repiping a house

[samsung]

has anybody in here have repiped a house? i have a very small leak in one of the copper pipe, the company that i called said it would make more sense to repipe the whole house, which is crazy expensive, or i can just repipe that one copper line and wait and see if you have any leaks. even at just repiping one line is not cheap. can anybody chime in here with their experiences.

thanks you

 

[Morphyne]

First of all that company sounds like a dealership. But with out knowing the details I am a little curious as to why you can repair the copper line.

Can I get more details?

Also to answer your question. Pex is the answer to this issue. Cheap, easy to work with and durable.

 

[Thefishguy77]

Pex is great. Make sure it's name brand. Then for fittings crimping has to be perfect. Shark bite fittings are the way I would go. They can join copper and Pex with no special work. If you can expose the leak it's not that hard to repair. Shut the water off to the house, using stubby copper pipe cutter cut out damaged section of said pipe, make sure remaining pieces of copper are debured. Then cut pice of Pex pipe to fit. You should have a bit of play in the copper pipe unless it's really tight. Put shark bite fitting on 1 end of Pex and mock it up. If your length is still good and you have the limited movement in the copper pipe then attach the Pex and fitting to one end of the copper. Slide the fitting and Pex pipe in place and slip the other end in. Pressure text watch for drips. The patch hole in wall if all good.

If there is no wiggle room with the existing copper you may have to crimp the Pex pipe with a fitting to mate it to the copper of use a copper to copper patch as well.

You should call a few plumbers and get bids. You always get screwed if it's an emergency. If you can find a way to get the leak to drop in to a bucket you may buy yourself some time to get bids.


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[ellis36]

Is the leak at a fitting or is it through a corroded pipe. If a pipe is corroded from the inside enough for a leak it may indicate bad plumbing. If it’s at a joint or fitting, just fix that.

ellis

 

[RunninInGA]

My current house HAD blue poly piping and I dealt with about 6 surprise leaks per year for a few years until I had enough. I replaced so much pipe and sheetrock that I got pretty good with drywall mudding. Finally had enough and had my house repiped - can't remember what it cost - it wasn't cheap - but it solved the problem of surprise leaks. The work was completed in a day but my house was a disaster zone for about a week or so. This was about a month AFTER we refinished our hardwood floors.

 

[Thefishguy77]

Much of the knock-off Pex piping has problems. The Pex brand seems to be holding up very well. I am not a plumber but I do repair houses and do home inspections. If it's not Pex I do warn the perspective buyer that if they have any concerns to always have a licensed plumber evaluate the situation and make repairs as needed.


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[Lee in Texas]

I'm a plumber. You can get the pipe repaired. It happens all the time. I did it just a few days ago.

One question: Do you have a recirculation pump for your water heater? (Instant hot water all over the house). We see more leaks on houses that have a copper pipes and a recirc pump. It's caused by turbulence at or near a fitting. If you have a pump that runs 24/7...that's a hell of a lot more than the 20 minutes or so it would normally run in a day, when faucets are running.

The drawing shows it caused by a sloppy solder joint. It can also be caused by not reaming the copper after it's cut. The cutter leaves a "lip" inside the pipe. That should be removed.

 

[TK-422]

Wow that is like replacing your 4Runner because it has a flat tire.

Watch some home improvement videos online or DIY channel.

Shut off the water supply and drain the area.

Cut a large square out of the drywall to access the leak.

Cut out a foot or so above and below the leak.

Get a couple of couplers and copper pipe in the same size.

Flux all connections, fit it in place and solder the joints (use a protective blanket so you don’t burn down the house).

Turn on the water and check out your work.

Tada!

Wait a week to make sure it is good then replace the drywall patch and paint.

No I am not a plumber, just a homeowner that has done this repair before.

Or call another plumber and pay them to do it for you. Then someone else to patch and paint your wall.

EDIT: Copper life expectancy under pressure: 40-70 years.

 

[5ontheFloor]

I'm a plumber. You can get the pipe repaired. It happens all the time. I did it just a few days ago.

One question: Do you have a recirculation pump for your water heater? (Instant hot water all over the house). We see more leaks on houses that have a copper pipes and a recirc pump. It's caused by turbulence at or near a fitting. If you have a pump that runs 24/7...that's a hell of a lot more than the 20 minutes or so it would normally run in a day, when faucets are running.

The drawing shows it caused by a sloppy solder joint. It can also be caused by not reaming the copper after it's cut. The cutter leaves a "lip" inside the pipe. That should be removed.

Another plumber here. Great answer like your diagram.

To OP...need more info. When I hear repipe on copper I think slab leak/s. Did this company diagnose at all? Did they offer reasons as to why a repipe? How old is your house? How long have you had this leak? I agree with other posters here a repipe is serious expensive work so they need to justify it, not just look to make some money off a customer in a tight spot.

As to PEX use, I only use brands like Uponor and Viega. They require special tools but anybody can buy them. Unlike most plumbers I know, I actually like Sharkbite, but I rarely use them when servicing my customers. They are rated and accepted by code and can be installed behind walls. In freezing weather, ice expanding in the pipe WILL make these fittings come off I have seen it. Sharkbite fittings on PEX also require that you leave the plastic insert inside the Sharkbite fitting. It helps stiffen the pipe to allow for leak - tight connection.

 

[5ontheFloor]

has anybody in here have repiped a house? i have a very small leak in one of the copper pipe, the company that i called said it would make more sense to repipe the whole house, which is crazy expensive, or i can just repipe that one copper line and wait and see if you have any leaks. even at just repiping one line is not cheap. can anybody chime in here with their experiences.

thanks you

How is it going? Hopefully there has been a resolution or at the least you are getting other estimates/options. Let us know how it goes.

 

[samsung]

How is it going? Hopefully there has been a resolution or at the least you are getting other estimates/options. Let us know how it goes.

got the pipe fixed. i have a "loop" system which goes down in the slab foundation. ended up cutting the copper pipe that was leaking and they found the other end of the pipe and capped both ends. ran a new pex pipe in the ceiling and made all the connections. All i have to do now is to find somebody to patch my sheet rock panels. they cut about 4 pretty good size holes to run the new pex pipe. You don't know how much you take water for granted when you don't have water at your house. all is good now. thanks everyone for chiming in.

 

[5ontheFloor]

got the pipe fixed. i have a "loop" system which goes down in the slab foundation. ended up cutting the copper pipe that was leaking and they found the other end of the pipe and capped both ends. ran a new pex pipe in the ceiling and made all the connections. All i have to do now is to find somebody to patch my sheet rock panels. they cut about 4 pretty good size holes to run the new pex pipe. You don't know how much you take water for granted when you don't have water at your house. all is good now. thanks everyone for chiming in.

Yup. Sounds like classic slab leak. The "loop" is part of manifold system. Typically this is what I recommend for slab leak is to locate branch that is leaking, isolate and reroute. They recommended repipe because if you are starting to have pinhole leaks they can surface in other parts of the system. Anyway thanks for the update. Glad you got that sorted out.

 

[amalik]

As to PEX use, I only use brands like Uponor and Viega. They require special tools but anybody can buy them. Unlike most plumbers I know, I actually like Sharkbite, but I rarely use them when servicing my customers. They are rated and accepted by code and can be installed behind walls. In freezing weather, ice expanding in the pipe WILL make these fittings come off I have seen it. Sharkbite fittings on PEX also require that you leave the plastic insert inside the Sharkbite fitting. It helps stiffen the pipe to allow for leak - tight connection.

You just confused the hell out of me. I have some Sharkbites and PEX tubes around the house, but none behind walls as that is all still original copper.

Why would they be acceptable to code but also be blown off in cold weather? Maybe you're talking like Minnesota or Canada cold weather and not everywhere!?

 

[Hepar]

I'm a plumber. You can get the pipe repaired. It happens all the time. I did it just a few days ago.

One question: Do you have a recirculation pump for your water heater? (Instant hot water all over the house). We see more leaks on houses that have a copper pipes and a recirc pump. It's caused by turbulence at or near a fitting. If you have a pump that runs 24/7...that's a hell of a lot more than the 20 minutes or so it would normally run in a day, when faucets are running.

The drawing shows it caused by a sloppy solder joint. It can also be caused by not reaming the copper after it's cut. The cutter leaves a "lip" inside the pipe. That should be removed.

Tangent, but I've actually been looking into adding a recirculation pump to my place. The master bath is on the complete opposite end of the house as the water heater and it literally takes over a minute of running the hot before you see anything. House was originally built in 1993 and is all copper piping. Would you say that's a bad idea to consider?

 

[5ontheFloor]

You just confused the hell out of me. I have some Sharkbites and PEX tubes around the house, but none behind walls as that is all still original copper.

Why would they be acceptable to code but also be blown off in cold weather? Maybe you're talking like Minnesota or Canada cold weather and not everywhere!?

Well copper is a code-approved but we know it can split in cold weather when ice expands in the piping. I mentioned it because I responded to a service call some years back where a Sharkbite fitting was pushed off piping by ice expanding in the line.

I live in central texas the job was out in a rural area. That was the only time I had seen this but of course we don't get that many freeze events here.

 

[5ontheFloor]

Tangent, but I've actually been looking into adding a recirculation pump to my place. The master bath is on the complete opposite end of the house as the water heater and it literally takes over a minute of running the hot before you see anything. House was originally built in 1993 and is all copper piping. Would you say that's a bad idea to consider?

There are some advantages, especially getting hot water sooner to fixtures you use all the time. There is always a possibility of leaks but a recirculation pump added to a copper system that did not have it before could potentially find weak areas in the system as noted by the other poster here regarding turbulence and bad copper sweat joints.
One thing I have always noticed is that customers don't program their recirc pumps so the pump runs all the time. If you do some research you can find programmable ones and even some that can detect motion through a sensor and turn on the pump when someone occupies a space such as your master bath. This way the pump does not constantly run and there is less likelihood of leaks. Just a few things to consider[emoji106]

 

[Hepar]

There are some advantages, especially getting hot water sooner to fixtures you use all the time. There is always a possibility of leaks but a recirculation pump added to a copper system that did not have it before could potentially find weak areas in the system as noted by the other poster here regarding turbulence and bad copper sweat joints.
One thing I have always noticed is that customers don't program their recirc pumps so the pump runs all the time. If you do some research you can find programmable ones and even some that can detect motion through a sensor and turn on the pump when someone occupies a space such as your master bath. This way the pump does not constantly run and there is less likelihood of leaks. Just a few things to consider[emoji106]

Thanks for the info. Once triggered to start be it sensor or timer, I assume it's roughly the same amount of time to heat up as if you opened the line?

 

[5ontheFloor]

Thanks for the info. Once triggered to start be it sensor or timer, I assume it's roughly the same amount of time to heat up as if you opened the line?

Yeah its got to get the stagnant cold water out of the line. Timer can be good especially if you're a creature of habit i.e. if you wake up everyday at 7 to go to work set it to run from 6:15 to 8:00 then do same for times when you come home. Keep it off during night that sort of thing.
I personally don't have any experience with motion sensor ones I saw a brochure for it once. It's funny because my house was built in 86 and same set up, master bath farthest fixture from water heater. Hot water takes forever I just have not addressed it.

The old saying applies to me "the carpenters house is never finished"....

 

[Hepar]

The old saying applies to me "the carpenters house is never finished"....

Ha! Ain't that the truth.


A timer definitely seems to be the way to go. In thinking about it, it would really only need to be on for a pretty short period each day.

 

[Lee in Texas]

There are also recirculation pumps with a push button. It's a round, white, lighted button that looks like a button for a door bell. I've seen those with an optional remote control. Just wake up and aim it at your master bath, and you'll have hot water by the time you walk in there.

I'm still not a fan, though. Some people don't like running the water for a minute or so. My way of thinking is that the water will get treated and reused. The coal that was burned to power the pump is gone forever, and we don't have 200 million years to wait for more. That and the higher chance of leaks add up to no pump for me.