Repiping guides
Read these before anyone cuts drywall. Each guide takes one question, from pinhole leaks to permits to what happens at the water heater, and answers it for a Yorba Linda house.
- Copper vs PEX: choosing a material for your repipe
Copper and PEX are both used for residential repipes in California. They differ in how they are installed, how much access they need and how they respond to water conditions.
- Pinhole leaks in copper pipe
A pinhole leak is a tiny hole worn through a copper pipe wall. One is a repair; a string of them in different rooms often prompts owners to consider a repipe.
- Replacing galvanized steel water lines
Galvanized steel pipe corrodes and narrows from the inside. Rusty water and falling pressure are the usual clues, and replacement rather than repair is the common answer.
- Slab leaks: repair under the floor or reroute overhead
In slab-on-grade houses, supply lines can run beneath the concrete. When one leaks, the choices are to open the slab, reroute that line, or repipe the house overhead.
- PEX types and fitting systems, explained
Not all PEX is the same. The type of tubing and the fitting system go together, and both are worth understanding before you agree to a PEX repipe.
- Type L or Type M copper: what the difference means
Copper pipe comes in different wall thicknesses. If you choose a copper repipe, it is worth knowing which type is proposed and how it will be joined.
- Hard water and your supply pipes
North Orange County water is hard. Minerals build up in pipes, fixtures and water heaters, which is useful context when you are deciding what to do about aging lines.
- Your main shutoff and water pressure
Every repipe starts at the main shutoff. Knowing where it is, whether it works, and what your water pressure is doing helps you plan the job and handle leaks.
- Permits and inspections for a repipe
Replacing a home's supply lines generally needs a building permit and inspection. Here is how that usually fits into the job and what to confirm with the city and contractor.
- What changes the price of a repipe
This guide does not quote prices. It explains the factors that move a repipe estimate up or down so you can compare written quotes on equal terms.
- Living at home during a repipe
Many households stay home through a repipe. Knowing the usual rhythm of the work helps you plan around water shutoffs, noise and open walls.
- Wall openings and patching after a repipe
Most repipes need some openings in walls and ceilings. How many, where, and who restores them are among the most important details in any estimate.
- Your water heater and the repipe
Every repipe connects to the water heater. It is a good moment to check strapping, valves and connectors, and to decide whether the heater itself is due for replacement.
- How to choose a repipe contractor
A whole-house repipe is a big job inside your home. A few checks before you sign go a long way toward avoiding problems.
- Partial repipe or the whole house?
Not every problem calls for replacing every pipe. A partial repipe can make sense in some houses, and this guide explains how to weigh it against doing everything at once.