I have a 60s house with galvanized pipes which are now pitted and need to be replaced (leaked and caused my ceiling to cave in). Two questions: Anyone have recommendations on a plumbers (Heights area)? I've had two quotes and they were vastly different. Thoughts between CPVC and PEX? Seems like PEX may be better, if installed correctly, as CPVC can get brittle over time. Pipes will be in the attic, so it will get quite hot during the summer. Thanks!
We had our galvanized pipes replaced a couple months ago as well. I went with PEX, there is no reason not to really. I got 4 quotes and decided to go with Southern Plumbing. Competitive price and they did a great job all around...excellent responsiveness, timeliness and minimizing how much sheet rock they removed. The city inspector even commented that he has seen a lot of their work and they do a good job. I would recommend them. My neighbor actually used them as well and she was happy. They don't do the drywall work, however, so you will need to find your own guy.
Had to do my 1980 house this past year. Yes the estimates were vastly different. I went with Re-pipe, but I will tell you all the companies out there seem to use subcontractors, you get a bid from an estimator and the sub does the work. Our house was $12K (that really hurt my budget) but we had 3 different pinhole leaks that took down some ceiling so that was unacceptable. We did PEX. It an invasive procedure, that requires a lot of tape & float and paint after they are done. I think we spent another $1200 on that after all was said and done. I think if I had it to do over I would only have done the horizontal pipes (not sure that's actually doable). The verticals were not nearly as corroded and required the most work and caused the most damage to the house/
You can definitely save money by not doing the verticals but my rational was that if you're going to do it, do it all the way. Your house was newer than mine (1950s) so our pipes had a lot more wear on them. I'm surprised you said it's invasive. Sure they have to cut holes to attached faucets and such but considering the alternative of PVC, it's much less repair work. We had a total of 7 holes cut (about 2' x 2' avg) that were sheet rocked for approx $250. The paint can be a hassle but luckily we already had plans to paint the guest bedroom and laundry room. I don't really care about painting underneath the sinks in the cabinets.
Forgot my $1200 included fixing a 4'x8' hole in the spare bedroom ceiling and and a 4'x4 one in that bath. We had to have a wallpaper guy patch a couple of bathroom spots, plus the 8 holes for faucets and fixtures. You'd be surprised how easy and effective it is to slosh on a new coat of white latex enamel on the inside of the cabinets. It really brightens them up compared to the old yellow paint and myriad of stains. I did all those myself in like a day.
I wouldn't think you need that big of holes for connections. WE did get lucky with one of the bathrooms because the tub/shower and sink already had access points via panels that could easily be removed so that saved a little.
Be sure to confirm that the plumber is licensed and bonded to cover any damage they may do to your home.
Thanks everyone. I spoke with a plumber and he confirmed what some of you are saying - to save money and just replace the horizontal pipes as the vertical pipes rarely cause leaks. We're planning on remodeling the 2nd bath and the kitchen in the next few years, so we'll get to those vertical pipes at that point. Doing only the horizontal pipes cut the price in half. Donkeymagic - thank you, I'll be giving them a call on Monday.
Cant believe nobody mentioned Clean Team Plumbing. I see the commercial all the time. Give them a call and the owner Brad Mallory will personally come and give you an estimate. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rQXUUgQCAYE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
