galvanized pipe life

[MasterPlumbers]

I am looking at a house that was built in 1954 with the original 1/2″ galvanized piping. There is a flow problem in the main bathroom when the toilet is flushed, the shower is on, and the sink is on – flow cuts to zero in the shower. Should the piping be replaced?

[SylvanLMP]

Depends if your REALLY going to use all these devices at once?

One of my accounts has galvanized piping over 80 years old, still in decent working order

[GaryPurolite1]

It is likely that the piping should be replaced due to accumulation of hard water scale. Harder waters will cause more scale and therefore more flow restriction.

[SylvanLMP]

To whom it may concern, Us professional plumbers just don’t rip out a piping system UNTIL we find out why the existing system went sour

Suppose you did take out the Galvanized pipe and put in copper tubing and THEN the hardness of the water caused this piping to become pitted within a year or two would that really make the account happy?

Now lets try to think about if we know the probability of using ALL of the above mentioned fixtures at the exact same time is NIL why replace if it isn’t necessary Or in the budget?

What should be done is taking a water sample test THEN filtering/treating the water so no more damage to this piping system is incurred.

Installing plastic garbage without testing for what is in the water could also lead to a very rapid system failure.

Would anyone who just says REPLACE IT like to go to a doctor with this type of mind set when a person has hardening of the arteries? I DON’T THINK SO

Replacing a defect is easy, finding the cause and preventing this from happening to the newly installed system separates the apprentices and jack legs from the Masters.

The piping replacement is a very simple job BUT the retiling and wall and floor restoration can be very expensive.
Have a GREAT week end

[Author]

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