When you buy an old home, you generally anticipate having to renovate, but most buyers hope that the changes will be mostly cosmetic and you’ll be able to avoid major repairs. However, if you’re buying an old home and working on fixing it up, you should seriously consider having the plumbing repiped in the process. Keep reading to find out why.
Dangerous Materials
Many materials used in piping older homes can become dangerous after several decades of use. Lead pipes can leave lead deposits in your water, for example. These deposits are extremely toxic and can lead to many health issues, especially in young children. However, lead is not the only pipe material with potential health hazards attached to it. Galvanized steel pipes, used as recently as the early 1980s, tend to degrade quickly, which can lead to rusty deposits in your water. Not only is this dangerous to drink, but it can also damage your water-using appliances and plumbing fixtures.
Future Plumbing Troubles
Though plumbing is made to last for decades, it does eventually wear out, and if you’re nearing the end of the plumbing’s usable life, you’ll experience more and more leaks. The older your plumbing system is, the more likely you are to experience major plumbing troubles in the first few years of home ownership. Often, it’s more cost-effective to replace the pipes now than to repeatedly repair leaks and the resulting water damage for years, then end up needing to repipe your home anyways.
City Codes
Old houses are frequently not up to code, and you may be required to undergo inspections and make unplanned fixes to your property to get it up to the city’s safety codes. In some cases, you may be required to repipe your home. Plumbing and electrical systems are often the most likely parts of the home to need these kinds of updates, as they can age out more quickly than other systems in the home.
You’re Already Renovating
If you’re already making major home changes, this is the easiest time to deal with repiping. As stated above, old plumbing systems will likely need to be repiped within a few years of you moving into the home. Do you really want to finish up your renovations, only to have to open up the walls again and replace the pipes? Performing the repipe now will be a cost-effective solution in the long run.
If you’ve recently bought an old home, consider contacting repipe specialists in Sacramento to get a quote on repiping your home now, while other renovations are already underway.
