Plumbing plays a significant role in our homes. It delivers clean water to the kitchen and bath areas and helps to remove waste that goes into the sewerage system. As you enjoy turning your water taps on and off any time of the day, you might experience a hard time if any issues happen to your plumbing system. For this reason, you must take care of your house’s plumbing by replacing and updating it when necessary.
However, figuring out how often you should do a plumbing update is a big question for many. Be sure to contact our professionals at Huft Home Services for all your plumbing maintenance, repair, and updates.
Plumbing Process
Everybody uses water every day. However, the water usually passes via an already installed system for it to reach your place. In addition, most plumbing systems depend on gravity. Typically, the plumbing system involves collecting water, circulating it through the pipe system (usually underground), and distributing it to various homes.
Causes of Plumbing Failure
With proper plumbing installation, most plumbing systems lasts for a long time. However, there are some factors that can lead to the failure of your plumbing system including:
- Poor plumbing installation
- Temperature fluctuations
- Use of substandard hardware
- Lack of proper maintenance
How Often Should Plumbing Be Updated?
You should fix any issue with your plumbing as soon as it happens. That is because, as small as the issue might seem to be, it will eventually turn to be a huge challenge with your plumbing system.
In addition, it is important to know how long your plumbing system has been in existence. It is also essential to know the standard of the plumbing materials. This will help determine how often you should perform your plumbing update.
With the right plumbing materials, your home’s plumbing system should be able to last for about 70 years. However, despite the material, it is also significant to know the lifespan of the pipes and other plumbing features. Below are some tips to help you with understanding the average plumbing lifespans.
Toilets
Typically, you only need to update them when you notice a crack in your toilet bowls. However, various toilet plumbing parts require regular updates. For instance, if your toilet is flushing on its own or failing to flush till you hold its handle down, you should do an update. In addition, if you are struggling with the toilet handle to restrict water flow, you should then consider replacing them.
The trip levers, plumbing connections and fittings, fill valves, and the flapper usually lasts for about five years. When it comes to wax, seals last for about 20 to 30 years.
Garbage Disposals
Garbage disposal plumbing usually last for around 10 years before it requires an update. Be sure to use you garbage plumbing in the right and proper manner of disposing only food items. Signs that your garbage disposal plumbing might need an update includes:
- You notice a lasting odor.
- It is requiring regular reset.
- You are experiencing clogs quite often.
- It is taking longer than expected to break down the food items.
Drain Lines
You might not require a frequent update for the drain lines plumbing as they can serve you for many decades. However, the growth of your tree roots might damage them. If your drain lines experience root damage, it’s time for an update. Typically, depending on the plumbing material installed, your drain line might last for over 40 years with PVC pipes and 100 years with iron pipes.
Water Heaters
Be sure of the type of heater you use at your home, whether a traditional water heater or a tankless water heater. Generally, the tank-less water heaters may require an update after 20 years. On the other hand, you might need to replace the traditional water heaters every 10 to 15 years. With proper maintenance, both types can serve you for a long time. However, make sure to update your water heater system if:
- The traditional water heater’s pilot light starts flickering out.
- Your tankless water heater circuit breaker is tripping.
- You notice rust or leaks around your heater.
- The heating element or the burner is regularly failing.
- The eater valve is sticking.
- The thermostat starts to break.
Washing Machine Supply Plumbing
You should update your washing machine supply plumbing after every three years. Be sure to check for any possible replacement signs in between the three year span. Some of these signs include:
- Hose discoloration, cracks, kinks, unraveling, and crimps
- Feeling or seeing bubbles in the hose
- Rusting or leaking
Supply Pipes
Generally, your home water supply pipes are always under pressure. If they leak due to lack of maintenance, your home could experience significant damage. However, a newly built home should have supply pipes that meet building code standards and last for a long time. If your home is older, you should consider having your supply pipes check by a professional.
Typically, copper supply pipes can last for about 70 to 100 years, while brass supply pipes last 80 to 100 years. In addition, if your supply pipes are of galvanized steel, they can last for about 100 years without requiring an update.
Faucets
When your faucets are experiencing leaks, a Huft Home Services technician can help you with a repair or a replacement. However, if your faucets seem old and corroded or you want a new style, you might consider updating them. A new faucet can help conserve water.
Defective Plumbing
Sometimes it is hard to know when your plumbing is defective, especially if you don’t immediately see signs of water leaks. Small, unknown leaks could be happening for months, and they could be causing damage to your home’s foundation. That’s why we recommend our skilled technicians at Huft Home Services for a thorough inspection of your plumbing.
We will check for all plumbing issues and advise you accordingly on any possible updates. Typically, puddles or leaks found around sinks or dishwashers might indicate that your plumbing system needs an update.
If you notice wet parts or stains on your ceiling, floor, or walls, be sure to call Huft Home Services for a plumbing update in Sacramento. In addition, any sounds from your home’s water pipe system might be a sign of some obstruction that needs fixing. You can confirm this by inspecting if the water is draining normally. While you might fix some plumbing issues yourself, letting the professionals do what they know best will yield better results.
Contact the Professionals
With time, you might require an update of your plumbing system. When you need an update, consult an expert to help you choose the best option for your home. At Huft Home Services, we offer the best expertise for all your plumbing work in Sacramento and the neighboring areas. Additionally, Huft Home Services‘s certified plumbing technicians also offer quality air conditioning services and heating services in Sacramento, CA. Call us today for more information.
