Atlanta Plumbing Preventative Maintenance Contractor – R.S. Andrews 770-882-2760
R.S. Andrews Plumbing is an A+ rated Atlanta water heater installation and repair contractor by the Better Business Bureau. We install all the top brands including AO
Smith, GE, Ruud, Richmond, State Industries and more. We also repair and install tankless water heaters in Atlanta from Noritz, Navien, Rinnai, Takagi, Bosch and others.
Plumbing Maintenance
You may prefer not to think about it, but the reality is, an older home comes with “old” plumbing. As long as you aren’t seeing leaks anywhere, you may feel secure that those original valves and galvanized (zinc-coated) or brass pipes are holding up well for their age.
Copper pipes in an older home hold up better than galvanized or brass, but may still be more prone to trouble than modern PEX pipes. It may be only a matter of time, though, before signs start to emerge of issues bubbling beneath the surface. And while Duluth plumber experts don’t recommend messing with fixtures that are still intact, they do urge homeowners to inspect pipes for holes and to create a budget so that, in the case of an emergency, funds will be available to deal effectively with any problems.
Galvanized and Brass Pipes
Galvanized and brass pipes were commonly found in homes prior to World War I. They were the inexpensive choice, while brass would have been an upgrade.
“Eventually, copper pipes were used, and now we don’t even use copper – we use PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) tubing,” he said.
Duluth plumber specializes in older houses. Problems that owners of such homes might notice with their pipes include:
• Dwindling water pressure, caused by mineral buildup in the galvanized pipes
• Sediment at the bottom of the bathtub or shower after running the water
• Sagging or leaking pipes, if there’s a “hanging” sewer line in the basement.
Duluth plumber has removed galvanized pipe that almost completely sealed on the inside.
The mineral deposits buildup of inside these galvinized pipes. This doesn’t seem to it happen to copper pipes, and very seldom does it happen to brass, but it almost always happens to galvanized pipes.
The main problem with the galvanized type is that they rot away from the inside. Homeowners may notice “miniature stalactites” hanging off the pipes, which means minerals and droplets of water are leaking through tiny holes. This is a definite sign that the pipe needs to be replaced.
