Many people these days especially the youngsters want to buy a house that is old and ancient. And that is because the house built during the ancient time are rather ginormous as well as exceptionally beautiful, and along with all its beauty it also has a very strong built since it has been standing for a very long time which basically means that it has a very strong foundation as compared to the buildings and houses built these days.
And along with the perfect and strong foundation it is also built using sustainable materials and resources which is very expensive in todays days. If someone wants to make a house using the materials and resources used back then, they will not only have to bear a lot of expense but also on top of that they might not even find the same kind and quality of materials that were used back then.
But as majestic and amazing it may sound to buy and live in a house that has been made quite a few year ago there are some problem that the owners are bound to face. And that problem is of plumbing. Since the house is old and ancient it has been in use for quite some years now and the water pipelines and such are also almost as old as the house and that’s where the main problem lies. The foundation of the house or the actual hose may go on for years on end but it is not the same with the water pipelines laid out in the house hence the owners will have to face quite a few plumbing issues.
In this article we are going to look at what are the most problematic plumbing issues that you might face if you buy an ancient house. Although you can by every means re decorate and or structure and it will create quite a number of problem but do not worry since reconstruct the entire house to give a modern look but you will not be able to change the age old plumbing layoutyou can easily find immediate help 24/7 from plumber Oceanside. So, let’s see what are the potential problems that you will have to face in an ancient home and how you can either fix them or find a professional plumber from plumber oceanside to help you out with it.
Plumbing Problems
Old pipes
If you are thinking of buying a house that is at least 30 years old or if you currently live in a house that is 30 or more years old them the first thing that you should make sure is that the water pipelines should at least be replaced or renovated. And that is because there are some kinds of pipes that are no longer approved by the US building codes. Hence before buying an antique house always make sure to find a professional plumber from places like plumber oceanside to make sure that at least the most important pipes are changed.
Some of the pipes that are no longer allowed are as follows:
1. Lead Pipes
Now lead is one of the oldest materials that were used to make mainly the sewer lines and the main water lines, but pipes made out of lead is no longer approved by the US building codes. Lead was very widely used because it was durable as well as malleable which made work easier. But after the growth of science, it was found that lead is extremely toxic and can cause health issues like joint pain, gastrointestinal pain, fatigue, memory loss and many more. And apart from that it is also very dangerous and harmful for children as they can cause serious physical as well as mental issues.
2. Galvanized Pipes
Now galvanized pipes are basically iron pipes that are coated with zinc and these types of pipes were widely used in the plumbing structure of the houses back in the days. So, the problem with galvanized pipes is that the zinc coating that is on the iron pipes erodes away after some years because of being in constant use. So once the zinc is fully corroded the iron pipes become highly susceptible to rusting and corrosion which leads to breaking of the entire pipes.
3. Polybutylene Pipes
Back in the time this polybutylene pipes were seen as a very good replacement for copper pipelines. But unfortunately, the pipes created some kind of a chemical reaction and the manufactures of the pipes had to face a law suit. But before they lost some house already had installed polybutylene pipes.
Negative slopes
Now that we know which types of pipes we need to look for and change in ancient homes, the other thing that the home owners should look into is whether the existing pipe lines have created a negative slope also known as a ‘belly’. This is quite common as after years of usage the pipes are bound to take some damage and bend or shift downwards. You will have to get that checked and corrected by professional plumbers because it can often cause water stoppage or leaks and along with that the bent or shifted pipes will also accumulate sediment or waste that can potentially affect your health.
Sewer line Failure
When buying a house nobody really thinks or bothers about the main sewer lines, but that is until it fails. Keep in mind that the sewer lines in an ancient hoe is also ancient and it was laid out way before technologies like garbage disposal or dishwashers were made. Hence because there were no technologies to decompose the waste the sewer lines had to work extra hard to flush out all the wastes and also during olden times the toilets also forced way more water through them. Hence because of these excessive loads the sewer lines are more susceptible to failures.
Another reason for the failure of old sewer lines back in the days were laid down underground and also, they were laid out a very long time ago and since then they might have gotten shifted or damaged due to tree roots. And to fix this issue of sewer line failure you can either opt for trenchless sewer lines or you can realign the entire sewer line and for that you will require a professional Plumber San Marcos to fix it for you. And do not be worried that it might take too long because realigning is the fastest process and trenchless sewer lines can be put down in maybe one or to days.
Outdated Fixtures
Since the houses are quite some years old and so are the plumbing there is bound to be damages like leakage, broken faucet, restricted water flow and many such issues caused because of excessive wear and tear. And these things are pretty noticeable and they often look like small problems and hence people do not really pay much attention to it. But that should not be done, do not ever neglect such small issues as it can turn into bigger ones. If you spot a leakage get it fixed immediately and it would not cost you much but if you decide to ignore the small leakage and not get it fixed it might create a problem for the entire water supply of your house and might also sometimes create electrical issues which ten will cost you quite a lot more than fixing a small leakage.
Previous Repair Issues
And last but not the least problem that an ancient home owner can face are the problems created by the previous repairs done by unprofessional plumbers. The old house must have had plumbing issues earlier, and sometimes these problems were not fixed by professional plumbers hence it might not last and it might create even bigger problems. So always make sure that the water lines are working properly before buying an ancient house.