Totally get this.
I get the “leave the old pipes alone” thing, but sometimes those 1950s lines are just waiting to spring a surprise. I’ve seen a tiny drip turn into a full-on ceiling waterfall. If you’re swapping showerheads anyway, I’d say take an extra minute to peek at the shutoff valves and supply lines. A little paranoia can save a lot of drywall...
I hear you on the paranoia, but honestly, I’ve had more problems crop up *after* poking around old pipes than just leaving them be.
—true, but sometimes they’re fine for decades if you don’t mess with them. I swapped a showerhead once and ended up chasing a slow leak for weeks... kind of wish I'd left it alone.“sometimes those 1950s lines are just waiting to spring a surprise”
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but leaving those old pipes untouched is kind of a gamble. I’ve seen way too many “it was fine until it wasn’t” situations—hidden corrosion, hairline cracks, you name it. Sometimes just swapping out a fixture reveals a leak that was already there, slowly getting worse behind the wall. Sure, disturbing them can stir up trouble, but ignoring aging plumbing isn’t always the safest bet either. I’d rather deal with a controlled repair than an emergency flood at 2am… trust me, those never happen at a convenient time.
I’d rather deal with a controlled repair than an emergency flood at 2am… trust me, those never happen at a convenient time.
Can’t argue with that—nothing like a surprise waterfall in the middle of the night to ruin your week. Still, I’m always weighing the cost. If the pipes aren’t leaking and the water pressure’s good, I tend to leave them alone until I’m already opening up a wall for something else. Maybe I’m just rolling the dice, but my wallet usually wins that argument... at least so far.
I get where you’re coming from—sometimes it feels like you’re just tempting fate by leaving old pipes alone, but honestly, I’ve done the same. If there’s no sign of trouble and the water’s running fine, I’m not ripping out walls just for the sake of it. That said, I’ve learned the hard way that a “small” drip can turn into a disaster if you ignore it too long. Had a tenant once who didn’t mention a slow leak under the sink... ended up costing way more than a simple fix would’ve.
Still, I’m not about to replace every pipe just because it’s old. I’ll keep an eye out, do the basics, and only go deeper if I have to. Preventative stuff is good, but sometimes you gotta pick your battles, especially with how expensive everything’s gotten lately.