Pipes wear and tear as they age and must be replaced eventually to prevent disasters and meet your household’s water needs. However, many homeowners aren’t sure when to change them. To help with that, we’ve listed the signs that your pipes are due for replacement.
Water Pressure Problems
Metal pipe interiors may suffer from sediment buildup and corrosion as they age, making it difficult for water to flow smoothly. This issue is especially true for homeowners using hard water, as it has minerals that gradually accumulate, put more pressure on, and crack pipes. Contact us right away if you notice your water pressure has weakened when using your shower and taps.
Inconsistent Water Temperature
Your pipes’ inner walls become narrow as they age, leading to poor temperature control. If the water’s temperature fluctuates while using the shower or doesn’t change when you try adjusting it with a faucet, your pipes might need to be inspected and changed.
Recurring Leaks
Few isolated leaks only require simple repairs, but frequent and multiple leaks call for a repiping job. Metal pipes’ walls thin out as water flows through them and develop tiny leaks or large cracks once they’re fragile enough. Look out for water stains, unexplained damp spots, and mold growth on your walls, foundations, ceilings, floors, and under sinks.
Persistent Clogs
Frequent clogs could indicate major blockage likely caused by sediment buildup, items like cotton balls and tissue, or tree roots penetrating the pipes. If clogs keep happening even though you’re careful about what goes down your drain, perhaps you should hire plumbers to change your piping system already.
Corroding Pipes
Signs of corrosion like bumps, rust, flaking, and discoloration on pipes prove they are due for replacement. Even those hidden within walls, foundations, and beneath floors are not safe from this. Your pipes can develop leaks and burst the longer you let them deteriorate, making home repiping even more crucial.
Discolored Water With an Unpleasant Taste or Smell
Rust can also form and accumulate inside pipes, changing your water’s appearance from clear to yellowish, red, or brown and even resulting in awful tastes and metallic or sulfuric odors. If your water is discolored or smells or tastes different, consider changing your pipes as soon as possible.
Strange Noises
Banging, gurgling, knocking, or shrieking sounds while using water signals the need for repiping. Old pipes with internal flaws tend to make these loud, unsettling noises as water runs through them that, if left unaddressed, could also burst and damage your house.
Let Experts Change Your Pipes
Repiping a house is a worthy investment as it ensures your household has seamless access to clean, safe water. If you detect any of the symptoms above on your property, contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Eastern Iowa. Our local repiping contractors are always ready to lend a hand.
