Earth Care plumbers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to assist with plumbing emergencies. Simply dial 8337368835 or book online at https://www.earthcarebrands.com/ Older homes are often valued for their charm and character. Many of the remaining were built to unique specifications and with materials prohibitively expensive for modern construction.
For many young people looking to buy their first home, an older home that requires a little more maintenance is often an attractive option. However, these homes often hide a number of problems behind their elegant crown molding profile . and plaster walls. While some of these issues are relatively minor inconveniences, others are ticking time bombs that can cause significant damage. Prospective homeowners should consider some specific plumbing features that are unfortunately quite common in homes older than a few decades. Here are some of the most common plumbing problems in older homes and how to fix them.
Old Homes and Plumbing Issues Although older homes have a certain charm that newer structures seem to lack, they also come with a variety of plumbing issues. Even if an older house is completely renovated on the outside and makes the neighborhood attractive, the skeleton of the house can still be decades old (if not over a hundred years old!). Although you like the attractive details of older homes like crown molding and hardwood floors, old plumbing can be particularly problematic. Plumbing in homes can be as old as the building itself and can lead to many unforeseen problems and expenses, especially if the plumbing has not been serviced over the years.
The most efficient way to avoid catastrophic plumbing problems and the high costs that come with them is to understand the condition of your home's plumbing. Common Plumbing Problems in Older Homes and Their Solutions Just because older homes can have a number of plumbing problems doesn't mean there aren't solutions. Here are some of the most common plumbing problems you may run into in your old home, and how to fix them too! Old Plumbing Supplies Any home built before the 1990's could have plumbing work done such materials are no longer permitted by the USA.
Build Codes. If the home has been renovated in the last few decades, some or all of these pipes have likely been replaced, but it's always recommended to inspect the pipes in the home to ensure there aren't any unexpected surprises when a drain first becomes clogged . Old homes may have three obsolete types of plumbing pipe: Lead Most commonly used for sewer lines and water pipes, lead is one of the oldest metals used in pipelines. Before the development of blast furnaces that could melt iron, lead was an ideal metal for plumbing because of its malleability and durability. Lead was also commonly used as an additive in solder used to join copper pipe fittings.
Unfortunately, lead is highly toxic, causing joint and gastrointestinal pain, irritability, fatigue and memory loss. It is especially dangerous for children, causing serious problems with physical and mental development. Although the US has restricted the use of lead since the 1920s, it was not completely banned nationwide until Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1986. In the 1960s, galvanized pipe is made from iron and coated with a layer of zinc. Over time, the zinc erodes, making the tube very susceptible to corrosion and breakage.
Although they can last up to 60 years, most of them clog up with rust much sooner. Aged galvanized pipe becomes so brittle that it usually has to be disassembled to be removed and replaced. For this reason, they are often replaced piece by piece in older homes, leaving the pipes relatively intact. Polybutylene When it first came to market in the 1970s, polybutylene was billed as the "pipe of the future". refers to a replacement for copper wiring and was widespread in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the manufacturer had to pay millions of dollars after a class action lawsuit alleging that the lines were defective.
Although the manufacturer has never acknowledged a defect, oxidizers in public water systems caused a chemical reaction with the plastic, causing it to chip, become brittle and crack. Polybutylene was primarily used in mobile home installations, but any home built in the 1980s and early 1990s may contain plastic tubing somewhere. Existing polybutylene tubing is no longer manufactured or rated to US building codes, so it must be replaced before it fails. affected by the gradual movement and displacement of the house over time. As pipes drift downward, they can create a negative slope or "belly" that restricts water flow and creates puddles where dirt or sediment collects.
Unattended pipe jackets can cause clogs or leaks over time. Depending on the situation, trenchless pipe rupture rehabilitation can be the best solution for pipe jackets. However, you need a professional plumber to go to the crime scene and check how serious it is. Faulty Sewer Lines Buried and out of sight, no one thinks much about their sewer line until it fails, leaking sewage into the ground, or backing up smelly sewage into the house. Sewers are heavily used and those in older homes were often built before modern appliances (garbage disposal, dishwashers, etc.) and toilets forced more water through them, making them more prone to failure, especially when extensive remodeling was done.
Older homes are also more likely to have problems with sewer lines that are moving or damaged by tree roots. Replacing or re-casing trenchless sewer lines can be the quickest way to fix faulty sewer lines. In many cases, trenchless repair is a one-day solution. No excessive and time-consuming work is required to dig up a pipe (or replace damaged landscaping). Outdated fittings and connections Nothing lasts forever.
Old homes often have faucets, fixtures and utilities that are nearing the end of their useful life. Corrosion and general wear and tear can result in restricted water flow, broken knobs and leaks that make simply using water around the home an inconvenience at best and a costly disaster at worst. While many people try to just "make ends meet" with bad pipes, things break at the worst possible time. Nobody wants to come back from vacation to find that rusty valve in the water line under the sink has finally failed, causing hundreds or thousands of dollars in water damage. Preventive maintenance is the best solution to wear and tear to prevent common tears that can have expensive repairs in the future.
Even if you inspect your plumbing yourself, it is important that you have your home plumbing inspected by a true professional plumber once a year. A professional has the tools and training to find problems that most homeowners might overlook. Poor Repairs Older homes naturally had many opportunities to develop plumbing problems. It is not a question of "if" the house was repaired, but of "who" did the repairs. For many older homes, do-it-yourself repairs are done by the owner or a handyman instead of a professional plumber.
These problems can range from everyday problems like unsecured pipes or siphons to more serious and costly mistakes like unsafe water heaters or improperly sloped showers. While some of these repairs are more fun than anything else, others can be quite dangerous and should be repaired immediately by calling a professional plumber. When to call professional help for your plumbing problems Although older homes have their own unique charm, they also present a number of unique problems. Anyone moving into a home built more than thirty years ago should ensure that a licensed plumber performs a thorough inspection that can identify any problems. A few proactive steps today can prevent potentially serious (and costly) problems later.
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