Repairing a broken water line is often an unpleasant experience. It’s expensive, takes time, and can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, there are some DIY tips that make it much easier to do the job right the first time or at least fix your problem for less money than hiring someone else to come in and take care of it for you.
Older Houses With Water Line Issues
Older houses will have water lines that have been extensively used and perhaps acquired some damage. Repairing them will be necessary sooner rather than later. The good news is that there are ways to repair the water line without having to replace the entire thing. This can save you money and time in the long run.
Some of the most common water line problems include leaks, cracks, and corrosion. These can all be fixed with the proper tools, some know-how, and a little bit of elbow grease.
Materials Used In Older Water Lines
In older houses, water lines may be built of copper, PVC, or even galvanized tubing – or a mix of these materials. PVC and galvanized pipe are simpler to deal with than copper when doing plumbing repairs in your house. It is not a simple operation to replace your water lines with copper; you will require soldering abilities to complete the task effectively and guarantee that you make watertight plumbing connections.
Plastic water lines are also permitted under California law since they are simpler to install and have a life cycle that is comparable to or greater than that of metal water pipes.
Connecting Pipes that Are Already In Place
When fixing water lines, you may discover that you need to connect various materials. The pipes’ specific matching will determine how you link various materials. When copper is linked to galvanized tubing, a reaction may occur when the two metals come into close contact. Unless you employ a dielectric union, this occurrence may corrode the fittings they’re connected to. This is a non-metallic washer that separates the pipes and prevents them from contacting one other. By gluing a male threaded pipe adapter to the plastic and then attaching it to a copper female adaptor of the same size that has been attached to the copper water line, you may link copper to PVC pipe.
All of Your Water Lines Must Be Replaced
If you’re repiping the whole home, you’ll need a Schedule 40 34-inch copper pipe that runs beyond the hot water heater, branches off, and sends water in the direction it needs to travel before continuing to the furthest point of usage. Branch lines are normally 12 inches in diameter, and when constructing copper or PVC waterlines, make sure you follow local construction requirements to ensure you’re utilizing the right pipe for the job.
Putting Water Line Pipes Together
Pipe sections must be trimmed to their required links, whether they are made of copper or PVC. After the pipes have been cut, they may be dry fitted, as professional plumbers do before soldering copper or gluing PVC. Before permanently joining the joints, dry fitting enables you to verify that the pipe is cut to the correct length.
Joint Sweating
Joint Sweating is a term that refers to the sweating of the joints.
Soldering copper pipes together is required for connection. To ensure an effective seal, the pipe and fitting it is connected to must be clean both inside and out, a process is known as sweating. Flux should be added to both the pipe and the fitting after they have been cleaned to guarantee a proper seal. Your propane torch’s heat should be applied directly to the joint to heat it.
Once the metal has reached a sufficient temperature, it will draw the molten solder into the connection, producing a seal as it cools. When using solder to do plumbing repairs, make sure the pipe is dry and clean. Soldering pipes is a straightforward technique that can be completed quickly if you follow the appropriate DIY plumbing tips and methods.
Water Lines Made of PEX Pipe
Plumbing repair tasks nowadays have the advantage of using the most sophisticated products to make running water lines simpler than ever before. One of these items is cross-linked polyethylene pipe (PEX), which is a third the price of copper pipe and requires fewer connections than traditional plumbing repair and replacement procedures.
The most significant disadvantage is the high cost of the specialist equipment needed for installation. Discover how current plumbing methods may make water line repair simpler for more trenchless waterline replacement recommendations.
Repairing the Plumbing in Your Home
Some plumbing repairs are simple for amateurs to do. These DIY plumbing repair ideas may assist you in troubleshooting your water or sewer line difficulties and determining whether your plumbing project is one you can do yourself or one you should leave to a professional plumber. Just make sure to use the right tools and keep safety in mind as you work to prevent injuring yourself.
One plumbing issue that can appear out of nowhere is a clogged garage floor drain. You can learn how to fix this problem in our post How To Unclog a Garage Floor Drain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I run a water line to the meter in my house?
A: You would need enough pipe and a valve.
How do I run PEX water lines in my house?
A: The first step is to determine whether you have a water main. If the pipe with your shut-off valve has a circular red seal on it and runs from a street or road, then there is likely already an existing water line in that area of your house.
How do I run copper pipes in my house?
A: It is very unlikely that you are able to run copper pipes in your house. Copper piping is used for waste and drain lines, not drinking water or heating.
Waste water eventually gets to the spetic tank. But what if it is no longer in use? Find out more in DIY Septic Tank Abandonment: Money-Saver or Potential Danger?
Related Tags
- adding water lines to existing plumbing
- how to run water lines to a new bathroom
- how to install water lines in a house
- single story house plumbing diagram
- house water supply diagram