Honestly, if you’re getting repeated pinholes, that’s usually a red flag the rest of the pipe isn’t far behind. I’ve looked into inline filters—some folks swear by them, but they’re more for sediment or chlorine than stopping corrosion, as far as I can tell. If your water’s acidic or has high mineral content, it can definitely speed things up. I ended up replacing a whole run after chasing leaks for a year... wish I’d just bitten the bullet earlier.
- Been there, done that... chased leaks like a plumber on a treadmill.
- Pinholes are like the pipe’s way of waving a white flag—once they start, it’s usually game over.
- Inline filters helped with my rusty water, but didn’t do squat for the actual pipe rot.
- If you’re patching more than once a year, it’s probably time to call it and swap the whole thing.
- I tried to save money with spot fixes, but honestly, it just turned into a whack-a-mole situation.
- Pro tip: if your pipes are older than your favorite band, they’re probably due for retirement.
WHEN IS IT TIME TO SWAP OUT OLD PIPES?
Pinholes are like the pipe’s way of waving a white flag—once they start, it’s usually game over.
That’s exactly where I’m at right now. Just moved in last year and already found two tiny leaks in the basement copper lines. At first I thought it was just bad luck, but after reading this, maybe it’s a warning sign. My neighbor mentioned “pinhole leaks” too and said it’s usually corrosion from the inside out, so you can’t really see how bad it is until it’s leaking everywhere.
I tried those clamp-on repair kits for a quick fix, but I get what you mean about it feeling like whack-a-mole. Fix one, another pops up a few feet away. It gets old fast. I’m honestly kind of worried about what’s lurking behind the walls... The pipes in my place are probably from the late 70s, which makes them older than most of my playlists, ha.
One thing I’m not sure about: does water quality make a big difference? We have pretty hard water here, and there’s always a bit of sediment in the tap. I put in an inline filter, but it only helped with taste, not the rust stains in the tub. Someone told me that replacing just the worst sections can buy you time, but then you’ve got old and new pipes mixed together. Isn’t that asking for trouble down the line?
I keep hearing about “re-piping” with PEX instead of copper. Is it worth it, or am I just jumping on a trend? Kind of wish someone told me about all this before I signed those closing papers... Anyway, sounds like spot repairs are just delaying the inevitable. Just trying to figure out if there’s a way to stretch things a little longer or if I’m better off biting the bullet now.
