All about Copper Repiping That Bay Area Residents Must Know

Bay Area residents living in homes/buildings more than 2.5 decades old should know about the benefits of Copper Repiping and why it’s time to switch. Below we will discuss what is it, and why you need it.

Copper Repiping is the process of replacing existing pipes in a home or facility with copper pipes. This is a permanent plumbing task that does not fix pipes, but replaces them altogether. You may be thinking that if there are no major pipe leaks around your house, then there’s no need to replace them. The fact is that if you are living in a home built 25 years ago or more, copper repiping is the best thing you can do to save it because the older pipes are bound to cause problems.

The reason being that structures built 25 years ago were piped with zinc coated iron pipes. These galvanized pipes are known to become weak with age because with time, the Zinc lining on the iron begins to erode and your iron pipes start to rust. Rusted pipes will lead to rusty water, as well as a drop in water pressure. The build- up of rust and corrosion leads to low water pressure as the water flow is constricted in the pipes. Also, the rust inside the actual pipes causes the water to become rusty and smelly and this usually happens when the erosion of your pipes is at an advanced stage.

How to Determine if Your Pipes Are Rusted? You can determine the health of your water pipes in two ways. They are: water pressure and volume. Water pressure refers to the force with which water comes in your taps. Water volume refers to the amount of water that flows through the pipes. If you are noticing a drop in either of the two, then you are most likely facing rusted pipes. A water pressure drop is most noticeable when your washing machine takes longer to fill up, your water comes out very slowly from your shower, or your garden hose does not spray water as easily as before.

Another thing that you may notice is a tinted color in your tap water. This tint may be because of the rust in your pipes. Rusted water has an odor too, so if don’t see a difference, you can smell it. With rusted pipes, you will also have more frequent water leakage problems around the house.

Another indicator that your pipes are rusted is the discoloration of your faucets and shower heads. This discoloration is due to rusted water passing through them. All these signs are more than enough to find a reputable plumbing service to discuss your options. More than likely they will suggest full copper repiping if all the pipes are completely rusted.

Copper repiping is a major installation task that should only be done by a licensed plumber. However, it is a good long-term investment, as copper is the highest quality material for indoor pipes. It is durable, safe, light-weight, and is not prone to rusting (as opposed to galvanized pipes). Its flexible nature makes it an easy pipe to fit in any space, and your entire plumbing job will be finished fairly quickly. Whether searching for a Plumber Los Gatos, Los Altos, Santa Clara or wherever you are in the Bay Area, make sure to choose a reputable and trusted plumbing service for your copper repiping project.

The writer is associated with Cupertino Plumbing, the leading plumbing service in the Bay Area. Their San Jose Plumber has the knowledge and experience to get the job done right.