What Type of Plumbing Do I Have?
The Burt’s Reliable plumbing team can help with any time of piping.
Plumbing is one of the most consequential components in your Suffolk County home. It ensures your family’s year-round comfort, providing water to water heaters, baths, sinks, washers and dishwashers. Your pipes provide irrigation for your lawn and water for your pool. If your home has a boiler, then a well-maintained plumbing system is essential for home heating in the winter.
How can you tell what type of plumbing your home has? It largely has to do with the age of the house. According to data gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of all Suffolk County housing units were built between 1950 and 1979. Nearly 10% were built before 1940, and the median building year for homes in our area is 1972. Plumbing construction trends shifted dramatically throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. That means that there is a wide range of plumbing in these homes.
From our home base in Southold, Burt’s Reliable can assess the health and composition of residential plumbing in Long Island’s East End and North Fork. Here are some of the most common piping types in the area.
Copper Plumbing
Copper pipes have been common for water delivery systems since the 1960s. This plumbing is durable and resistant to corrosion. For that reason, we still see this piping used in homes throughout New York and nationwide. While copper is a fine plumbing material, it also tends to be pricier (and more tempting to thieves) than other materials.
Steel Plumbing
Similarly durable but more prone to corrosion than copper, steel was popular for home construction for much of the 20th century. These pipes last, on average, about 50 years before needing to be replaced. Steel can be even more expensive than copper, and it has some significant drawbacks.
If you have galvanized steel plumbing — which is lined with zinc on the inside — your pipes are more prone to narrowing and clogging. Additionally, material from galvanized plumbing, including lead, can leech into your home’s water. If you have galvanized plumbing, it’s worth considering replacing it.
Cast Iron Plumbing
Pretty much the heaviest of all plumbing materials, cast iron pipes were more popular before the 1960s. These are long-lasting pipes, but they are nonetheless susceptible to rusting. If you’re seeing corrosion in cast iron plumbing, it’s best to replace it with a more modern material like plastic.
Plastic Plumbing
The shift to plastic plumbing began in the 1970s, and the benefits of this contemporary material are clear. Plastic is affordable, lightweight and durable. PVC pipe, in particular, can stand up to chemicals and high temperatures. It’s incredibly strong, too. Another benefit is that the fittings on these pipes are intuitive. You can screw on joints using an adhesive and attach a new section easily!
Need Help with Your Plumbing? Call Burt’s!
Burt’s Reliable has served families in Suffolk County for over a century. However old your house is, and whatever kind of plumbing it has, our experienced, licensed professionals can help. We offer plumbing repairs, pipe replacements, winterization, appliance installations and other plumbing services for all kinds of systems.
Get in touch with Burt’s Reliable today to fix your home plumbing issues. We’ll take care of it!