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The plumbing system is a vital component of your home. It carries clean water to your home and drains waste through the sewer line into the septic system. Hence, it can be fair to say that the comfort and convenience of your home depend on the effective functioning of your plumbing system. Imagine if wastewater isn’t drained away from your home, or no clean water is delivered into your home. How about if the water heater breaks down in winter? Or, the pipes within the walls burst in the middle of the night.
A properly functioning plumbing system means more comfort, convenience, and seamless daily chores. However, this vital component of your home is prone to damage and malfunctions. Due to various factors, the pipes leading to your home may burst or crack. Under such circumstances, a whole house repipe then becomes necessary. What is a house repipe? What materials are used? And when does my Deerfield Beach, FL home need one? Continue reading for answers to the questions above.
What Is A Whole House Repipe?
There is some confusion when it comes to the whole house repipe jobs. Many people assume it means replacing all the pipes in your entire house by its name. However, it means replacing every water supply line that enters your home and any “branch” of these pipes which deliver water to the plumbing fixtures. For this reason, whenever discussing house repiping, many plumbers refer to replacing the water supply lines only.
Hence, replacement of sewer lines and drain pipes are not included in whole-house repiping. You must understand this distinction because problems with backed-up toilets, broken sewer lines, or clogged drains are not classified in a repipe job. Now that you know water a house repipe is, let us look at the materials used.
Materials Used In A Whole House Repipe
PEX Pipes
The most common house repipe material is a PEX (Cross-Linked Polythene) pipe. It was embraced fully as a replacement for copper or galvanized steel in the US in 2000. Since then, PEX pipes have become a famous water supply line in residential property construction. Sourcing of PEX plumbing line’s raw materials is cheaper than the process leading to copper, steel, and brass production.
PEX pipes can also be easily installed because of their flexibility and do not require welding or soldering. These Pipes do not undergo corrosion because they do not have metallic compounds. They are also unlikely to get damaged by freezing as they are elastic, meaning they can expand in cool climates.
However, PEX pipes have a significant drawback; they are only recommended for indoor use. Using them outdoors may reduce their lifespan as they are broken down by the UV rays from the sun quickly. Its Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may leech petroleum by-products into the water supply.
Copper Pipes
These are much more expensive than PEX pipes. Copper pipes remain a famous option in the whole house repipe. Since they were introduced, copper pipes have been known for their ease of installation, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and longer lifespan.
Copper pipes are still used extensively in plumbing pipes and fitting. With their expected lifespan of over seventy years, we can only assume that installing copper pipes will serve your Deerfield Beach, FL home.
Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) Pipes
The other class you might see a plumber use in whole house repipe is the CPVC pipes. These pipes hit the market in the 1960s and are steadily gaining ground and popularity as a preferred repiping material. CPVC pipes are easier to work with than copper pipes and have about fifty years of good durability.
Signs That Your Home Needs Whole House Repipe
Low Water Pressure
Reduced water pressure in some areas of your home is usually an indicator of a clog or a leak in the water supply line around the house. Decreased water pressure in the entire home may be caused by a leak between your water utility provider and your home.
Since water supply lines are pressurized, any leaks allow hundreds of gallons of water to escape from the pipe within a very short time. Reduce the water damage at your yard or home by calling an experienced licensed plumber whenever you notice low water pressure for the whole house repipe.
Discolored Water
Discolored water is a sign of trouble within your pipes. If the water appears brown or yellowish, it indicates that parts of your water supply line are undergoing corrosion. As the corrosion disintegrates from within the supply line, it flows as tiny flakes of rust into your faucets. The rusty water may clog the faucet aerators or damage your plumbing appliances.
Water should always be clear, and any form of discoloration is a sign of an issue with the supply line. If your area receives hard water, your faucets may release grayish, cloudy water. Tiny mineral particles cause cloudiness.
Repeated Leak Repairs
Although water leaks in your home water supply line may be an isolated event, there is a chance that it isn’t. Galvanized pipes corrode and rust higher on the fittings and around pipe bends. This is because the areas provide spaces where water can collect and dissolve the metal threads.
As the copper pipes grow old, they also weaken at the bends, in most cases with minute pinhole leaks that worsen over time. They all develop problems as they age, whether copper, PEX, or CPVC.
Old Pipes
Pipes are made of varying materials that are used in varying climates. Therefore, it means the pipes have a varying age range. There is no single answer to when the plumbing pipes will be too old. However, if your pipes have hit 50yrs, consider the whole house repipe. The plumbing materials will have drastically changed and could risk your family’s health.
Whole House Repipe in Deerfield Beach, FL
Your home’s water supply lines may be damaged because of various factors. With water being a vital resource of your home, you must ensure the inlets are correctly functioning. If you find yourself paying for repairs frequently, patching the leaks persistently, and getting discolored water from the faucets, you should consider hiring a plumber for a house repipe.
If you bought a home constructed many years ago, inspect the plumbing system and replace the pipes with PEX, PVC, CPVC, or copper wires. For a whole house repipe, call MainLine Plumbing.
Author Bio:
Andrew Dilaurenzio
The primary contact at Mainline Plumbing Service, you can contact Mainline Plumbing Service by phone using this number 954-466-9803. They provide 100% guaranteed customer service. They do it all. Water heaters, sewer camera video inspection, drain cleaning, slab leak repairs, leak detection, sewer line repairs, and much more.