Signs Your Home Needs Repiping

Brown water coming out of faucet. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in Portland OR & Vancouver WA talks about signs your home needs repiping.

Brown water coming out of faucet. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in Portland OR & Vancouver WA talks about signs your home needs repiping.The pipes that make up your home’s plumbing system work hard day in and day out to deliver your family water, but they don’t last forever. Eventually, they’ll start to corrode, leading to insufficient water pressure, leaks, and discolored water–yuck!

Brown or yellow water is unhealthy as it is unappealing. If your pipes are in poor condition or not working efficiently, D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling is here to help. Below, we’ll share signs of when it’s time to repipe your Portland area home.

5 Signs You Need New Pipes

Pipes are out of sight and out of mind. If you notice any of the following signs, it’s important that you contact a plumber to take a look at your plumbing.

1. Water Leaks

Water leaks in basements and utility rooms are easier to identify than leaks within walls or ceilings because the pipes here are exposed. If you experience frequent leaks, this often means your pipes are worn. Some or all of these may need to be replaced.

2. Discolored Water

Brown or yellow water is often a result of corroded and rusted pipes. Not only is this unsightly, but it can be potentially harmful if left untreated.

3. Frequent Clogs

Aging pipes cannot handle what new pipes can. They even struggle with two-ply toilet paper. So if you experience frequent drain clogs in your home, despite being careful with what you place down the drains, it may be time for a home repiping.

4. Low Water Pressure

Is water coming out of your faucets slowly or is your dishwasher or washing machine taking longer to run? This can result from too much buildup in your pipes. Left untreated, this blockage could result in leaks and even pipe bursts.

5. Noisy Pipes

Your plumbing shouldn’t be noisy. If you hear gurgling sounds, rattling, sounds, or any other noise coming from your pipes, you’ll want to call a plumber to inspect your pipes before a big problem develops.

Repiping Services in Portland OR

Don’t let old, worn-out pipes damage your property. Have your home repiped. Sound daunting? Get in touch with the team at D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling in Portland OR and Vancouver WA. We’ll inspect your pipes and provide you with an appropriate solution that meets the needs of your home. Give us a call today to schedule your plumbing inspection.

Why are PEX Pipes Better?

Red and blue PEX plumbing. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling provides plumbing repiping services in Portland OR and Vancouver WA.

Red and blue PEX plumbing. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling provides plumbing repiping services in Portland OR and Vancouver WA.Stinky smells, creaky sounds, and rust-colored water—it sounds like a haunted house, but no, that’s your home saying it needs a repiping. You see, pipes rust and deteriorate over time, affecting your water quality and your plumbing efficiency. Unless you enjoy drinking a cool glass of orange water (which we wouldn’t recommend, but hey, we don’t judge) a repipe might be in order. Especially if your house is older and demonstrates these symptoms.

While there are a variety of materials used today for water lines, we usually recommend PEX pipes. And in this blog post, we’ll tell you why.

PEX Pipes

What the heck does PEX mean anyways? The official fancy term for PEX is “Cross-linked polyethylene” which is a plastic material used for water supply piping systems. PEX is flexible and easier to install than a rigid pipe, and it offers high heat-resistance and long-term durability.

Benefits of PEX Pipes

Now, here is where we get down to business; talking about why we believe PEX pipes are better:

  • Lightweight: PEX pipes are so light, it only takes a single person to carry a piece which means fewer of us are required to perform the job. Less weight also means lower transport costs.
  • Affordable: PEX pipes are way cheaper than copper piping. So you can use all that money you saved for that grill or luxury bag that’s been haunting your dreams!
  • Durable: PEX pipes are great for high-pressure needs and they won’t freeze or rust like galvanized metal pipes.
  • Long-lasting: PEX pipes can last around 50 years or more underground.
  • Green solution: PEX pipes also bring environmental advantages compared to traditional piping materials. They require fewer resources and energy to manufacture and they can be recycled to manufacture new pipes.

Professional Repiping Services

Let’s face it, your pipes are out of sight, out of mind and you’re busy—we get that. If you are fed up with experiencing creepy sounds and rust-colored water, you can count on D&F to help! We are friendly, knowledgeable, and experienced. And at the end of the day, we want you to be satisfied with our services and your plumbing. So give us a call today for quality plumbing services and crystal clear water you can trust!

Is it Time to Replace Your Plumbing?

Frustrated women holding bucket to catch water leaking from ceiling. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling serving Portland OR and Vancouver WA reveals ways to determine if it's time to replace your home's plumbing.

Frustrated women holding bucket to catch water leaking from ceiling. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling serving Portland OR and Vancouver WA reveals ways to determine if it's time to replace your home's plumbing.Pipes, like most other things, will eventually need to be replaced. This is especially true if your plumbing is over 50-years-old and still has galvanized steel piping. Your plumbing can begin to fail due to age, lack of maintenance, or extreme weather fluctuations. And when your plumbing completely fails, you run the risk of property damage.

Your plumbing, for the most part, is concealed behind walls and concrete so you may not often think about it; out of sight, out of mind. So today, we’re delving into home plumbing and discussing ways you can help identify a failing plumbing system.

Signs of Failing Plumbing

Some of the most obvious signs that your plumbing is failing are:

  • Water leaks
  • Corrosion
  • Cracked pipes

However, you may also experience:

  • Water-stained floors
  • Warped flooring
  • Wet baseboards
  • Low water pressure
  • Unusual noises in your plumbing, like gurgling or rattling
  • Frequent clogs
  • Rust-colored water

Frequent plumbing repairs are another indicator that your plumbing is failing. If you’re constantly spending time and money on repairs, you may want to consider entirely replacing your home’s plumbing. Getting your home repiped will save you more money in the long run.

Types of Piping

There are a variety of pipe materials out there used in home plumbing, each with its own set of lifespans. At D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, we strongly believe in copper and PEX (PolyEthylene Cross-linked) for home plumbing.

PEX blue piping. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling serving Portland OR and Vancouver WA reveals ways to determine if it's time to replace your home's plumbing.
PEX piping.
  • PEX: This is a high-density plastic material manufactured without solvents, chemicals or glues. It is durable, flexible, and it doesn’t corrode, freeze, or scale. PEX also requires fewer fittings and less labor, making the installation process quicker and affordable.
Up close of copper piping. D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling serving Portland OR and Vancouver WA reveals ways to determine if it's time to replace your home's plumbing.
Copper piping.
  • Copper: Copper has been the preferred material for decades. This material is corrosion resistant and has a lifespan of about 50+ years.

It’s also worth noting, both of the materials can be used in conjunction with one another.

The Benefits of a Whole House Repipe

  • Improved water pressure
  • No more water leaks
  • High-quality water
  • Peace of mind
  • A positive selling point for your home
  • Increase in home’s value

The Problem with Galvanized Pipes

If your home was built over 20 years ago, you may have corroded or damaged pipes that could cause you costly problems for you later. Galvanized metal pipes which were common before 1960 can deteriorate very quickly and cost you thousands of dollars in water damage. They can also contain amounts of lead.

If you think your home could use a copper repipe or PEX repipe, you’ll want to contact your local plumbing company, for an estimate.