The boat my wife and I lived on for 8 years had a 70-gallon freshwater tank. Depending on which island we were visiting I would sometimes need to take 2 – 7 gallon jerry jugs and carry them up to a mile to get water, no big deal. Carrying them back, well… one gallon of water weighs 7-pounds, oh my aching shoulders, I would carry 98 pounds of water back to the boat. Now that we live in a house, I simply turn on the tap, I love being spoiled. It is the job of city government to ensure each resident has access to fresh, clean drinking water. They supply the underground water lines and deliver it to the front of our homes. It is our responsibility to maintain our pipes from the street into our homes and then all the pipes in our homes. As time goes by these pipes can rust or have mineral deposits build up inside. Left long enough minerals deposits restrict water pressure. There are 3 basic types of supply pipes that have been used to get water from the city lines to our homes. Galvanized, lead and copper. When these systems were originally built the materials used were “new technology” but two haven’t stood up to the test of time. Galvanized pipe has two main issues. The first is they tend to rust, from the inside out; don’t scratch that rusty little bubble on the pipe unless you have your plumber on speed dial. The second issue is it builds up minerals deposits inside the pipe restricting the flow of water. Lead pipes are not as dangerous as we have heard about in Flint Michigan. Flint’s problems began when the city changed the water supply to save money. They also did not add a recommended chemical to the new water source. Not adding the chemical meant a protective coating inside the pipe leached off. Lead supply lines are common. I suggest adding a reverse osmosis water filter under the kitchen sink. This removes all impurities including any lead that could find its way into your drinking water. Copper pipe is used extensively for most installations today. There is no health-related issue and mineral deposits don’t restrict the flow of water. It’s a perfect product…of course at the time; so was galvanized and lead. It is easy to tell what your water supply line is made of; you need a magnet and a screwdriver. First place a magnet against the line coming in from the street before it connects to the meter inside your home. If it sticks, you have galvanized pipe. If the magnet does not stick, then scratch the pipe with the screwdriver. If the pipe is bright silver you have lead pipe, if the pipe is a shiny copper color you have copper pipes. Replacing the water supply line is expensive up to $6,000 for an average city lot and it is an owner expense. Expensive yes, but try carrying water one mile, it gets really heavy! I write these articles in the hope of helping you understand your home better and to do so with a little humor. Most people, including many agents, don’t know this information so please pass this along to your friends, family and neighbors. If they happen to ask who you recommend as a Realtor, don’t feel the need to beg them to call me…give me their name and number and I’ll do that! Please stay well! Sincerely, Related Articles:
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