How long do pipes last for?

[twistedpairs]

Hello I own a flat in a Victorian house (I think about 1880) with three flats in. I am the niddle one, Flat B.
Recently there was a leak behind my bath from a pressure valve, that was part of a past requirement to check or control the water pressure as it entered the flat. The rubber seal had perished. The downstairs people were away so there is a fair bit of damage and understandably they are upset. They are suggesting if it happens again they will say I am negligent.
The pipes in my flat were new in 1987 when it was renovated.
I have had three out of four radiators replaced (4 yrs ago) and a new boiler (1 year ago).
How difficult is it to replace all the pipes in the flat? Would it have to be empty? There are wooden floorboards. What precautions can I take? The plumber said that the environment is warm and dry so the pipes are not corroding or anything like that. How much is it likely to cost to replace pipework? I have a small one bedroom flat, with a semi-partitioned kitchen/living room, total 25 sq m.
Any advice will be really useful please
Many thanks,

 

[frodo]

Impossible to tell from here.

BUT. it has been my experience that the pipes become clogged with calcium.

If your piping is old galvinised..it needs replacing.

as far as legal ramifications. LEGaLLy the tenant is correct.

YOU have been notified that the piping could be a danger to property.
that notification, if made in front of witness.
can make YOU liable for any and all replacements costs.

this is the same as you telling your neighbor.

you need to cut that tree back, iif it falls, it will hit my house
homeowner is on notice .
insurance will not pay for damage you were aware of
that is called negligence


have your house repiped, raise the rent to pay for the upgrade

 

[frodo]

the piping can be run up tight and exposed.
then, cover piping with a fur out or drop down

basically, cover it with a small framed box

since, you are the middle apartment, all the main runs could be made in your apartment ceiling

with just the pipes going up thru the floor and down into the unit below and above

 

[Mr_David]

Frodo's a Lawyer? man of many talents. Frodo, I'm not going to dispute the legalities of what you said because I'm not a lawyer. You want legal advice ask a lawyer. My wife works in the legal field, as a Paralegal Assistant. I don't ask her for legal advise because she is not a lawyer either.

How long will you pipes last?
Depends on a lot of variables. presuming you're talking about water distribution lines. Renovated in '87. Does not always mean they were all replaced.

What type of pipe do you have. Copper? type "M" or "L" ?
"M" can fail sooner because it's thinner.

water quality varies in different areas. some being more corrosive or higher in mineral content.

My house was built in '72 with copper piping through the attic. I have never had a problem with it nor do I anticipate any.
About 2 miles from me had a house that that had both hot and cold horizontal lines ( about 30 ft each ) running through the attic had failed in multiple places. BAD pipe? Maybe. Same water as I get in my house.

All that said I would ask your local plumbers. Ones that have been around for awhile. And more than 0ne. We plumbers have opinions and they very.

If you ask you insurance carrier they will tell you anything that reduces their liability.

Good luck with that. Let us know if you learn anything that we can share here in the future

 

[steventheplumber]

Hello I own a flat in a Victorian house (I think about 1880) with three flats in. I am the niddle one, Flat B.
Recently there was a leak behind my bath from a pressure valve, that was part of a past requirement to check or control the water pressure as it entered the flat. The rubber seal had perished. The downstairs people were away so there is a fair bit of damage and understandably they are upset. They are suggesting if it happens again they will say I am negligent.
The pipes in my flat were new in 1987 when it was renovated.
I have had three out of four radiators replaced (4 yrs ago) and a new boiler (1 year ago).
How difficult is it to replace all the pipes in the flat? Would it have to be empty? There are wooden floorboards. What precautions can I take? The plumber said that the environment is warm and dry so the pipes are not corroding or anything like that. How much is it likely to cost to replace pipework? I have a small one bedroom flat, with a semi-partitioned kitchen/living room, total 25 sq m.
Any advice will be really useful please
Many thanks,

If your budget is the issue here than you should probably consider using PEX tubing to re-pipe instead of copper. It will save you a lot of money on installation and general supplies. The PEX tubing runs at a price close to 1/5th that of copper pipe, so your installation expenses will be more than halved. Most local plumber are more than qualified to do this job for you, and you can save a lot on supplies by ordering the tubing yourself. Take a look at these prices.

Copper pipe=10 ft for $18
http://www.grainger.com/product/MUELLER-INDUSTRIES-Type-M-6KZ24

PEX Pipe=300 ft for $70
http://www.canarsee.com/pex-plumbin...n-x-300-ft-pex-plumbing-pipe-non-barrier-blue

Go ahead, do the math, and thank me later. If you really want to save you can possible do the work yourself with a few speedfit fittings if you are not familiar with crimp or clamp connections.

 

[twistedpairs]

Do these flexi pipes last as long as copper? Thanks for all your help

 

[steventheplumber]

Do these flexi pipes last as long as copper? Thanks for all your help

They will last just as long as copper. If done right, they can last up to 100 years. 90% of companies also give a 25 year manufacturer warranty with their PEX. They have all the upsides of copper, minus the hefty cost.

 

[steventheplumber]

Go on google and type in copper vs PEX, you should get all your answers there. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[frodo]

rats like to bite holes in it to get a drink.

 

[steventheplumber]

Well vermin like to chew pretty much anything they can get their teeth on. That includes electrical cables, any tipe of wiring, PVC pipes, and all types of metal as well. A vermin actually bites these things so that it can survive. It needs to gnaw on things in order to slowly sharpen and reduce the size of their teeth which constantly grow. Otherwise their teeth grow too large and can kill them either through starvation, by not being able to open their mouth, or brain damage. Either way, the rat is the problem not the PEX. Agreed?

 

[twistedpairs]

Thanks for your comments. PEX pipework can be more susceptible to rodents. But then on a first floor flat there is not outdoor plumbing and if there are rodents you can certainly hear them. So far none, apart from one or two mice that were above the floorboards. I have had car electrics eaten by mice during the winter, before now. Thanks again, all comments are appreciated coming from you experts.

 

[frodo]

I agree,

thats why i am a copper installer. squirrels, and other rodents also bite water lines.

I am a little weird, why put in a product that MIGHT attract rodents to do it harm.
cause property damage,
only answer is money, pex is cheaper, that is the only reason it is pushed
that and it takes no skill to install
when I install a water line, i do not want to see it again for a minimum of 30 years

other problem i have with it, is its diameter, 1/2'' is 3/8'' and 3/4'' is 1/2''

I get customers with expensive shower valves/multible heads, that complain of low water volume

the shower is supplied with 1/2'' pex..WTH ? was the "plumber" thinking????

on a custom job. i supply a j-cussie or a master shower with 3/4'' copper

Have NEVER had a complaint about low pressure/volume

I go behind these house jockys that install pex. and have to repipe the shower

it is GOOD money to me, but is avoidable bull****

my opinion,,,if you run pex...run only 1'' and 3/4''

as far as the "water conversation" I dont give a damn,,MY job is to supply YOU with high volume of water
YOUR job is to conserve it

 

[steventheplumber]

Agreed sir, I find it pretty dumbfounding as well that a professional has no clue about the ID of PEX and installs a whole plumbing system using copper pipe sizes. Maybe they plan for the homeowners to experience trouble and expected a call back so they can charge for more work. That seems like the only reasonable explanation. Money obviously plays a big role in the matter, and a lot of people do not mind cutting corners when it actually makes sense. As a plumber you should be more than happy to clean up the mess. More idiots make mistakes, the more work you continue to have.

 

[frodo]

Agreed sir, I find it pretty dumbfounding as well that a professional has no clue about the ID of PEX and installs a whole plumbing system using copper pipe sizes. Maybe they plan for the homeowners to experience trouble and expected a call back so they can charge for more work. That seems like the only reasonable explanation. Money obviously plays a big role in the matter, and a lot of people do not mind cutting corners when it actually makes sense. As a plumber you should be more than happy to clean up the mess. More idiots make mistakes, the more work you continue to have.

lotta young "helpers" are doing what their boss tells them to do

they are trained wrong. then, they think, that is the way it is supposed to be done.

THAT, Is why I am so adamant EVERY one installing plumbing should go thru a 4 year apprenticeship then receive a state license.

some states do not require a license, that is where all the Bull****
shadetree backyard,country bumkin plumbers come from.

They do not KNOW anybetter, because they were not taught any better


Are you aware, young house jockys are calling themselves plumbers and have never soldered copper or worked a lead joint?

my God Man, the word Plumber means 'worker of lead" in latin

They are "plasticus opous" not Plumbers

 

[steventheplumber]

The only way those people find work is through homeowners trying to save a dollar. Through the installation of anything, most knowledgeable people will hire an expert with a decade of experience under their belt. I am aware and it's a shame, but if it weren't for them you would never have had your motivation to come up with plasticus opous. That's the funniest thing i will probably hear all week.