When a house needs a repipe
Rusty water, repeating pinholes, and polybutylene are the three histories that justify replacing the supply instead of patching the next leak.
What you'll learn
- How galvanized fails from the inside
- What polybutylene looks like
- Why one pinhole is a repair and three pinholes are a system
Step by step
- Walk the house and write down which fixture is affected, and whether the water is hot, cold, or both.
- If water is actively leaking, close the angle stop for that fixture. If that stop will not move, close the main.
- Take a photo of the water heater label or the leaking fitting before anyone takes it apart.
- Call the line and leave the city, the address, and what you already shut off.
- Ask the plumber for a written price after they see it. Compare that number with the ranges on our service pages.
- Before work starts, look up the contractor license at cslb.ca.gov.
Safety note
If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas company and 911. Do not hunt for a plumbing fitting.
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