Title: Making sure your home’s pipes are up to code—how I do it
Duct tape on a drain trap... yeah, that’s a classic. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a crawlspace and found “temporary fixes” that have clearly been there for decades. One time, I saw a garden hose used as a supply line for a washing machine—still blows my mind that it hadn’t burst yet.
You’re spot on about checking for proper fittings and supports. That’s where most DIY jobs go sideways. Folks will use whatever’s handy, and sometimes you see things like electrical tape wrapped around a joint or a random clamp holding two pipes together. I get it—sometimes you just want the leak to stop—but shortcuts like that always come back to bite.
Referencing the year the house was built is a solid move, especially with all the grandfathered stuff out there. I’ve run into old lead traps and even some ancient galvanized lines that technically aren’t illegal, but you know they’re living on borrowed time. It’s a judgment call—sometimes I’ll flag it for replacement just because it’s one step away from failing.
Trusting your gut is underrated in this line of work. If something looks off, it usually is. I’ve learned that if you get that “this can’t be right” feeling, it’s worth digging deeper. And honestly, not everything needs to be textbook perfect, but if it’s holding together with tape or string, that’s a red flag.
You’ve got a good approach. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the code changes over the years, but just sticking to the basics—solid connections, right materials, no obvious hacks—goes a long way. Keep at it. Most folks wouldn’t even notice half the stuff you’re catching.
I get where you’re coming from about not everything needing to be textbook perfect, but honestly, I think that mindset can be risky—especially with older plumbing. I’ve seen “good enough” fixes turn into full-blown emergencies at 2am, and it’s always the stuff that looked just a little off but was left alone. Gut feeling is important, sure, but I’d argue that if you’re already under the house or behind the wall, it’s worth going the extra mile and bringing things up to current code, not just flagging them for later.
Those grandfathered lines might technically pass inspection, but they’re often a ticking time bomb. I’ve had to deal with burst galvanized pipes that flooded basements because someone figured “it’s lasted this long, it’ll be fine.” Sometimes the basics aren’t enough—especially when you factor in how much water damage can cost. I’d rather overdo it than risk a call-back or worse, a disaster down the line. Maybe I’m just paranoid after too many late-night emergencies, but I’d rather swap out that old trap now than gamble on it holding another year.
That brings back memories of crawling under my aunt’s house last winter and finding a patchwork of old copper and galvanized that “looked fine” but was so corroded it crumbled when I touched it. Her neighbor swore it’d last forever since it hadn’t leaked yet. I get wanting to avoid unnecessary work, but man, seeing how fast things can go sideways convinced me it’s better to just do it right while you’re there. The hassle of getting back under there later isn’t worth the gamble, at least in my book.
Yeah, I’ve seen that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude bite people more than once. Last month, I was helping my cousin swap out a water heater and we found a section of pipe that looked solid from the outside, but when we cut into it, it was basically paper-thin. It’s wild how stuff can look fine until you actually poke at it. I get not wanting to rip everything out for no reason, but sometimes you just gotta trust your gut and replace the sketchy stuff while you’re already in the crawlspace. Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for a way bigger headache down the line.
That’s exactly what worries me every time I open up a wall. I get the urge to just patch over and hope for the best, but then I remember the time I ignored a tiny drip under my kitchen sink—ended up costing way more down the road. Do you ever try to do spot fixes, or do you just replace whole sections when you’re already in there? Sometimes I wonder if I’m being too cautious, but then again... water damage is no joke.
