The signs that mean repipe, not repair
A single leak gets a repair. But when the signs add up, you're patching a system that's past it. Here's what tells me a home needs new lines, not another fix.
- •Pressure that's dropped across the whole house, not one fixture
- •Brown or discolored water — rust from inside galvanized or old steel
- •More than one leak in the same run within a year
- •Visible corrosion or mineral buildup on exposed pipes
- •Galvanized steel supply lines still in service
Why waiting costs more
Old lines don't fail one at a time — they fail in clusters. The pipe that leaked today is the same age as the one that lets go next month, behind a finished wall. A planned repipe is a few days of work. A series of emergency leaks is a series of ceiling repairs.
Call and describe what you see
Tell me the age of the home, what the pipes look like where you can see them, and what the pressure's doing. I can usually tell you over the phone whether it's a repair or a repipe before anyone shows up.
Have a plumbing issue right now?
Call and leave a voicemail — Bob calls back during business hours. For the fastest reply (usually within the hour), email him directly.