Believe it or not, it is relatively common to have to repipe a home. The most common reasons for repiping are pipe damage from corrosion in an old house or replacing polybutylene (PolyB) pipe in a home built in the 1990s because PolyB is destined to fail sooner or later. In today’s blog article, we’d like to talk about some repiping best practices or what you should do or not do during a repiping project.
What to Do
Talk to your plumber about what can and will be done to minimize disruption to your water supply. Inevitably there will be some disruptions, but these can be minimized with careful planning and potentially the installation of an extra valve or two. If you have special needs for water at certain times, discuss with the repiping contractor.
Find out what, if any, permitting is required, and if that will add to the job timeline.
There are going to be some holes made in your walls, ceilings, or floors to access pipe. Find out if the repiping contractor is going to repair and clean up the mess he or she makes. (They should.)
What Not to Do
We recommend against doing a partial repiping. While it is technically possible, it is not a good idea. Partial repiping saves on the initial cost, but it does not address your whole problem. Whatever part is not fixed or replaced is still at risk of failing.
Choose a company that is experienced at this type of job. Repiping can take several days, and it is a big job. Do not choose a company that has never done it before. Experienced contractors will do the job faster and more efficiently with fewer mistakes. Don’t let novices train on your dime.
You do not want to delay repiping until you have a big water leak and a lot of damage. Do the repiping while everything is intact to save yourself time, money, and multiple headaches.
Please call us on the Lower Mainland at (604) 349-5325 if you need help assessing your piping. Repiping is our area of expertise. If you contact us, we can examine the piping in your house and give you a free estimate for what it will cost to fix it.
Repiping Vancouver is a division of 604FixLeak offering leak detection, plumbing repairs and restoration services in the Greater Vancouver area. Repiping Vancouver concentrates on whole home or office repiping.
If you have any questions about this article or need some help with repiping in your home or office, call us today at (604) 349-5325.
