Common Issues In Plumbing In London Ontario’s Older Homes | London Plumbing Solutions

If you own an older home, you know that they can come with certain costs and repair needs that you might not find in something more current.

Of course, older homes also have a certain charm, beauty, and history to them that you just won’t find in a more modern home.

It’s important to know the types of issues you may experience if you own an older home or if you’re looking to purchase one.

It’s also important to know a London Ontario plumber so you have someone to contact if you do need repairs or replacements.

Here at London Plumbing Solutions, we offer a wide variety of residential plumbing services, including:

But what type of service are you more likely to need in an older London Ontario home?

Let’s take a look.

Lead Pipes

Lead is a material that you may find in homes built in the early 1900s.

Lead was most commonly used for sewer line plumbing installations and water mains, but it comes with a host of problems.

Lead is a highly toxic material.

It can cause memory loss, fatigue, gastrointestinal pain, and irritability if you eat it.

If you have purchased an old home that has lead pipes, call London Plumbing Solutions today to get them replaced.

Galvanized Pipes

Galvanized pipes were used commonly in homes built before the 1960s.

They are pipes made out of iron and coated with zinc.

These kinds of pipes are very susceptible to eroding and breakage due to the erosion of the zinc, and often become clogged with rust.

Galvanized pipes are hard to replace.

You can replace them piece by piece as they break down, rather than all at once.

While these don’t need to be immediately replaced like lead pipes, they usually don’t last as long.

And even if they do, if your house is old enough to have galvanized pipes, they’ll need to be replaced soon anyway.

Polybutylene Pipes

Polybutylene pipes were designed in the 1970s as a replacement for copper pipes.

They were even nicknamed “the pipe of the future”.

While they were used in many homes in the 1980s, they didn’t last long.

Polybutylene was found to become brittle and crack when exposed to oxidants in public water systems.

The manufacturers of these pipes actually had to pay a class action lawsuit that claimed the pipes were defective.

If you purchase a home that still has any existing polybutylene pipes, you should contact a plumber to have them replaced before they fail and potentially do damage to your home.

Bellied Pipes

A pipe that is bellied has been bent too many times.

Usually, this happens to pipes installed underneath homes.

When the house gradually moves and shifts with time, it can cause the pipes to shift and bend.

If they shift too much, they can create a slope, called a “belly”, that ends up restricting the flow of water.

The bellies also can create pools of waste or sediment in the pipes.

This can cause you to need drain cleaning services.

If you suspect your new home may have a bellied pipe, call London Plumbing Solutions today.

Old, Outdated Fixtures

This is a common problem in older homes, but luckily updating your fixtures is a simple fix.

Fixtures in your home include things like faucets on your sink or bathtub, showerheads, toilets, and pipes.

When your fixtures are old, they’re more at risk for leaking and clogging which can sometimes turn into more serious damage or repairs, including higher than normal water bills.

If your fixtures are outdated, its important to get them updated as soon as possible to prevent damage.

Call London Plumbing Solutions today for all your new plumbing fixture installations, including:

Faulty Plumbing Repairs

All old houses have history, but sometimes that history isn’t so great.

Faulty installations and repairs are a common cause of plumbing problems in older homes, often due to plumbing that wasn’t repaired or installed correctly the first time.

Problems like these can lead to leaks, clogs, and other serious problems.

If you suspect that your home’s plumbing is faulty, it’s important to contact a professional to find the problem and make the repairs that are needed.

Old, Failing Sewer Line

Your sewer lines carry waste form your home to the city’s sewer system.

Older homes will sometimes have clay or metal sewer lines.

These sewer lines corrode and fail over time, so it’s important to watch for the signs that your sewer line may need to be replaced.

Faulty sewer lines can cause wastewater to flow back into your home which can cause a lot of damage, especially if your sump pump isn’t working.

RELATED: Sump pump plumbing services

How To Tell If Your Sewer Line Needs To Be Replaced

There are some important signs to watch for that can indicate that your sewer line needs to be replaced.

If you notice wet spots in your yard or water backing up into your home from your drains or toilet, these are both signs your sewer line is failing and should be replaced.

If there are unpleasant odors in your home, especially near drains, that’s another sign the sewage line might be backed up and in need of replacement.

Finally, if you notice gurgling lines in your drain, that can be a sign that your sewage line needs to be replaced or a sign of a different plumbing problem.

If you notice any of these signs in your home, call London Plumbing Solutions today.

We’ll send out a local plumber to assess your sewage line and avoid the damage a failing sewer line could cause if left alone.

Call London Plumbing Solutions Today

Thinking of buying a new old home in London?

Or do you already own an older home in London Ontario and aren’t sure where to begin with its plumbing needs?

Call London Plumbing Solutions today and let our expert plumbers take care of your home.

London Plumbing Solutions
1990 Wavell St #10,
London, ON N5V 4N5
(226) 777-7996
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Whatever your local plumbing needs are, London Plumbing Solutions is here for you. Our plumbers have the skills you need to take care of new plumbing construction projects, sump pump installation, drain cleaning, bathroom plumbing, kitchen plumbing, water treatment and filtration systems, hydro jetting, camera drain inspections, and new installations, and so much more.