Does your house have leaking pipelines and smelly sewers? Have you been living in your house since decades but haven’t replaced your plumbing ever? Then probably you’ve been ignoring some serious safety risks at home.
Although our bathroom pipes can last for years, sometimes, they show signs that your plumbing needs replacement. Ignoring such signs for long can be dangerous in case of freezing and pipe bursts.
Thus, in this article, we present some severe situations and evident signs that call for professional plumbing services without any delay.
7 Signs Your Plumbing Needs Replacement
1) - Cracked Pipelines
Older pipe fittings are prone to losing their strength and may get cracks over time. This is a serious condition that demands abrupt plumbing service. You can easily spot the cracked pipelines if they have small and dark holes around them.
Even if you have underground pipelines, you can identify the cracks if you have greasy or fractured floor. Thus, take this sign seriously because it can wreak havoc if not serviced on time.
2) - Corrosion
If your sewers are more frequently clogged and don’t drain water easily, you might need to heed while draining your sewers with pressure because there’s a possibility that your pipes have corroded. Moreover, stop using acidic compounds as it can destroy your piping.
That’s usually the case with old houses that have galvanized steel pipelines. Steel pipes can corrode if overlooked for a longer period of time. Hence, you need to replace your corroded pipes with new PVC pipelines so that your sewers easily pass the water without clogging.
3) - Smelly and Discolored Water
The problem of smelly and discolored water may be a matter of time due to the maintenance or cleaning at your supplier’s. However, if that’s frequently the case, and you see brown or yellow colored water come out of your tap, that’s perhaps the sediments and dirt moving inside your pipelines.
When old steel pipes are rusted, they leave out smaller particles every time the water flows. This changes the color and leaves a pungent smell in water, making it unhealthy for drinking and bathing. Thus, a signal to change your plumbing.
4) - Leakage
A leakage might occur due to the disconnection between joints or broken pipes. You might be ignoring minor leakages for long that have now become a big concern of safety for your house. These small leakages turn into large holes due to continuous high pressure water flow.
Some leakages are repairable while others may need you to replace your plumbing. This is something beyond the scope of DIY, so it isrecommended that you lend a professional hand to check for your leakages.
5) - Reduced Water Pressure
Similar to other signs, reduced water pressure is also something that shouldn’t be ignored. This could easily be solved if the problem lies with your faucet. The faucets come with little sieve that acts as a stopper to prevent remnants from passing through. You can simply take the faucet sieve off and clean it to increase water pressure.
However, if that doesn’t work, this maybe a red signal due to clogged pipes. When pipes are clogged, they block water from flowing and hinder their path. When the flow is disrupted, the pressure drops significantly. Your plumber might be able to clean your pipes if possible, otherwise you’ll have to replace a section or the whole pipe to address the issue.
6) - Lead Pipes
Lead is very dangerous in drinking water. In areas where water has low mineral content and high acidity, the pipelines can become excessively lead corroded. This happens mostly in older areas and cities where plumbing is least serviced.
You can predict the presence of lead in your water if it has shiny and silver content floating in it. Moreover, you can use a magnet to see if you have a lead pipe because it won’t stick to it. A study claims that about 10 million Americans are supplied water through lead pipes. Thus, it’s really important to get your plumbing replaced on time to take preventive measures and avoid consuming impure water.
7) - Old Plumbing
Even if you don’t see a flaw in your plumbing, yet it is good to get them checked to identify the hidden issues and impending problems. Thus, a good initial investment to save yourself from big troubles in the future.
If you’ve got PVC plumbing, then you may not face many issues because they are long lasting. However, old houses used to have galvanized steel plumbing that, at some point, call out risky circumstances. Here is the predicted lifespan after which you should consider servicing or replacing your old plumbing:
- Cast iron plumbing: up to 75-100 years.
- Brass plumbing: up to 40-45 years.
- Galvanized steel plumbing: up to 20-50 years.
- Copper plumbing: up to or more than 50 years.
Knowing the lifespan can make it easier to predict the right time to replace your old plumbing. Moreover, if you’re uncertain about the type of plumbing at your home, ask a professional plumber and get your piping correctly identified.
Call A Professional Plumber
Plumbers use specialized tools that help them identify weak pipelines, and may give you a better advice about when you need to replace them. They can also tell if servicing would be enough to address the issues.
If you live in Arizona and want a professional solution for your plumbing, contact Mesa Plumbing Company that offers 24/7 service with no extra charges and provides 100% satisfied plumbing facilities across 12 cities in Arizona.