Old and rusty plumbing pipes can often turn out to be the culprit in the plumbing issues you encounter on your property. Your plumbing system may be away from your sight, hidden behind the wall, but just like any other product, it ages with time.
Clogs and leaks take their toll on the integrity of the pipes over the years. Drain cleaners used over the years also add to the wear and tear as the chemicals in them corrode the inside of the pipe’s walling. Furthermore, the lack of maintenance and routine cleaning makes things worse. All of these factors combine to significantly increase your chances of inviting plumbing related issues to your commercial or residential property.
Change is often a desirable thing, and sometimes there’s just no way around it. So, just like you consider replacing that old car or that old phone after a while, you should also look into replacing the old piping in your plumbing system every few years as well. The first step in this regard would involve inspection of the pipes. Below are some of the reasons why you should get the plumbing pipes inspected now rather than later.
Years of Wear and Tear
The plumbing system in your house has been running 24/7 for a number of years. The pipes in your house are being put to use one way or the other and are subjected to constant wear and tear as a result. You seem to forget and ignore this fact as they’re away from sight, but every time you take a shower, wash your dishes, or use the toilet, these pipes have debris and waste objects being flushed down their length.
Debris Buildup
Substances and items such as hair, food waste, soap, shampoos, and conditioners can all lead to the clogging of the pipes and cause subsequent issues on a daily basis. In addition to the clogging of pipes, the buildup of debris can also lead to constant repulsive odors that fill the air in the bathroom
Tree Roots
Tree roots can be another reason for the wear and tear of the pipes in your plumbing system. Sewer lines contain water, oxygen, and nutrients all of which are essential for the growth of trees. Tree roots are, therefore, drawn to the sewer pipes and can cause considerable damage to them in the form of cracks. Tree roots can also potentially penetrate through the sewer pipes and may even lead to sewer backup. Timely inspection is necessary to avoid such problems.
Earthquakes
If you reside in an area that sits on a fault line and is likely to experience frequent earthquakes, then you have all the more reason to be wary and protect your pipes. The shifting of the ground underneath can cause serious damage to the plumbing and can easily squash or bend your pipes.
For all these reasons, pipes are at constant risk of damage and undergo regular wear and tear. The problem, however, is with you being unaware as these plumbing pipes are usually out of your sight and often manifest behind walls or underground.
Outdated Plumbing Material being Used in Most old Homes
Old homes, especially those built before 1990, are likely to have outdated plumbing material used in their plumbing systems. In fact, resolutions banning the use of certain piping material due to safety reasons have also been passed. A professional pipe inspection is essential for most old homes for home owners to figure out what their plumbing system is made of.
The plumbing systems of most old structures were generally made using any of the following outdated materials.
Lead
One of the oldest metals to be used in the making of plumbing pipes is lead. Lead has mainly been used for the construction of main lines and sewers throughout modern history. However, lead can be highly toxic and frequent contact can cause health hazards such as joint pain, memory loss, and even hampering of the physical and mental development in children. The Safe Drinking Water Act passed by the congress in 1986 banned the use of lead completely.
Galvanized Pipes
Galvanized pipes are most prone to rusting. They are primarily made of iron with a layer of zinc coating on top. Although the piping can usually last up to 60 years, the zinc coating erodes over time and leads to clogging because of the rust.
Orangeburg
These pipes are made up of wood with a sealing of coal tar on top. Orangeburg pipes were widely used through the 2nd war era when there was a serious shortage of iron as it was diverted to the war effort. They served as an alternative to the iron-based pipes, but earned a bad rep for their brittleness and poor structural strength. Although these pipes failed in a matter of 10 years, there are many old houses today that still have Orangeburg piping. If you have an old house, this could very well be the material used for the pipes in your property.
To be sure if your plumbing pipes are made of any one of these outdated materials, it is important that you invest in a professional pipe inspection and have them replaced. This will save you from plumbing woes that potentially cost you hundreds —if not thousands—of dollars down the road.
To conclude, constant wear and tear and the lack of knowledge of the material used to make your piping mandates professional pipe inspection to save yourself the inconvenience and large bills that come with the plumbing issues later. To ensure that there’s nothing you have to worry about, it is recommended that you try our dedicated plumbing services to take care of all your plumbing needs.