Plumbing System
Pipe Repair

Repipe Your San Diego Home: Clean Water, Great Water Pressure, and No More Leaks!

There are many reasons you may need to install new pipes in your home or business. Pipes may be old, corroded, or leaky – or made with materials that are outdated or even banned. Roots may have intruded into multiple places within your sewer pipes. San Diego homeowners luckily don’t have to worry about freezing temperatures causing pipe damage, but they should pay attention to signs that point to possible pipe repair – including things like leaks, overflows, bad smells, corrosion, or water meters moving when they shouldn’t.

What exactly is a repipe in a San Diego home?

A repipe is the removal and replacement of specific hot and cold water supply pipes, or sewer pipes in your home or business. This can be achieved with the use of ABS, copper or PEX Flexible piping.

Why would I need a repipe?

Your pipes may be old, corroded copper or galvanized cast iron, at risk of leaks or costly flood damage. Even worse, many homes in San Diego were constructed with polybutylene pipes that are grey, white or black in color and were installed in the 1970s through the mid-1990s. Poly pipes are at high risk of failure and should be replaced immediately.

Types of pipes for repipes?

PEX piping is a flexible plastic material, which simplifies installation. If you need to replace current piping, PEX is a good option since PEX can be easily snaked through walls. The flexibility of PEX piping also helps to prevent bursts and is mostly corrosion resistant. PEX also retains heat, which will be good for your utility bills and energy efficiency. Costs for repiping with PEX are typically lower than copper. However, PEX can’t be used outdoors because of UV sensitivity.

Copper piping is resistant to bacteria and can be recycled. Copper is also a good environmental option, but it can corrode, so location of the pipes is something to evaluate. You can expect that costs for copper pipe installation will be higher than with PEX.

At Carini, we use only U.S.A. Type L copper – the “green” alternative – PEX Pipe for San Diego repiping projects.

ABS is another very common pipe material used for replacing or patching sewer lines.

Demolition of Existing Pipes Affects Repiping Costs

Tree roots can damage your pipes, but there are things you can do to help prevent this from happening. Here are some good articles:

Read this article from Popular Mechanics: How to Keep Roots from Wrecking your Sewer Line

This article from the City of San Mateo, California says trees aren’t always the culprits when tree roots get into pipes. Often, they say, the problem is related to a leaky sewer lateral. The sewer lateral is a pipe that connects indoor plumbing to the public sewer main in the street. Click here to read about leaky sewer laterals and their attraction to tree roots that love the nutrients in sewage and water.

Click here to get more information from the the City of San Diego about problems related to your sewer lateral and ways to prevent damage and leaks

Click here for an example of a sewer lateral repipe Carini Plumbing techs performed for a Mission Hills, San Diego canyon home. Two root intrusions into the 90 year old galvanized sewer pipes were found by our video camera team.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If you are not satisfied with Carini and/or your new system for any reason within three (3) years of installation, Carini will make unlimited attempts to resolve the issue up to and including removing your system and refunding 100% of the purchase price.

Learn More »