CCB 220077
Oregon Plumbing License - 2024PB
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Repiping Services in Portland, OR
Tualatin Valley Plumbing offers repiping service in Portland, & surrounding communities.
Are you thinking about repiping your house?
Being a homeowner has its perks. Dealing with maintenance and repairs isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, there comes a time in every house’s life when things start falling apart. Your houses’ pipes are one of those things. How long your pipes last can depend on several factors, such as what year your home was built, the type of pipes you have, and how those pipes have been treated over the years. You can make minor repairs here and there, but you can’t avoid the inevitable.
Eventually all the pipes in your house will need to be replaced. This is known as repiping.
Repiping your home is a major project. Any home-improvement project can be stressful, especially if you don’t have the right teamfor the job. That’s where Tualatin Valley Plumbing comes in. We make the repiping process as easy for the homeowner as possible. Our licensed plumbers will coordinate with your schedule, minimize disruption to your daily life, and clean up after themselves.
How do you know it's time to repipe your house?
Unless you’re a plumber, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your home’s plumbing. You might not know what to look for either. Some signs are more obvious than others. If in doubt, it’s a good idea to
have a licensed plumber take a look. You can trust our plumbers at Tualatin Valley Plumbing to do a thorough plumbing inspection and giveyou honest, expert advice.
Here are some telltale signs that it is time to repipe your home.
Your home was built prior to World War II. Pipes were made of galvanized steel or cast iron back then. By now those pipes are rusty and corroded. They need to be replaced. We’ll repipe your house with copper or PEX.
Your water is a brown or reddish color. You might also notice a metallic smell. Nobody wants to drink or bathe in brown water! Its time to change those pipes.
You’ve already repaired multiple leaks. Having multiple leaks is a warning that your entire plumbing system is about to fail. You might notice watermarks on your ceiling or smell something foul. Those pipes are probably leaking more than just water, like food and raw sewage.
You’re experiencing low water pressure, slow drains, and clogs.
Something is constricting your pipes, probably years of grease accumulation, corrosion, and decay. Your pipes might be leaking too. Either way, it's time to call a plumber to diagnose the problem.
What could happen if you don't repipe your house?
Maybe you’ll be lucky and get a couple more years out of your old pipes. Probably not though, and you can’t say we didn’t warn you. Hiring professionals to repipe your house isn’t cheap but imagine the damage those bad pipes can cause. Extensive damage will result in more costly repairs and inconvenience.
Here are a few things to expect if you don’t replace your pipes.
Leaks in the kitchen and bathroom can destroy your floors.
You may notice loose tiles or warped floorboards. Replacing hard wood floors is expensive and the cost increases more when the subfloor is affected too.
A leak in the wall will moisten the drywall and lead to wet spots.
You may end up needing whole sections of your wall replaced.
If your leak is under an upstairs bathroom, you may see wet patches on your ceiling. Worse yet, your ceiling could collapse, potentially damaging property or causing bodily injury. You could have more to worry about than just replacing a ceiling.
Over time, moisture can lead to black mold. In addition to health risks, the presence of black mold or other microbial growth means you’ll need to hire a mold remediation specialist. That means additional costs.
Faucets and fixtures can be clogged by mineral deposits, and don’t forget about that low water pressure. Low water pressure is really a nuisance when you’re trying to wash your hands or take a shower. Faucets can even stop working completely. Repiping your house is a good time to replace faucets and fixtures too.
Leaking pipes can waste gallons of water every day.
Besides the environmental costs, add up all that wasted water over a month, and you’ll see a higher water bill. Why throw money down the drain?
You want to repipe your house. Now what happens?
Congratulations! You’re saving yourself money and a headache by repiping your home sooner rather than later. Now the first thing you need to do, is call Tualatin Valley Plumbing. We’ll schedule a day and time to meet at your house and evaluate your plumbing needs.
Here’s what happens next:
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One of our highly qualified, expert plumbers will inspect your houses’ plumbing. Your plumber will need access to your home’s crawl space or basement. They’ll also need to be able to look at the exposed plumbing inside your house, such as under bathroom and kitchen sinks. Toilets will also be checked for plumbing problems, as will your hot water heater. We will explain the results of our inspection, so you’ll have a clear picture of your home’s plumbing needs.
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We will give you an estimate for the repipe and suggest any additional plumbing repairs. Just doing a repipe doesn’t mean all your plumbing problems will be fixed. If your toilets need to be rebuilt or replaced, or you need a new hot water heater, for example, those are additional plumbing problems that should be brought to your attention. Also you may need only to repipe the water lines, or only the drain lines. Or, you may need to repipe both. They are two separate systems. Repiping your home’s water lines means replacing the pressurized lines that carry potable water to various places in your house such as the kitchen and bathroom. Drain lines, on the other hand, collect and carry waste from your home using gravity and send it to the sewer or septic tank.
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Some preparation is required before we can begin repiping your home. First, we won’t start any work without your signature. We want to be sure you are satisfied with the agreed upon upfront price, and that you understand exactly what we will be doing. Second, we need to get permits and materials. All our work is done up to code. We don’t cut corners and we only use high quality materials. You’ll need to do some preparation too. Make sure our plumbers have good access to the plumbing by clearing out cupboards under sinks. Move or cover any furniture and belongings that could get dusty from cutting into drywall. While our plumbers are good at not turning your whole house into a demolition zone, there is still a small amount of mess involved. At some point during the repiping process, your water will be shut off. Filling some five-gallon buckets or gallon-size jugs with water is a good idea. Some customers choose to stay with friends or family while their home is being repiped, although it is not usually necessary.
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Now it is time to install your new water pipes. Repiping a house can take anywhere from a couple days to a week. The length of time really depends on several variables, such as the size of the house, the number of plumbers working on the project, and the customer’s schedule. We will give you a time estimate, but remember, you don’t have to worry if the project takes longer than expected. We are a flat rate shop, so you won’t be charged extra. It is more important to have the job done right than it is to have it done fast. During installation, we’ll be in and out of the houseand underneath the house. Our plumbers do their very best to minimize disruption to customers’ daily lives. Clear communication is important between plumbers and customers. If at any time you have questions about what we are doing, or concerns, we want you to talk to us right away.
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Next, we test the new system and order an inspection. Once we are done with installation and everything is working as it should, we schedule a day for the city’s plumbing inspector to come check it all out. We’ll have a plumber onsite to answer questions and if necessary, resolve any issues. We do not collect final payment until our work has passed inspection and you are 100% satisfied. We give a one-year warranty on parts and labor. Rest assured, we are proud of our plumbing and stand by our work.
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Finally, drywall will need to be replaced and painted. We stick to what we do best, plumbing. You’ll need to hire someone else to replace the drywall and paint. Some homeowners like to do this themselves, or they already know someone that can do the job. If not, we can recommend a professional contractor.
Choose the right plumbers for the job.
Having your house repiped, doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds. We hope you’ll choose Tualatin Valley Plumbing to take care of all your plumbing needs, but no matter who you hire, make sure they are licensed plumbers. Any job worth doing is worth doing right, which includes pulling permits and passing inspection. Make sure your plumber is also bonded and insured. That way you are protected if something goes wrong. Tualatin Valley Plumbing is licensed, bonded, and insured. You are making a great choice when let the professional plumbers at Tualatin Valley Plumbing take the stress out of repiping your house.
At Tualatin Valley Plumbing, we understand that making the decision to repipe your home, in full or in part, can seem daunting. If the above issues are giving you stress, Contact Us — (503) 607-7242. We’re happy to offer a free onsite estimate* and to talk about all your options and come up with the perfect solution for your home and budget.