If you have an older house plumbing, you need a plumbing company skilled in the remodeling of older house plumbing systems. A lot of the older house plumbing homes in the established development communities will need some type of plumbing repair or remodeling of the older house plumbing system sooner or later. This type of work will take an experienced and skilled plumber who has been in the trade for a long time and has been around and worked on these type of older house plumbing piping systems using the “old school methods” of plumbing. Back then then was no plastic pipe used on the older house plumbing sanitary drain and sewer or domestic water supply that is used today.
Cast iron pipe is still used today in commercial plumbing in buildings because of fire codes and plenum ceilings, but the pipe and fittings aren’t extra heavy like the ones found in the older house plumbing systems of older homes. Most of today’s residential builders do not use this cast iron pipe because of the material cost and labor to install it. But you see this run on the sanitary stacks because or the noise reduction in the walls as a selling point in more expensive house plumbing homes. No hub pipe is known as the quiet pipe which is a good replacement when the older bell and spigot pipe or fittings break. Some of the old pack and pour joints could be leaking because of cracking and separation; they should be redone or totally replaced. this needs immediate attention from a plumber because of potential property damage and the health risks of methane gases and mold.
In a lot of renovation projects of new bathrooms and additions, PVC is installed on the newer section attaching it to the older house plumbing cast iron drainage system. Older house plumbing homes were built with fewer bathrooms than in today’s housing, and a lot of people with older house plumbing homes are converting that half bath to a full or tub to shower conversions where plastic pipe might be the best option. Also limited long runs of drainage pipe is a factor in remodeling or relocating fixture location in older house plumbing homes because of the size of joist and bearing support. When any new work is installed on the drainage and vent piping, even though the house is older, it has to meet the newer plumbing code requirements in the installation and design location.
Clogged pipes are a common house plumbing problem in older house plumbing homes, with the galvanized lateral branch lines that are very corrosive particularly with kitchen sinks. A skilled plumber can totally replace these lines. Also a lot of these older house plumbing lines are under sized and should be upgraded to a size bigger to allow the use of a garbage disposal and dishwasher. Another problem in older house plumbing homes is the sewer line that runs from the foundation to the property line that clogs, and homeowner is responsible for the repair. A clogged sewer line can be caused by hang ups in the pipe which are broken, collapsed or have tree roots inside due to leaking or separating joints in terracotta pipe. An experienced plumber will replace old terracotta pipes with PVC or cast iron piping and fittings and reconnected Fernco stainless steel bands that are non-corrosive.
The galvanized piping used in older house plumbing can cause problems with your water supply. Galvanized piping is a prone to corrosion, and pipes and fittings lose their integrity, causing leaks and busted lines. Also it puts restriction in the flow which causes electrolysis when joined to a different type of pipe like copper. Another issue with pipes in older house plumbing homes is lead . In many older house plumbing homes, when copper was installed, plumbers used 50/50 solder which has lead in it. Lead is no longer used today when soldering fittings because of health issues. When leaks happen with these older 50/50 connections it is because over the years, the joints break down, lose tensile strength and get brittle, causing cracks. Lead in drinking water can be very harmful, especially to children and pregnant women. If you have older pipes and think you may have lead solder, you should have your water tested for concentrations of lead in the system.
Installing a water treatment system like a reverse osmosis system in the kitchen of an older house plumbing homes can improve the taste of your drinking water, and eliminate potential health risks. You can also reduce your water consumption considerably by replacing the older fixtures in your older house plumbing home with lower GPS toilets, along with water saver faucets and shower heads. Another thing to have your plumber look at is the entire shut off valve system, including the main shutoff to the house plumbing and individual stops shutting water to fixtures. Older valves fail due to corrosion in the seat and washers hardening this can cause mold and property damage when needed to be shutoff in an emergency.
Black pipe gas lines are extremely important to have your plumber check for loss of integrity of the pipe thread in attaching the connection of fittings. This is caused by corrosion, which could cause potential leaks in the system. These could leave traces of carbon monoxide gas in the basements that seeps upstairs in family dwellings, causing carbon monoxide poisoning or a fire/explosion. You need a trained professional plumber to come out and check your old natural gas system and pinpoint the pipes and fittings that have to be replaced so your family will be safe from these problems.
