You need to do all you can to maintain the integrity of your pipes. Healthy pipes will last you longer, so you don’t have to repipe as frequently. With healthy pipes, you will also have fewer repairs, which will save you a lot of money and prevent damage to your home.
By knowing what can threaten your pipes, you can learn how to better protect your pipes. Here are five common things that can threaten the integrity of your pipes:
Clogs
A lot of things can clog your pipes: Oil from pans you are washing, food that goes down the drain while washing dishes, and even minerals in the water that build up in the pipes over time. These clogs do more than make it harder for the water to flow through your pipes, resulting in a lower flow when you are showering or trying to wash the dishes.
The materials that are clogging up your pipes can actually corrode your pipes. The clog can also create higher water pressure, which can put enormous strain on your pipes, and cause a burst pipe or a leak.
High Water Pressure
High water pressure might feel great when you are taking a shower, but it does not feel great to your pipes. Typically, water pressure in your home is around 40 to 45 psi. If your water pressure goes to 60 psi or above, it is going to put a lot of strain on your pipes. It won’t take long before one or more of your pipes burst.
If a pipe under your slab bursts, you are going to have a lot of costly repairs to make. But even if a pipe in your wall or crawl space bursts, you’ll still be looking at replacing drywall, flooring, and other materials, and that won’t be cheap.
Corrosion
A lot of things can corrode your pipes: Cooking grease, all kinds of food, and minerals in the water. But the most innocuous material flowing through your pipes can also corrode them over time: Water. Metal pipes are especially vulnerable to corrosion from water over time.
If your pipes are older, they are much more likely to have some corrosion. It’s important that you get regular inspections for your system to discover the early signs of corrosion before any of your pipes fail. You’ll need to make repairs or repipe as soon as possible. Corrosion is a sign that your pipes are a ticking time bomb.
Roots
A lot of pipes run under a house or partially in the ground. Tree roots also run through the ground and even under your house. Tree roots are strong, and they can penetrate your pipes. Even if they don’t penetrate, they push hard enough on the pipes that they cause them to burst.
You can keep roots from threatening your pipes by keeping trees away from your home. If trees are already next to your home, you should consider cutting them down and replanting farther away in the yard.
Shifting Soil
The people who built your house should have properly assessed the soil and made the right corrections before starting construction.
But even with the best planning, the ground can shift over time and create problems for your house. When the soil shifts, it can put pressure directly on your pipes, or it can cause the house to settle in ways that other parts of the house put pressure on the pipes. That pressure can cause the pipes to burst and to flood the area.
By knowing the things that can threaten the health of your pipes, you can take steps to protect your plumbing. You can trim back trees, install a water softener to prevent mineral buildup, keep grease and food out of your drains, get regular inspections, and more. If you ever have a problem with your plumbing, you should call a plumber right away to prevent further damage to the pipes or to your home.
Integrity Repipe can inspect your plumbing and let you know whether steps need to be taken to have a healthy system. Whether you need to make repairs or you need to repipe your whole home, our plumbers can help you. We work with all types of piping, and we specialize in repipe repairs and in whole-house repiping. Call us today to schedule an inspection with one of our repiping plumbers.
Published by – Integrity Repipe Inc
Integrity Repipe Inc – Mission Viejo, CA
27281 Las Ramblas, Suite 200
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: 877-473-7473
Website: integrityrepipe.com
Integrity Repipe Inc – San Clemente, CA
927 Calle Negocio Suite O
San Clemente, CA 92673
Phone: 949-397-2404
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Integrity Repipe Inc – Long Beach, CA
2201 N Lakewood Blvd, Ste D #297
Long Beach, CA 90815
Phone: 562-362-5040
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Integrity Repipe Inc – Chula Vista, CA
591 Telegraph Canyon Road
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Phone: 619-313-5744
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Integrity Repipe Inc – Ladera Ranch, CA
27762 Antonio Parkway L1
Ladera Ranch, CA 92694
Phone: 949-397-2795
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Integrity Repipe Inc – Lakeside, CA
8337 Winter Gardens Boulevard
Lakeside, CA 92040
Phone: 619-494-3507
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Integrity Repipe Inc – Aliso Viejo, CA
27068 La Paz Rd #771
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Phone: 949-449-1142
Website: integrityrepiping.com/aliso-viejo-repipe-copper-pex-ca
Integrity Repipe Inc – Oceanside, CA
1759 Oceanside Blvd C,
Oceanside, CA 92054
Phone: 442-300-3057
Website: integrityrepiping.com/oceanside-repipe-copper-pex
Integrity Repipe Inc – Porter Ranch, CA
19360 Rinaldi
Porter Ranch, CA 91326
Phone: 818-630-9265
Website: integrityrepiping.com/porter-ranch/