- Had the same issue in a 70s duplex—blue-green stains kept coming back even after cleaning.
- Once I saw pinhole leaks, I just bit the bullet and replaced a 10-foot section.
- Noticed water pressure improved after the swap, which surprised me.
- Curious—has anyone tried those internal epoxy linings? Worth it, or just a band-aid?
Had a similar saga with a triplex from the late 60s—those blue-green stains are like bad wallpaper, just keep coming back no matter what you do. Tried the epoxy lining once, thinking it’d be a miracle fix. Honestly, it bought me a couple years, but when I finally opened up the walls for a bigger reno, the pipes underneath still looked rough. If you’re planning to hold onto the place for a while, replacement’s less headache in the long run... but I get the appeal of a quick fix when tenants are breathing down your neck about water pressure.
“those blue-green stains are like bad wallpaper, just keep coming back no matter what you do.”
That’s the story with copper from that era, isn’t it? I’ve seen folks swear by epoxy, but like you said, it’s more of a band-aid. Ever tried partial repipes—just swapping out the worst runs first? Curious if anyone’s had luck stretching things that way without tearing up the whole place at once.
Title: When is it time to swap out old pipes?
Partial repipes have been my go-to for a couple of rentals, mostly because the idea of gutting an entire place just for pipes gives me a headache (and empties my wallet). The thing is, it’s a bit of a gamble. I had one building where we swapped out just the kitchen and bathroom lines—those were the worst offenders, with constant pinhole leaks and that blue-green crust that never really goes away. It bought us a few more years, but eventually, the rest of the runs started acting up too. In hindsight, I probably just delayed the inevitable.
Epoxy always seemed like wishful thinking to me. Maybe it works for some, but every plumber I’ve trusted says it’s just masking the bigger problem. One guy even called it “putting lipstick on a pig,” which cracked me up.
I will say, if you’re dealing with slab foundations or somewhere where access is a nightmare, partial repipes can be a lifesaver in the short term. But if you’re already opening up walls for other work, I’d lean toward doing as much as you can afford at once. Nothing worse than patching drywall twice because another section decided to spring a leak right after you finish repairs.
Honestly, every property’s different. Sometimes you get lucky and those old copper lines hang on way longer than they should. Other times, it’s like playing whack-a-mole... fix one leak and another pops up across the house. I try to weigh how much disruption tenants can handle too—nobody likes surprise water shut-offs or holes in their walls.
Long story short, partial repipes can stretch things out if you’re careful about which lines are most at risk. Just don’t expect miracles if your copper’s already on its last legs.
I get where you're coming from with partial repipes, especially with rentals where you want to minimize chaos. But from what I've seen, sometimes holding off on a full repipe actually ends up costing more in the long run—especially if you’re dealing with older copper or galvanized. Here’s how I usually break it down:
1. If you’re seeing pinhole leaks and that blue-green corrosion, the rest of the system is probably right behind. You might patch up the kitchen, but the next leak could be in a wall you just painted... Murphy’s Law, right?
2. The “lipstick on a pig” thing with epoxy isn’t far off. It can buy you time if you’ve got no other option, but it rarely solves the root issue.
3. If you’re already opening up walls for something else—like electrical or insulation—just bite the bullet and do the pipes too. It’s painful upfront, but you’ll thank yourself later.
I’ve had a couple clients try to save money with spot repairs, only to call me back six months later when another section failed. If your pipes are pushing 40+ years, I’d lean toward just getting it over with. Otherwise, you’re just chasing leaks and racking up repair bills.
