Older homes are nostalgic. They’re charming and crafted with care; solid construction holds up for decades. However, alongside the adorable charm of antiquity comes aged plumbing that residents rarely think about until it’s too late.
For many first-time homebuyers or general homeowners of older properties, purchased plumbing is an afterthought. This means that a small leak or slow drain, for example, becomes a much bigger issue down the line. Unlike hardwood floors that shine with age or brick that develops depth as it weathers, plumbing doesn’t get better with time. Toilets, fixtures, pipes and even the lining and supports deteriorate in ways that cost money.
When Pipes Go Bad
The greatest offenders in older construction come from the pipes themselves. Whether the home was built post-1920 or sooner, there’s a high chance that plumbing was constructed from materials that were useful then but have become problematic over time.
For example, galvanized steel pipes made their way into homes built before the 1960s. This was before PVC became a household name; homes had an opportunity to be durable and reliable for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, galvanized steel corroded from the inside out and developed thin walls filled with rust and debris. As they corrode, water pressure decreases throughout the home until they eventually burst or spring leaks.
Cast iron drain pipes similarly deter homes built after the 1970s; they’re meant to last anywhere from 50-80 years. Yet once a home reaches 70 years of age and beyond, these are no longer beneficial. Cast iron drain pipes corrode, develop internal walls that impede flow, resulting in clogs, cracks and collapses that jeopardize replacement (exposed and buried under the home or yard).
This presents an issue in houses without easy access to plumbing. When plumbing fails, it rarely fails conveniently. It’s inside walls and under concrete slabs or buried in the ground. This means major reconstruction for access in finished settings is challenging.
The Fixture Dilemma No One Predicts
Fixtures may visually seem fine, but upon inspection or usage, they prove old, inefficient and troublesome with age. For example, toilets manufactured pre-1994 utilize a significantly higher amount of water per flush than modern toilets, meaning higher bills year after year. These toilets also have worn internal components that lead to issues that make them flush poorly or incessantly run wastefully.
Older homes’ faucets and showerheads struggle as well; they possess worn washers and seals that drip, leak at their base and waste water unnecessarily. Valves behind walls could be just as old and corroded to a point where they can’t shut off completely.
One of the biggest problems with fixtures is the water heater. Traditional tank-style water heaters last anywhere from 10-15 years under normal circumstances; in an older home, however, a good chance it’s been replaced once already due to age but many homeowners extend longevity beyond expectation as they remain cheap and useful. Finding a plumber like Moz Plumbing who can assess whether a water heater needs replacing becomes important because when they fail, they fail massively, leaking or bursting from their fixed location.
What’s Under The House?
Foundation and slab issues complicate plumbing in older homes even further. Slab houses have drain lines/supply lines that run through or under slabs; when they fail, there’s no going back without lifting the floors or replacing them entirely by running them through the attic or via exterior walls.
Homes with crawl spaces/basements have frequent issues throughout seasons of temperature change which cause movement or fog that lead to mildew-borne corrosion. Pipes sag, joints come apart and connections loosen over time as support systems either decay or weren’t sufficient in construction stages.
Furthermore, trees (if planted subsequent to housing development) come into play with soil; clay/cast iron commonly used decades ago develop small cracks and joints separate slightly. Roots find their way through these gaps in search of moisture/nutrients and cause blockages requiring extensive professional equipment to clear, and sometimes replacement of the pipe altogether.
The Lead and Polybutylene Problematic Situations
Two materials need specialty attention based upon their discoveries (or lack thereof) over time.
Lead pipes/lead solder were common plumbing materials for water access up until 1986; lead leaches into the water supply; it’s dangerous, primarily to children, and now cities boast lead supply/lines to older homes connecting to municipal sources that require coordination for replacement (and expense). Polybutylene made its way into millions of homes between 1978-1995; this polymer is cheap and builders love an easy alternative over copper. However, polybutylene deteriorates when exposed to chlorine/chemicals in municipal water supplies; it becomes brittle, especially at fittings, and insurance companies are wary of homes with these particular materials due to water damage claims.
When Replacement Makes Sense
Constant leaks, low pressure throughout a house, water supply comprised of problem materials leads to full replacements making sense as repairs become costly without constant patching (both from a financial and mental perspective). Full repiping is not cheap (usually more expensive than anticipated) nor easy, it requires tear-out walls but once completed, ten decades worth of reassurance comes along with modern materials (like PEX) that won’t break down like galvanized steel.
Ultimately it comes down to expectation: if residents want to make this purchase a long-term investment, then it’s worth doing it right from the get-go despite initial costs.
However, selling a house where known problems exist means telling potential buyers who will either negotiate pricing down for repairs pre-closing or request fixes beforehand. Making good on what buyers should expect makes for a more sellable product instead of scrambling last minute during a closing process because anticipated plumbing won’t hold out much longer.
Which Problems Need Attention First?
Of course not everything needs immediate attention; in fact, some problems can be solved with regular monitoring instead.
Active leaks need mitigation immediately, especially if they’re affecting walls/ceilings/floors because mold exacerbates problems quickly. Low pressure isn’t an emergency but along with age/displacement suggests significant corrosion inside, no need to act now, but it’s time to think longer-term plans are necessary. Slow drains shouldn’t be managed with chemicals but if they’re consistently slow, especially numerous plumbing fixtures, there’s a main sewer issue.
Discolored water especially from the hot line means corrosion either in the hot waters’ tank or supply; brown/rusty water needs urgent replacement meanwhile discolored cold water indicates compromised pipes, immediate replacement is necessary.
Strange noises, a knock when turning off a faucet or gurgling down a drain, indicates venting issues/partially blocked pipes which require professional analysis.
What Happens Upon Renovation?
Often old homes are updated one room at a time, and good thing since so many people discover plumbing issues once they’ve torn down drywall for another project! Unfortunately it’s worse than expected, but if access was already available due to electrical work or insulation updates then it’s better saving on labor later instead of waiting for skeletons to show themselves unless costs are allocated separately for each, in this case those rooms/future projects would be adjacent (not several rooms away).
Thus if demolition/excavation is already underway for something else then it makes sense to expand scope; working with knowledgeable contractors makes this all the more helpful so as to avoid piecemeal work that’s going to happen down the line anyway since professionals can assess what’s truly behind formerly closed walls.
Ultimately older homes have a nostalgic charm about them, and sometimes their plumbing works even better than expected, but honest assessments about what’s going on behind walls is critical for proper renovation timing/planning if necessary.
Plumbing isn’t like other bones in an old home’s structure, they won’t last forever despite what seems manageable now, realities exist about time frames with certain materials (lead/toxic) being compounded by age, all costing excess money down the line unless preventative measures are taken sooner rather than later. Some things can wait, but many are already costing money due to wasted energy while time holds on to skeletons hiding behind the walls.