Plumbing topics · Fixture or system
Water pipes and repiping
Copper, PEX, CPVC, galvanized and polybutylene: how long each lasts, signs your pipes are failing, and what a whole-house repipe involves.
Answers (170)
- Are copper pipes safe for drinking water?
- Can a sewer camera find water line or slab leaks?
- Can Arizona child care facilities get free lead testing?
- Can I reuse a fitting on a PEX to brass connection?
- Can PEX pipe be repaired or replaced in sections?
- Can you get a mortgage on a house with polybutylene pipes?
- Can you use PEX in commercial plumbing?
- Do Arizona schools have to test drinking water for lead?
- Do I have polybutylene pipes, and should I replace them?
- Do I need a permit to dig in the street right-of-way to fix my sewer or water line in Phoenix?
- Do smart water shutoff valves work?
- Does a chlorine-resistant PEX rating mean chlorine-dioxide treatment is approved?
- Does a recirculating pump heat my cold water lines?
- Does an apartment need a water shutoff valve for each unit?
- Does new commercial water piping have to be tested and disinfected before use?
- Does passing a water pressure test prove every CPVC joint was solvent cemented?
- Does Scottsdale require a permit for a softener or repipe?
- How can I finance a big plumbing repair like a repipe or sewer line?
- How do I check whether spray foam or caulk is compatible with CPVC pipe?
- How do I connect a dishwasher water supply line?
- How do I install a refrigerator ice maker water line?
- How do I replace a toilet shut-off valve?
- How do I tell if I have lead pipes and what should I do?
- How do I test my main water shut-off valve?
- How do schools fix fountains that test high for lead?
- How far apart must water and sewer lines be (the 10-foot rule)?
- How long does a whole-house repipe take?
- How long should a CPVC repair cure before the water is turned back on?
- How often do plumbing pipes need to be supported?
- Is a wet lawn a sign of a broken water line?
- Is bad or discolored water the city's problem or mine?
- Is brown or yellow tap water safe to drink or shower in?
- Is it possible to insure a home with polybutylene pipes?
- No water in a commercial building: causes and first checks
- PEX vs CPVC pipe: which is better?
- Repair or repipe when copper keeps getting pinhole leaks?
- Should a copper water-line repair use a press fitting or soldered joint?
- Should I replace my toilet supply line and with what?
- What are small galvanized pipes sticking out of the ground?
- What are the different types of copper pipe (K, L, M)?
- What are the different types of water valves?
- What are the problems with galvanized steel pipes?
- What are the pros and cons of PEX plumbing?
- What causes pinhole leaks in copper pipes?
- What connector should a water heater use? Is PEX OK?
- What does a whole-house repipe cost, and is PEX or copper better?
- What information on PEX tubing helps identify it for a repair?
- What is a dielectric union and why do I need one?
- What is a main water line, and when is it replaced?
- What is a manifold (home-run) PEX plumbing system?
- What is a water supply fixture unit and how is a commercial water line sized?
- What is an isolation valve and where do I find mine?
- What is the green or blue crust around my faucet?
- What is trenchless water line replacement?
- What should a property manager do when a main water line breaks in an apartment building?
- What should be checked when a CPVC threaded adapter cracks or leaks?
- What should I ask before hiring someone to repipe my house?
- What should I do about a broken water line in my yard?
- What tools do I need to solder copper pipe?
- What's the difference between a ball and gate valve?
- Which plumbing lines are mine, and which are the city's?
- Who can shut off a condo building's main water?
- Who maintains sewer and water lines in a mobile home or RV park?
- Who owns the commercial water service line from the street to the meter?
- Why are there rust stains in my sinks and tubs?
- Why do angle stops and supply lines fail in commercial restrooms?
- Why do I have blue-green stains in my sink or tub?
- Why do mobile home water lines freeze under the skirting?
- Why does an older CPVC water pipe crack when it is cut for a repair?
- Why is a new copper press fitting leaking after a plumbing repair?
- Why is a newly made PEX expansion connection dripping?
- Why is a shut-off valve leaking at the handle?
- Why is my angle stop or supply line leaking?
- Why is my cold water not cold after an Arizona repipe?
- Why won't my angle stop valve shut off all the way?
- Will rats or mice chew through PEX pipe?
- Why is a shutoff valve leaking, and when is it replaced?
- What should a property owner coordinate before sewer or water-line trenching?
- Who can close the main shutoff in a condo building?
- Where does a pressure reducing valve go on a water line?
- Can a leaky toilet be something besides the flapper?
- Can I shut off my water at the curb stop in Phoenix?
- Can old plumbing raise my homeowners insurance rates?
- How can I tell the age and condition of a home's plumbing?
- How do I install a kitchen sink?
- How do I replace a tub spout?
- How does a Phoenix slab leak repair work?
- How long do common plumbing jobs take?
- Is PVC pipe safe for drinking water?
- Snowbird plumbing checklist: leaving an Arizona home for summer?
- What are the most common plumbing problems in older Phoenix homes?
- What are the steps to install a bathroom faucet?
- What contaminants are in Arizona tap water?
- What do plumbers wish homeowners would stop doing?
- What plumbing safety devices does a home need to meet code?
- What should a first-time homeowner know about plumbing?
- Why does my faucet squeal or screech?
- Why does my tap water taste like metal?
- Why does my toilet fill so slowly?
- Why does my toilet vibrate or hum after flushing?
- Why is my tap water brown or discolored?
- Why is there no water coming out of any faucet?
- How do you protect plumbing in a vacant commercial building?
- Does a tabletop dental sterilizer need a water line and drain?
- Should my water heater expansion tank be hanging from the pipe?
- Where is the main water shutoff valve in a Phoenix home?
- Can I run a natural gas line to my grill?
- Can pipes freeze in Phoenix?
- CTS vs IPS polyethylene pipe: what's the difference?
- Do I need a plumber to hook up a gas dryer?
- Do I need a plumber to install a bidet?
- Does a Grundfos recirculation pump need a return line?
- Does a mop sink chemical dispenser need backflow protection?
- Does a soda machine, ice machine or coffee maker need a backflow preventer?
- How do I find where my water pipes run in the wall or slab?
- How do I install a bidet attachment?
- How do I know when to replace a toilet?
- How do I plan landscaping without hurting plumbing lines?
- How do I remove a toilet?
- How do I replace a kitchen faucet?
- How do I replace a toilet flapper or fill valve?
- How do I replace a toilet flush valve?
- How do I replace an outdoor faucet?
- How do I shut off the water to just one fixture?
- How do I shut off water to one tenant suite?
- How does a flushometer valve work?
- How does a sprinkler system connect to home plumbing?
- How is a water softener installed?
- How long can a home go without water during a remodel?
- How long do old pipes last before they fail?
- How much does it cost to replace a toilet?
- Is a warm spot on my floor a slab leak?
- Soldered vs press-fit connections on a water heater?
- What are the different types of bidet toilet seats?
- What are the signs my home's pipes are failing?
- What are the signs of a slab leak in an Arizona home?
- What do I need for a steam shower?
- What gas hose does a fryer or range on casters need?
- What is plumbing rough-in?
- What is the best material for a kitchen sink?
- What kind of pipes do mobile homes have?
- What plumbing does an emergency eyewash station need?
- What plumbing questions matter before a bathroom remodel?
- What plumbing should I check in a new construction home?
- What should a commercial plumbing preventive maintenance plan include?
- What should I do while waiting for the plumber?
- Why are slab leaks so common in Arizona?
- Why is my Moen bathroom faucet leaking?
- Why is my toilet tank not filling with water?
- Why is the water flow low at just one faucet?
- Why is the water pressure low at one fixture but fine everywhere else?
- Why is water leaking under my sink?
- Can I install a wall-mounted bathroom faucet?
- How do I pick a bathroom sink for a remodel?
- How do I prevent water damage and flooding at home?
- How does a frost-free hose faucet work?
- What is a plumbing fixture unit?
- What plumbing work needs a permit in Phoenix?
- Where is my backflow preventer and what does it look like?
- Which plumbing repairs are safe to DIY?
- How do I do my own plumbing checkup?
- How do I flush a toilet when the power or water is out?
- How do I turn off the gas to my house?
- How do roots destroy pipes in Mesa and Chandler yards?
- Should I turn off my water heater on vacation?
- What do A. O. Smith tankless codes 111 and 121 mean?
- What do I do when a toilet is overflowing?
- What gas piping do restaurant patio heaters and fire pits need?
- What is leaking under a restaurant or business sink?
- Why install two backflow preventers in parallel?
Codes and permits (26)
- Do you need a permit to repipe a house in Chandler?
- Do you need a plumbing permit in Scottsdale?
- Surprise City Code 58-425 and 58-218: permits to dig for sewer and water lines
- UPC 1211-1212: Gas Appliance Connections and Shutoff Valves
- UPC Section 313: How Often a Pipe Must Be Supported
- What does Scottsdale charge to install a water meter and service line?
- Who maintains the water line and meter at a Tempe business? City Code 33-38
- Who fixes a broken water line in Chandler, the property owner or the city?
- Who is responsible for the water line to your Phoenix property, the city or you?
- Can you use PVC, CPVC or PEX water pipe outdoors in Phoenix?
- UPC 1210: Installing Fuel Gas Piping
- UPC 606: Where Shutoff Valves Are Required
- UPC Water Supply Pipe Sizing: How Code Sizes Your Water Lines
- Can Scottsdale shut off your water for a backflow violation?
- UPC 1208: Approved Fuel Gas Piping Materials
- UPC Section 604: Approved Materials for Water Pipe
- UPC Section 720: The Required Gap Between Water and Sewer Lines
- What are Chandler's rules for underground gas pipe?
- What backflow protection does restaurant equipment need under Maricopa County plan review?
- Which equipment needs its own backflow device in Mesa? City Code 8-1-9 point-of-use rules
- Which minor commercial plumbing jobs can be permitted online in Phoenix?
- Chandler backflow testing: annual test, notices and water shutoff
- Gilbert Town Code 10-92(c): which backflow assembly does your kind of property need?
- Right-of-Way Permits for Plumbing Work by Valley City
- Scottsdale Code 31-83: Bottle Fillers at Every Fountain and Water at Every Urinal
- UPC 705: Joints and Connections in Drainage Piping
Plumbing terms (12)
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