Telltale signs: whole-home repiping
Galvanized steel corrodes from the inside, so the bore shrinks year by year until a shower can barely run while the kitchen tap is open. Old copper of the thin-walled kind develops pinholes in clusters. Once leaks are no longer one-offs, replacing the supply piping throughout usually costs less over time than chasing each failure.
- Rusty or discoloured water, especially first thing
- Pressure that collapses when two fixtures run
- Repeated pinhole leaks in different rooms
- Mixed materials joined with makeshift fittings
What we bring
- Copper, PEX and transition fittings
- Tubing cutter, torch, crimp and press tools
- Moisture meter and pressure gauge
Tested before we leave
- Section held under house pressure
- Joints wiped and checked dry
- Main reopened slowly to push out the air
On the job: what we open, clear and test
We survey the house, trace every supply run and plan new routes that minimise wall openings. In most homes the basement mains are reached from below and risers are fed up through closets, chases and existing gaps. New piping, usually copper or PEX, is installed while the old system stays live, which keeps your taps working for most of the job. Fixtures are switched over one at a time, and redundant pipe is either removed or left disconnected in the wall.
New shut-offs go in at every fixture, and the main valve is replaced if it is tired. Openings are kept neat and square so a drywaller can close them quickly.
What can change the job
House size, number of bathrooms and how much is finished all count. Plaster-and-lath walls take more care than drywall. Some owners pair repiping with a new toilet or a toilet repair while supply lines are being renewed anyway.
Etobicoke homes and this job
Bloor West Village, Swansea and the older blocks of Mimico and New Toronto still have houses on original galvanized. In Bloor West Village, narrow lots and finished basements mean careful routing. Repiping often coincides with replacing a lead or galvanized service from the street.
Before you call
Note which fixtures are weakest and where leaks have occurred. A spring look around, as in our spring checklist, often reveals more. Ring (365) 816-2905.