Hi All,

I m planning to do some renovation to my house. My current house is about 30 years old.

My main concern now is piping. is it advisable to replace all my pipings? They are perfectly fine and water pressure is good. shall i just leave it?

Any idea what kinda costing I m looking at to replace all pipings, my house is about 1,650 build up area.


Thx guys

This post has been edited by coconutzz: Oct 17 2011, 01:48 PM

what kind of piping are you using currently ??

you mentioned 30 years old im guessing GI piping ?

if your using GI piping dismental a section and take a look inside...

the rust...dirt and all that shit ain't healthy...

Not sure honestly....but the water looks perfectly fine..

Is your pipe are metal, than I guess it should be rusted...If you have choice and have $, perhaps ask the contractor to check and see

well if they are GI pipes then it is fitting that when
renovating you replace the pipes to higher quality
ones.
dont wait & try to save as future leaks will have you
hacking floors to rectify the problem/s!

thanks. btw wat kinda news pipes that is in the market now?

Mind kinda forgetful but there are some
resilient PE - polyethylene pipes plus some
other more rigid or thicker-walled ones plus
they come in blue/black hues.

Just ask your plumbing contractor about
the options and pricing. These new gen pipes
can offer years of worry-free use.

You save in the long run, good luck!

Since you are planning to renovate your house, might as well replace all the water piping. As you mentioned, the house is 30 years old. There is a life span of the piping material.
Replacing the piping will require hacking of walls and also some section of the floor. If not done during reno time, then can be a real headache later due to the dust, etc.

how bout if ur house is 12++ YO..need to do repiping or not??

using what piping material ?

if there is no leak and the water doesn't smell rusty/metal smell/taste

then there is no reason..

but if you planning to renovate better to change it all .. nothing is made to last forever...

Some real useful info on PIPES:-

Learn the difference between the plastic pipe materials that are available. Pipe made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most popular, but chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) is also widely used. A wide variety of specialty plastics are also available, and are primarily used for transporting chemicals and other corrosive materials. These include polyethylene (PE) and polybutylene (PB), among others.

Consider the application. PVC is used in non-pressure applications such as drain, waste and vent piping, while CPVC is primarily used for transporting water. PB and PE piping can be used for drain and waste applications, but are also used for gaseous and corrosive materials. Because of the potential for harmful interactions, PB and PE pipes should not be used to carry fuel products like kerosene or heating oil.

Determine which pipe is best suited in terms of temperature. CPVC pipe is appropriate for carrying materials at temperatures below 180 degrees Fahrenheit. PVC pipe can be used for materials ranging from 120 to 150 degrees, while specialty plastics like PE and PB can carry materials ranging from 200 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

pm-ed u. my contractors can go to ur place and have a good look

It have a few ways,
1) Remain your existing piping system,
2) Lay a new piping system using Poly Pipe ,still remain your old piping system, just need to modify at the water supply( water meter )
3) Dig out the existing pipe system and replace it with Poly Pipe

A 30 year old house, you might need to check your electrical system. A safe wiring system could safe your life.
just my 2 cents

does the wire quality degrade ? cause older wires the copper cores/innards are thicker than now days one...

the only thing to change are those things in the DB box.. ELCB/brakers and etc

on another note, why does old wiring in old houses hummm, ?

This post has been edited by JinXXX: Oct 21 2011, 02:20 PM

When the electrons pass by the wire(copper) .. it generates heat! the outer part of the wire or cable is PVC... Try to imagine, u put a PVC pipe outside the house and let the sun shines on it..after few years, the PVC pipe will become fragile. rites?

Same theory applies to cables. the insulation for a cable might not good and lead to short circuit.

For me, i would like to advise you to do a Resistance Test on all the circuits at your DB box. Do not need to change the MCB, just change the ELCB will do.. ELCB is the one who save your lifes...

Actually Copper can last very long it , and the double protected insulator on the wires are very tough too. For 30 years old house not sure they use double insulator or other method. I know 80s house use lots of double insulator copper cable and like my current renovating house the original copper cable still flexible and look good.

If copper expose to air it become dull because it oxidized, and take long time to turn into black than green.

If your old house have lots of expose copper than 30 years sound correct time to maybe replace. But if all are conceal should be ok.

But for any modern house, i think you find limited socket and lighting points. So that maybe better to rewire entire house.

averagely how much it does it cost to rewire a home ? on the moderate level ? 10k enough ?

10k good number to start for single phase.

10k is good enuf for 3 phase too..

depends on your budget and house design too.. if your house got lots of plaster ceiling, it is cheaper.. if all need to hack n conceal, it will abit more expensive... if your budget is below 10k, and if you don't mind.. u can lay the cable surface, noneed to hack.

just my 2 cents

10k for 3 phase is pushing the limit. 15k for 3 phases is better. IS better to plan more than worry not enough.