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Author:
kumba (FL)
My house was build in the mid 50's slab on grade with copper lines embedded in the slab. I have no issues with the lines currently but from everything I can find 50-years is where copper can start to become troublesome.
I've currently got my kitchen ripped out and am about to have the bathroom ripped out to replace the alcove tub. Since the 4"x4" tile surround failed I am having to rip the walls out back to the studs in order to get any bad rot out. The wall the is being opened up in the bathroom is the same wall that the sink and the other half-bath goes on. With this one wall opened up I pretty much have access to all the plumbing needed in the house except for one hot/cold run that goes across to the far end of the house for the washer and laundry sink. There is also a 10'x14' room that stands between where the water heater would be going and the main.
My original plan was to have the water heater feed that is in the corner of the kitchen extended and punched through the block wall to the outside so I can relocate the water heater into a 3'x3' attached hut. Unfortunately there is no other viable spot for the water heater inside and it would be warmer outside then inside 9 months out of the year where I'm at here in Florida anyways.
But I got to thinking that maybe I should just look at re-piping the kitchen and bathrooms since the wall is open. If I did re-pipe it I would want to go back in with type M copper since it has to run externally along the outside of the house. PEX seems like a no-go for external runs and CPVC is too brittle to be exposed. The good news is that the wall that this all runs in is the external wall so there is no issue with making entry into the house. Whether I move the water heater or re-pip it's still drilling through the block wall in relatively the same location.
So here are the few questions I have:
1) Should I look at re-piping while I have the walls open or just keep using the 60 year old and counting copper in the slab? (I don't want to step over a dollar to save a dime when it's this accessible, but want to spend smart at the same time)
2) If I do re-pipe, should I have them try to re-use the run to the laundry room if they can or just figure out how to get new pipes over there?
3) Should I have them run a new feed from the main or just have them find it where it enters the house and extend it from there?
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
packy (MA)
don't use type 'M' copper. use the heavier wall type 'L'.
it will cost a little more for the tubing but the labor will be the same...
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Author:
kumba (FL)
So sounds like that a recommendation to re-pipe while it's open.
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Author:
packy (MA)
if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.
i would repipe while it is open. you got 50 years out of type 'M' tubing, i think that is quite good.
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Author:
bernabeu (SC)
repipe with "L" tube
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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
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Author:
hj (AZ)
You are asking us to be "fortune tellers" and look into our crystal balls to tell you how long the existing piping will last. It is impossible to tell you that, so go with whatever makes sense to you.
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