Every house springs a leak now and then. You fix it and move on. When leaks keep turning up in different places, the pipe itself has worn out, and patching one spot after another costs more than new lines would.
Signs your water lines are wearing out
- Pinhole leaks in copper, which you may first see as a damp patch in drywall or a stain on a ceiling.
- Rusty or brown water, worst from the hot side or first thing in the morning. Older galvanized steel pipe rusts from the inside.
- Low pressure at several fixtures at once. Corrosion and mineral build-up narrow the inside of old pipe.
- Gray plastic pipe stamped "PB" or "Qest". That's polybutylene.
Polybutylene in Valley homes
Builders put polybutylene water pipe into millions of American homes from 1978 to 1995, until it came off the market as defective. Valley plumbers still find it, sometimes through a whole subdivision built in those years. In Arizona it's usually gray, with copper crimp rings at the fittings.
If your home went up in those years and nobody has checked, look at the pipe beside the water heater, under the sinks, and where the main line enters the house.
Check the water pressure too
High pressure wears out pipes, valves and appliances sooner. Plumbing codes cap household water pressure at 80 psi and call for a pressure-reducing valve where the line enters the house when the supply runs higher. A gauge on a hose bib reads yours in a minute.
A water-pressure check comes with our Rattle Membership.
What a repipe involves
A whole-home repipe replaces the hot and cold water lines from where the water enters the house to each fixture. We open small sections of wall and ceiling to run the new pipe, connect every fixture, and pressure-test the system before the walls are patched. In most homes the family stays put while the work goes on.
PEX and copper are the common choices, and each has its trade-offs in cost, layout and how it handles your water. We'll walk you through them for your home.
Call (623) 707-3869 to have your lines and pressure checked.
More about our repiping and water line service.
