Been dealing with some weird water pressure issues and the occasional rusty tint in the tap water. House is from the 70s, so I’m guessing the pipes are original. Is it worth biting the bullet and getting them all replaced, or are there ways to just fix the worst parts? Anyone regret doing a full overhaul, or wish they’d done it sooner?
Title: When is it time to swap out old pipes?
Been dealing with some weird water pressure issues and the occasional rusty tint in the tap water. House is from the 70s, so I’m guessing the pipes are original.
This brings back memories. I bought my place a couple years ago—built in ‘74—and had almost the exact same situation. Water pressure was all over the place, and every now and then, I’d get that reddish-brown tinge in the bathroom sink. At first, I tried swapping out a couple of really bad sections (the plumber called them “Frankenpipes” because of all the weird patch jobs). It helped for a bit, but honestly, the problems kept creeping back.
Eventually, I just went for the full repipe. It was a pain—walls opened up here and there, not cheap either—but looking back, I wish I’d done it right away instead of messing around with spot fixes. Water’s been crystal clear since, and pressure is way more consistent. If you’re planning to stay long-term, biting the bullet once is probably less stressful than chasing leaks or rust forever. Just my two cents...
- Seen this a lot in houses from that era—galvanized pipes just don’t age well.
- Rusty water and pressure swings usually mean the inside of the pipes are corroding or getting clogged.
- Spot fixes can buy you time, but if you’re seeing issues in multiple spots, it’s often a sign the whole system’s on its last legs.
- Full repipe isn’t cheap, but chasing leaks and patching “Frankenpipes” adds up fast.
- Curious—have you checked if your neighbors with similar-age homes are having these problems too? Sometimes it’s a street-wide issue.
Definitely seeing the same thing in a lot of older homes—galvanized pipes just don’t hold up over decades. Once you start getting rust in the water or weird pressure drops, it’s usually a sign the inside of those pipes is closing up with corrosion. I’ve seen people try to get by with patch jobs, but honestly, after a certain point, you’re just throwing money at a sinking ship.
One thing I’d add: sometimes people forget about the risk of hidden leaks behind walls or under floors. Those can do a ton of damage before you even notice anything’s wrong. If you’re already seeing issues in more than one spot, it’s probably not worth gambling on more repairs.
Checking with neighbors is smart, but even if it’s not a whole street problem, old galvanized just doesn’t have much life left after 60-70 years. Full repipe isn’t cheap, but neither is dealing with water damage or constant headaches. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and get it done.
Makes sense about the hidden leaks—that’s honestly one of my bigger worries. Full repipe just sounds brutal on the wallet, though. I keep hoping it’s just a few bad sections in the basement, but maybe that’s wishful thinking. Has anyone actually saved money by only swapping out the worst runs, or did it just end up being more hassle long term? Just trying to avoid dropping a fortune if there’s a middle ground.
