Have you noticed decrease water pressure at home? For many people, water piping is something that’s always in the back of the mind, free of any real worry or concern. However, it’s certainly not a rarity for your pipes to be seriously deteriorating, either through improper installation or because of rust and calcium buildup. If your home currently has older piping, you could need a repipe to ensure that your water system runs at 100% capacity.

Not sure if you’ve got a problem or not? It can often be difficult to diagnose pipe problems, but there are almost always some key signs to look out for. Firstly, check your water pressure at different points in the house. If you notice different pressures on your faucets, especially when spread throughout different areas of the house, it’s highly likely that you need a copper repipe. For people with damaged piping, it’s not uncommon to see water pressure remain very high in certain parts of the house, and massively deteriorate in some isolated areas.

If you spot problems with water pressure, be sure to map out where the problem is occurring. By taking note of which faucets and water appliances are having problems, you can isolate the pipes and save yourself from having to repipe the entire house. However, it’s not uncommon for the entire house to require a repipe, especially if your home plumbing is aging and hasn’t seen maintenance in a long time. Many plumbers will be able to assist you with repiping houses, and often just a small change in your piping is all that’s required.

A full copper repipe will come with some very visible benefits. For starters, your water pressure will improve dramatically. You see, the problem with many pipes is that they accumulate rust and other blockage, and over time lose much of their usable space. This has some vast and noticeable effects on the quality of your water, including an immediate drop in water pressure. In some severe cases, the pipes can become so blocked that water pressure drops to less than 20% of its original level.

Secondly, houses that don’t get a necessary repipe can develop leaks and water damage within the walls. While this can often just have minor effects, there’s always the possibility of major property damage, structural compromise, and incredibly expensive repair bills. Take action against this possibility by having your copper repipe performed whenever you see or suspect problems.

And by the way, a good rule of thumb is if your home is at least 40 years old, has galvanized steel piping installed, and your local water source is comprised of mostly  hard water, there is a very good chance that your pipes are due for a thorough inspection and possibly a repiping.

If you are wondering how much copper repiping costs then you are in luck.  We have a gone through several repiping projects ourselves and can say that for an average size bathroom you are looking at approximately one to two thousand dollars.  This includes stripping all galvanized steel pipes out, replacing faucet and shower fixtures, as well as replacing toilet supply valves.   If you are gutting your bathroom anyways and have exposed the studs, it is a great time to consider re doing your plumbing.   Since it is easy to access the pipes, a plumber will often give you a substantial discount because they do not have to worry about redoing drywall work, or replacing any fancy tile work.

Of course the best way to know for sure is to contact a local plumber in your area for a quote.  If you are unsure of who to call or want good recommendations from your neighbors, we have personally had good success from using Angie’s List.   This is a referral website where real people review contractors (both good and bad) and give you raw, unbiased reviews of their experiences with local companies.  In one year, even though it cost me $79 for the membership to Angie’s List , I found 4 quality contractors who gave me superb service and saved me thousands of dollars in the long run.   I will definitely use each of these valuable contacts again for my future projects.

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