Older homes often have plumbing in them that could use an upgrade, but if the pipes are not leaking and the drains are clear, you may not feel the need. There are some reasons to consider upgrading the plumbing in your home, even if it is not leaking.
Plumbing Inspections
The first thing you may want to do is have a plumbing contractor come and inspect the plumbing in your home to determine if it needs upgrading. The inspection will include all the pipes and drain lines in the system, and the contractor will look at valves in the system, how the lines are run, and what material the pipes are made from.
All of this information can play a large role in the decision to replace or upgrade the plumbing in your home. The inspection can also help determine how long you can wait before making upgrades to the system before starting to have issues with the plumbing.
If you have multiple lines leaking, drains that are not working correctly, or extremely old pipes with lead solder sealing the joints, the work should be done as soon as you can.
Upgrades to the System
When you are hiring a plumbing contractor to do some work on your plumbing system, you may want to talk to them about making changes to the system, or adding some plumbing where there never was any before. Adding a half bath to the home, adding lines for a washing machine, or plumbing in a line for a dishwasher could all be additional features that can raise the value and conveniences of your home.
In some cases, adding any of those things may not be possible with the existing plumbing, but if the lines are updated, the timing might be perfect for adding the extra lines, or tying in the things you need to make these additions possible.
Increased Efficiency
The plumbing in your home needs to work correctly and drain effectively, but sometimes old pipes will begin to build up obstructions in the lines that can reduce the water coming through them, or in the case of a drain line, slow the drain down.
Sometimes cleaning the lines is possible, but extremely old plumbing may not be strong enough to withstand the cleaning process. Replacing the lines with new ones may be the perfect way to increase the system's efficiency. The reduction in water flow is often overlooked, but the increase with new pipes in the system can be very noticeable.
For more information about plumbing, reach out to a local plumbing company.
