When Is It Time To Swap Out Old Pipes?
That “dripping sound” is the stuff of homeowner nightmares, seriously. I’ve had similar issues—once found out a slow leak had been feeding a patch of black mold behind my laundry room wall for who knows how long. Honestly, I’m with you on just replacing crusty old pipes instead of patching. It feels wasteful at first, but the peace of mind (and not having to rip out drywall twice) is worth it. And yeah, shortcuts always come back to haunt you... especially when water’s involved.
Honestly, I’m with you on just replacing crusty old pipes instead of patching. It feels wasteful at first, but the peace of mind (and not having to rip out drywall twice) is worth it.
I get where you're coming from, but I always feel a little weird about tossing out pipes that might still have some life left. Isn’t there a middle ground? Like, targeted repairs or lining the inside of the old pipes instead of a full swap? Feels like we’re creating a lot of waste when sometimes a fix could do the trick—especially if the material isn’t actively leaching anything nasty. Maybe it’s just my eco-guilt talking, but I’d rather avoid sending a bunch of metal or plastic to the landfill if I can help it.
I totally get the eco-guilt—scrapping pipes that aren’t leaking yet feels wasteful. I’ve tried pipe lining in a couple of rentals, actually. It worked okay, but I had to redo one section when the liner failed after a year. Sometimes patching is fine, but if you’re already opening up walls, it’s tempting to just do the whole thing and not worry about it again for decades. Still, I wish there was a perfect middle ground... one that didn’t involve me babysitting plumbers every few months.
if you’re already opening up walls, it’s tempting to just do the whole thing and not worry about it again for decades.
I get the urge, but sometimes full replacement is overkill, especially if the existing pipes are still solid. I’ve seen old copper last way longer than people expect. Lining’s hit or miss, but spot repairs can buy a lot of time if you’re not ready to gut everything.
I’ve seen old copper last way longer than people expect.
That’s true, but I’ve also seen “solid” pipes turn into a pinhole sprinkler overnight. Sometimes you don’t know what’s going on inside until it’s too late. I get wanting to avoid overkill, but if you’re already tearing out drywall, it’s not crazy to just swap the lot and sleep easy. Guess it depends how much you trust what’s hiding in there...
