My son is thinking of buying a house. The inspector tells him the old galvanized pipes are rusted up and there is very little flow of water. They tried to remove the aerators but couldn't get them off. When two faucets are turned on, what little flow there is becomes even less. The house has a crawl space, so I would think replacing all the galvanized would not be a great undertaking. It's a relatively small house. Should he insist on replacing ALL the galvanized pipe? What is best to replace it with? Would you guys suggest pex?

The seller could say no... or charge you for it.. if he wants the house... and odds are they won't re-plumb the house without a significant price increase... and not without a signed contract.


However... no harm in asking.

Hi John

I hate to admit it, but this CPVC stuff is gaining popularity around here... is full-size tubing/fittings and only requires a primer/cement to join, RELIABLY!! This, by far is fastest, cheapest and very reliable from what I've seen/installed the last 10 years! You must keep CPVC 18-24" off any heating appliances such as water heaters, boilers, etc...

With that being said, I need to be honest and tell you that in my area we primarily use PEX (long runs) and copper tubing (old homes everywhere), but CPVC is used on most of the new, million-dollar homes nowadays...may want to look into it!!

PEX and copper are both great systems, but with PEX you need to watch the I.D. of the PEX fittings. If the PEX fittings are 3/8" I.D. then the 1/2" tubing crimped on it is 3/8", not 1/2... right? Check for local PEX systems and tool availability... determines cost effectiveness.

Copper is great in a quick/small remodel... can get expensive fast, but great system!

What size is the water main coming in? That determines a lot, too...

Back at you!

Sorry I couldn't help more!

CPVC. DIY friendly, cheap, very durable. Use for hot and cold. Standard 1/2 and 3/4" sizes, IP match.

Thanks for all the replies. He has the choice of just saying "forget it" or trying to negotiate a solution.

My major question is this: Is this solvable by replacing part of the old pipe, or should he insist on replacing all of it? I'm thinking all of it. CPVC is fine with me. I've used it before and it is remarkably easy. Only complaint is that it does not like freezing, but that shouldn't happen in Mississippi with just a little bit of foresight. I'm not familiar with pex, but have heard a lot of good things about it.

Old galvanize pipe builds up rust , over the tears. To the point it cutting down the volume witch also affects pressure, Since the pipes rust evenly it would not be good plumbing to replace just part of the old piping. If you simple replaced the mains and left the branches just because they were in the walls and hard to reach then you would be left with the same problem. Repipe the house! Good luck, Tom

You will want to start at the main and replace all the pipe and I would replace all the fixtures, and just have new plumbing.

'He has the choice of just saying "forget it" or trying to negotiate a solution.'

The typical solution is actually to lower the offer price to an amount that will safely cover the cost of the plumbing (and if needed add that into the loan as a separate amount). Sellers rarely fix something of this scale.