Many prospective home buyers prioritize purchasing old houses over newer models. People love the attractive vintage look that is mostly associated with great taste and quality. While old houses are a good choice, you should be conscious of the different plumbing problems quite common in such houses.
Check out our list of the common plumbing issues you will likely encounter in your old house. Find out essential tips on ways to solve them.
1. Outdated Fixtures and Connections
There’s nothing that lasts forever. If you think of it- older homes usually have fixtures, supply line connections, and fixtures that are bound to fail eventually. As time passes, there’s a lot of wear and tear resulting in broken knobs, restricted water flow, and leakages that give you the worst experience when using the water at home. Eventually, these minor issues translate into costly problems. It’s our nature to assume what we consider to be minor problems and only act when more significant damage happens. However, you do not want to come home one day only to find your home flooded with gushing water from a failed water line valve.
How to Solve the Problem with Outdated Fixtures and Connections
They say prevention will take you a long way. Preventive maintenance helps prevent the wear and tear that would otherwise result in expensive repairs tomorrow. It’s essential to have your local professional plumber inspect your property’s plumbing every year when you cannot do your plumbing inspection by yourself. Expert cheap plumbers have the necessary tools to detect potential problems you may miss.
2. Outdated Piping
The plumbing system has different products made from other materials. That means that each of the products has a specified lifespan. Knowing the lifespan of your product is vital as you’ll see whether you should upgrade. Metals like brass, galvanized steel, and cast iron may be between 80 and 100 years old. PVC piping’s lifespan is anywhere between 24 and 45 years, while copper has a lifespan of anywhere between 70 and 80 years.
How to Solve the Problem of Outdated Piping
Doing pipe repairs and replacements is not an easy task that you can do by yourself. That’s why you want to contact a professional plumber. Considering the expenses, you are sure to incur with DIY errors, expert advice is a lifesaver, not to mention a time-saver.
3. Pipe Bellies
The pipes that plumbers installed underneath your home were either buried by the contracted plumbing company or covered in a concrete slab. However, the lines are affected when gradual ground movements and shifting happen over time. Shifting downwards causes a “belly” or negative slope. The result of the slope is a restricted water flow and accumulated pools of water, sediment, or water. When you leave the situation to sit for a long time, the bellies will cause leaks or stoppages.
How to Solve the Problem with Pipe Bellies
Based on your situation, trenchless pipe bursting repair is the best solution for pipe bellies. Therefore, you should contact a plumber near you. The plumber conducts an assessment with the help of a snake camera to determine the extent of the damage.
4. Root Intrusion/Faulty Sewer Lines
Sewer lines are not always in a position where you can see them. That makes it hard for homeowners to think about their condition. However, sewer lines can face risks like root intrusion. The moisture coming from the sewer lines is a natural fertilizer for the trees and shrubs which grow into the sewer lines. The sewer line damage causes clogs and leaks, costing you your comfort, health, and money.
How to Fix the Problem of Root Intrusion
The best solution for root intrusion problems is a drain relining procedure or complete trenchless sewer line replacement. Depending on the extent of damage, a trenchless repair could take a day or more- usually, it takes a day with an expert. The method is cost-effective, and you don’t have to disrupt your schedule during the repair.
5. Bad Repairs
Many homeowners take care of their plumbing repairs themselves, whether they do it themselves or hire a handyperson. These issues may be highly frustrating, from the seemingly little, like unsecured lines or backward sink traps, to significant and costly mistakes, including hazardous heating systems or poorly sloped showers.
How to Fix the Bad Repairs Problems
While some of these fixes are humorous, others are potentially dangerous and should be corrected immediately by a skilled plumber.
When moving into an older property, you should have a professional plumber evaluate your lines, drains, and fittings. Minor fixes today will save you cash by avoiding future emergencies.