Whether you have purchased an older home or inherited one from parents or grandparents, repairs and renovations probably something you expect to make. If the home was built before or around 1900, your existing plumbing system may have been added or extended after the house was constructed. Since older plumbing pipes can develop a number of problems as the years go by, the following information can help owners of these stately old homes diagnose their plumbing issues and decide on the best way to address them. 

1. Insufficient hot water in part of the home

Older homes that have had a second bath added later may be experiencing a lack of hot water in the second bath. This happens when the water heater was originally installed to serve only the first bathroom and the distance to a second bathroom added years later is just too great. When hot water must travel too far through pipes to get to where it is needed, the temperature can drop several degrees. Having your plumber install a point of use water heater in the second bathroom is a low-cost way to offset the problem of insufficient hot water in some areas of the home. 

2. Poor water pressure in all or part of the home

Older homes that have experienced many plumbing renovations and repairs may have different sizes and types of water pipes. When there are multiple joints and places where piping is pieced together from both large and small pipes, water may have difficulty flowing through, causing water pressure issues in the home. Having some or all of the water pipes replaced with the correct size and type of piping can often solve water pressure issues. 

3. Frequent issues with frozen pipes

Older homes often saw the addition of bathrooms and kitchen sinks well after the home was built. To save money and simplify the process, these improvements were often made on an exterior wall of the home. If the pipes were not properly installed or insulated, they can be prone to freezing during the winter. If you have plumbing in the exterior walls of your older home and have suffered recurring issues with frozen pipes, consider having the pipes professionally assessed by a certified residential plumber. Correcting this problem can include moving the pipes, adding more insulation around them in their present location, or using a heat tape to warm the pipes and prevent future problems. 

Dealing with plumbing problems in an older home can be much more challenging than those that occur in newer construction. Homeowners who opt to work with reputable residential plumber services can benefit from their experience and knowledge to solve their plumbing problems without wasting time or money. 

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