Copper Re-piping

The Copper Repiping Guide

Copper Repiping -There are many reasons why you may be looking into copper repiping for your home, but perhaps the main reason is that you may have found a leak in your home or your water pressure has dropped drastically.  Either way, once you have decided to do a copper repipe job in your home, you will need to decide on what is the best repair for you to do.  This simple copper Repiping guide should walk you through some of the basics to get you going in the right direction.

Copper Re piping is used to replace existing pipes that may have rusted or deteriorated over the years.  Most homes built over 25 years ago were piped with iron pipes, or galvanized pipes, which were covered with a zinc coating.  Over a period of time the zinc on the pipes would break down causing the pipes to rust.  Once this process happens it becomes necessary to change to copper repipe. Copper Re-piping is an extensive job and should not be taken lightly.
If you choose to do the repairs yourself, then you will need to know some of the basics to get you started.  When starting your copper repipe job you will want to make sure that you know where the existing pipe pattern is and make the new copper pipe match the old piping.  You will want to run the copper piping right along side of the existing pipes as this will make the whole copper Repiping much easier.  Make sure you have the right amount of fittings that you will need such as elbows, adapters and what fitting need to be threaded or not.
 
You will want to clean the fittings and the pipe, then you will need to use a flux paste, which is an acid that cleans the copper making it solder able. If you are not familiar with soldering then you may want to check with some local companies to see if they can give you some pointers or consult a plumbing company.  Cleaning is the most important part before soldering.  Once you have cut the existing pipes and solder in the new copper Re piping, your job is complete.  Double check, to assure that you have the cold water connected to the cold water pipe and the hot water connected to the hot water pipe.

With how extensive copper Re-piping can be, it may be wise to leave it to the professionals.  There are many plumbing companies out there to choose from.  You will want to call several and have them come over to assess the problems and give you a quote.  It is always best to get several quotes and check the quality or work from the companies you are considering.  You can also check with the Better business Bureau to see if the company has had any complaints filed.  It does not have to cost a small fortune to do a copper re pipe job in your home. Just weigh the options and the pro’s and con’s of doing the job on your own or hiring someone to do the job.