I hear you on the saddle valves—those things are just asking for trouble. I’ve swapped out a few myself, usually after finding a slow drip that’s probably been there for years. But here’s something I’ve wondered: when you’re dealing with old mixed piping (like copper and galvanized), do you always replace the whole run, or just the worst sections? Sometimes I feel like I’m playing whack-a-mole with leaks and corrosion... but tearing everything out isn’t always in the budget. How do you decide where to draw the line?
Sometimes I feel like I’m playing whack-a-mole with leaks and corrosion... but tearing everything out isn’t always in the budget. How do you decide where to draw the line?
Man, mixed piping is a pain. I get what you mean about whack-a-mole—seems like as soon as you fix one spot, another starts leaking. Personally, if I see any old galvanized left, I try to push for replacing the whole run, especially in spots where copper and galvanized meet (I’ve seen some gnarly corrosion right at those joints). But yeah, budget’s a real thing. If money’s tight, I’ll cut out the worst and use dielectric unions to try and slow down future issues. Still, patchwork only buys time... sometimes you just have to play it by ear and hope for the best till you can do it right.
Honestly, I’m with you on the mixed piping headaches—galvanized and copper together is just asking for trouble down the line. But I’ll push back a bit: sometimes, even dielectric unions aren’t enough if the water chemistry’s bad or the old pipe’s already flaking inside. I’ve seen “just one more patch” turn into a flooded basement more than once. If you’re already opening up walls, I say go bigger if you can swing it. Otherwise, yeah, triage the worst and keep a close eye on everything else... but don’t trust those old joints for too long.
Mixed piping is like playing plumbing roulette—never know when you’ll hit the jackpot (or, more likely, a leak). I’ve had tenants call me at 2am because a “small drip” turned into Niagara Falls. You’re right about dielectric unions not always saving the day, especially if the water’s eating away at everything from the inside out.
If you’re already tearing into walls, I say just rip out as much of the old stuff as your wallet can handle. Patching here and there is fine for a quick fix, but those old galvanized joints are ticking time bombs. I learned that the hard way after thinking I could get another year out of a rusty section—spoiler: I didn’t.
Honestly, if you’re not ready to go all-in, at least keep a stash of towels and a wet vac handy... and maybe memorize your shutoff valve location.
“those old galvanized joints are ticking time bombs. I learned that the hard way after thinking I could get another year out of a rusty section—spoiler: I didn’t.”
Yeah, totally get this. I tried to “just patch for now” on a corroded elbow and ended up with a mess under my kitchen sink two weeks later. Galvanized is just... not worth the gamble. I’ve been slowly swapping to PEX where I can—makes life so much easier, and honestly, the peace of mind is worth it. And you’re right about knowing your shutoff valve location. First thing I did when I moved in was label every single one.
