Copper Repiping for Better Home Safety

As homes age there are a lot of things that need to be replaced regularly. The carpet should be torn up and reinstalled every ten years. Every thirty years you will need a new roof. Depending on where you live you may want to repaint the exterior about every five years. There are other things that you may have forgotten about that will also need to be replaced. These things have not necessarily worn out but, instead, there have been advances that have become preferable over what was once used. The biggest area where this comes in is plumbing. If you own an older home you definitely want to look into copper repiping. This is simply replacing all of the old pipes in the house with brand new ones that will not corrode or rust. There a number of huge benefits to having this done.

First of all, many older houses have iron pipes coated in zinc. These are not necessarily bad but they are not completely rust proof. Eventually, they will begin to corrode. Additionally, the zinc is not completely safe. The metal itself is safe; in fact it is a necessary nutrient. However, there are trace amounts of lead or chromium that are not safe and should not be getting into drinking water. Copper repiping is completely safe and does not leech anything into the water.

A lot of people think that by taking it upon themselves and doing the copper repiping of their plumbing they will save a lot of money. While this may be true of the time investment they will most likely be paying more for the materials. It is unlikely that a layperson will be as skilled at cutting and bending piping as a plumber. This will result in a lot of wasted materials that would be avoided had an expert done it.

Also, one must consider the time cost of a job like this. Not just in removing and installing the new copper repiping but also in time spent searching for the right fitting and the different tools and materials that are necessary to do a good job. All said, it is better and cheaper to hire someone to come in and do the replacement. Not only will it likely get done faster and cheaper but it will be guaranteed to be done right. A homeowner will certainly not be saving money if they finish the job and then end up flooding the basement because of a leak.

Copper piping is not just a smart investment in improving the plumbing of the house but also in making it safer. These pipes will run cleaner and safer making the water not only taste better but also reducing any possible contaminants that the home was contributing.