7 Essential Tips for Repiping Your Home

The cost of repiping an entire house could cost anything from $1,500 to $15,000 depending on the area size.

There are many reasons that people engage with plumbers to replace pipes in their homes. It could be a leaking pipe, noisy pipe, low pressure, or brownish water coming from the pipes. You’re also likely to reap the benefits of repiping your home if your house is 50 years and older.

Whatever the reasons you’re considering for repiping your home, you need some tips to make the process a success.

Below are 7 essential tips for repiping your home.

1. Know Your Pipe System

Many homeowners have no clear distinction of what repiping is and what it’s not. Undertaking the replacement of just a few leaky pipes does not constitute repiping. Repiping entails a major undertaking where most of the pipes are replaced.

As a homeowner, it’s essential to know the entire pipe layout of your home. Are all pipes hidden inside the walls? Are some pipes exposed?

Knowing how your house is piped will give you a rough idea of how much work needs to be done. From this knowledge, you may be able to estimate the cost.

You should look for a professional plumber to guide you on the amount of repair that may be required. This is also ideal for realtors who have a house for sale in the market but need to know the cost of refurbishment.

2. Know When to Repipe

Knowing the best time for pipe replacement will give you an easy way of managing your pipe system. For example, when you realize there is some yellow color in the water from some pipes, then it’s a good warning sign but not a license to bring all your pipes down. Investigate and know the corrosion extent before you embark on a major overhaul.

It’s also advisable to do repiping after winter. This will help you see the extent of damage pipes have undergone during a cold period.

Advantages of repiping your home after winter include having the pipes not facing another cold spell for at least a year. If the pipes survived winter, see if they have the capacity to survive another winter season.

3. Tie the Repiping Project to Other Extensive Repairs in Your Home

You don’t want to bring down walls and floors just because you want to repipe. It’s advisable to combine the work of repiping with any other major work that might require you to open walls.

It gives an extra reason why you should repipe your house. This action is not only useful in getting many items redone afresh, but it can also be a money saving idea. It feels like hitting two birds with a single stone.

So, when you’re bringing down a section of the house or remodeling your home, it’s advisable to take advantage and call in your plumber.

4. Repiping Exposed Pipes First

It’s always a good thing to replace all the pipes in the house rather than doing some parts. However, sometimes your budget might not allow, or even after doing an inspection, you realize you only need to replace a handful of pipes.

Identify some of the pipes that are already exposed maybe in the basement, kitchen walls, or bathroom and make them top priority.

Ensure you can identify how the network of pipes works otherwise it will be a messy assignment. When you see the extent of damage, you can then decide on how to undertake the replacement.

5. Consider the Material to be Used

Many homeowners have been replacing pipes made of lead and copper with PEX and PVC. Lead pipes are considered dangerous and some of the old houses still contain them. Replacing these with copper is a good idea, but copper might be expensive.

Consider using PEX as it’s cheaper to install, lasts as long as copper, and is easy to use. When you decide on the material to use in your project, then, how to repipe a house becomes easy. PEX is considered a better option than PVC, though, for those who would want to do DIY, PVC is considered an ideal option.

6. Do You Want DIY Or Need a Professional Plumber?

It’s an option for homeowners to perform some of the repair work on their own without extensive professional expertise. This gives homeowner’s pride knowing they are investing themselves in their home. You too can consider DIY for repiping your house.

However, pipe replacement can be difficult and almost impossible for someone without plumbing experience. Once you decide to what extent you can handle the works, then it will determine if you need a plumber or not. Plumbers give that extra touch that your DIY might not.

7. Cover Your House When Repiping

When a plumber is working on your pipes, they conduct many tests to see if the pipes are responding well. During this period, most of the house is at the risk of water spilling on other household items. Cover these items with a PVC covering to protect them against water, dust or any other harmful materials that may result from the repair.

Remember, this project can be a major one, involving many parts of your home, hence the need to be extra careful with your personal belongings. Proper covering and arrangement of your household items will provide you with easier clean-up work after pipes are all replaced.

Make Repiping Your Home a Success

Replacing an entire pipe system can be expensive and time-consuming. Being cautious on the extent of pipe damage helps you develop a work plan, a budget, and a workable strategy to give your house a new look.

Repiping raises the value of a house and a realtor should consider the above tips before selling their property.

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