes in a while) and they’ve had time to absorb the rust color, but would be even more concerning if you noticed colored water when your pipes have been in regular use, as that is a sign of serious corrosion.
There are a couple of easier ways to determine the age and overall health of your pipes:
Reviewing the home inspection report that was done when you first bought the home. Have a licensed plumber do a full inspection of your home’s plumbing systems. The above doesn’t take into account that many older homes around Cincinnati were originally built with lead pipes. They started building homes with lead pipes in the early 1900’s, not realizing that it caused serious health problems. If your home has lead pipes, these need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Another type of dangerous material that was used from the 1970s well into the 1990s was polybutylene pipes. The problem with polybutylene was that it was not proven to be a strong enough material, and these pipes often break unexpectedly. If your home’s pipes are made of either lead or polybutylene, or if you simply aren’t sure if your pipes were installed during these dangerous periods (1900s through 1990s), it’s a good idea to get a licensed plumber out for an inspection as soon as you can to ensure your family – and your home – are safe. This article https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2016/04/30/cincinnati-water-works-lead-flint/82930384/ shows the results of water tests for Cincinnati and shows areas known to contain lead pipes.
How Long Will it Take to Repipe My Home?
This will vary widely depending on the size of your home, and the type of pipes we’re replacing (for instance, copper pipes require much more labor than PEX piping does). A rough average you can think with would be 1-2 days to repipe your home, but it may be either faster or slightly longer depending on the materials & scope of the job at hand.
All in all, repiping your home can not only save you time, trouble and money of experiencing a devastating loss or health risk, but it will give you peace of mind for decades to come. Make the BEST choice and call BEST Plumbing Service of Cincinnati today to have your pipes inspected, or schedule your home’s pipe replacement.
