What Is Repiping?
If there are extensive pipe failures throughout your home that can’t be repaired, plumbers will often suggest a repipe. Repiping is the removal and replacement of pipes throughout your home; think of it like a reset for your plumbing. Sometimes referred to as a whole-home repipe for larger jobs, you’re essentially replacing the plumbing skeleton that runs through your home.
The process usually looks like:
- A detailed inspection. Your plumbers will go through your home and give you an estimation of what the job looks like.
- Protecting your home. The crew will lay down protection and plastic coverings to safeguard your property.
- Surgical incisions. In a best-case scenario, only a few small holes will need to be made in walls or floors to access the pipes in question. Some jobs with complex access problems can call for more significant excavation.
- Pipe removal and replacement. Old pipes are removed and taken out of the home, and new pipes are brought in and attached.
- Testing and inspection. Before your team starts to wind down for the day, they’ll test your plumbing and water pressure to ensure everything is working as intended.
- Clean up and patching. Once the primary objective is complete, your plumber will seal up holes, patch things back together, and repaint anything that needs a new coat.
- Materials Used in Repiping
If your home is going through repiping in Seattle, WA, you’ll probably see one of the following types of materials being brought in.
- Copper. Using copper for repiping is extremely common thanks to several advantages this material brings to the table. They enjoy wonderful anti-bacterial properties and are extremely durable and long-lasting. They’re also highly resistant to corrosion.
- PEX. PEX repiping uses highly flexible plastic pipes that are more cost-effective. PEX piping is more resistant to freezing and is considered quick and easy to install. PEX pipes are much easier to route through your walls than other traditional methods. However, they cannot be left in direct sunlight as UV exposure can damage them.
- CPVC. CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) pipes are another plastic-based piping system. This type of pipe is usually better for smaller repiping projects and handles high temperatures very well. It’s more brittle than PEX, but still extremely lightweight and easy to cut.
Signs You Need Repiping
Keep an eye out for these warning signs that you need repiping services in Seattle, WA.
- Low or inconsistent water pressure.
- Water that tastes metallic.
- Corrosion that’s visible on pipes.
- Discoloration of water (rusty coloration).
- Recurring or frequent leaks.
Repiping Frequently Asked Questions
Repiping your home can sound overwhelming. If you’ve got questions about repiping in Seattle, WA, check out a few of the following FAQs. Hopefully, they align with some of your lingering doubts.
Can repiping increase my home’s value?
Yes, it definitely can. A whole-home repiping gets a brand new plumbing system into your home, giving new buyers peace of mind that they aren’t walking into plumbing repairs in the near future. An inspector letting a new buyer know that the plumbing is brand-new is a great way to foster trust. Interested buyers won’t find issues that can take price negotiations back to the drawing board.
Does repiping fix poor water pressure?
Getting your home repiped can indeed fix unacceptable water pressure problems. Removing old corroded or backed-up pipes with newer ones gives you much more pipe diameter to work with. You’ll hardly recognize your shower pressure once the repiping job wraps up.
Does repiping have to be a whole-home job?
No, not at all. Partial repiping is a thing, and it handles smaller sections of pipes that need to be replaced. If your plumber diagnoses a specific problem in an isolated area of your home, a partial repiping job can handle one location without a full-home repipe.
Is PEX piping better than copper?
This can honestly come down to preference; both materials are extremely effective for repiping. Copper is a tried and true method that many people are familiar with. PEX pipes are newer on the block and come with a hidden talent: noise removal. PEX pipes can hide the sound of moving water and are often cheaper to install. But like we said earlier, it’s really based on what you want, as both are very suited for the job.
