I’ve had a couple rentals where we did partial repipes, mostly targeting the worst galvanized lines first. In one case, it actually held up for about five years before another section started leaking, but in another property, we were chasing leaks every year after the first fix. I wonder if the type of pipe or even water quality in the area makes a difference? Anyone ever factor in local water chemistry before deciding how aggressive to get with repiping?
Had a job a few years back where the owner wanted to just swap out the worst sections of galvanized. We did that, but within two years, new leaks started popping up in spots we hadn’t touched. Turns out their water was super acidic—ate right through the old pipe. Honestly, I’ve learned the hard way that if your area’s got rough water chemistry, patch jobs are just kicking the can down the road. Sometimes it’s cheaper in the long run to just bite the bullet and do a full repipe.
