If there’s one question in the plumbing world that can be answered a million different ways, it’s “How long does plumbing last?” As you might guess, this can vary household-to-household, brand-to-brand and of course, based on whatever particular fixture we’re referring to. Despite some of this uncertainty, there are general lifespan ranges that you can attribute to various components in one’s plumbing system. Will these always be spot on? Probably not, but they will give you an estimated range, so you’ll have an idea when your water heater, pipes or any other plumbing piece might soon be needing a replacement.
Having said that, this week’s blog post is going to walk through some of the different plumbing components and discuss why they end up failing, as well as general timelines to keep in mind. Before getting started though, we would like to welcome any new visitors to our plumbing blog. Stine-Nichols Plumbing is a full-service plumbing company based out of North Kansas City, MO. We take pride in providing reliable and long-lasting plumbing services in a timely manner. With that all being said, let’s see how many years you can expect to get out of your plumbing.
Plumbing Pipes
We’ll start with one of the most important pieces of a home’s plumbing system, the pipes! Just like anything else, as the years have gone by, we’ve learned that certain types of material work better than others. This has certainly been true with plumbing pipes. While none of them will probably last forever, the good ones should hold up for plenty of decades.
PVC – In terms of drain lines, many believe PVC will last indefinitely. From the 60’s to the 80’s, we started to see a shift from using cast iron to PVC for a number of different reasons. While it came at a cheaper price-tag, it also was considered to have a longer lifespan too.
Copper – The use of copper as a piping material dates back thousands of years. It’s still one of the most popular materials and widely used across the country. You could easily expect to get 70-plus years out of copper.
Cast Iron – We briefly mentioned cast iron above, as it used to be extremely common. Under the perfect conditions, you could easily receive over 70 years out of it. However, even though cast iron is an incredibly strong material, it is also susceptible to corrosion and rust.
Pipes to Replace Immediately – Polybutylene and lead are both materials that were once widely used, but have since been shown to have significant deficiencies. It will probably be in your best interest to get them replaced sooner rather than later.
Water Heater
Next on our list of plumbing components is the always important water heater. Knowing how many years to expect to get out of a water heater is also extremely beneficial in deciding between a repair and replacement (if issues were to arise). Generally speaking, you can expect to get roughly 10-12 years out of a traditional storage-tank water heater, while tankless models usually are good for 20+ years. Keep in mind that you can easily get less than these estimates, as well as a few years more than them. There are a number of different factors that will dictate the actual lifespan, including whether or not you’ve properly maintained it over the years. A perfect example of this is flushing out all of the mineral sediment that builds up at the bottom of your tank.
Curious which brands are the most reliable when it comes to water heaters? In a prior blog post, we walked through a few of the brands that we trust here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing. When it comes to estimating the lifespan of a water heater, it’s safe to say the brand you choose will have an impact. Luckily, there are more than a few quality brands currently on the market. Check out the complete blog HERE and learn more about the brands we trust.
Toilet
While both of the first two items on this blog are fairly easy to give an estimated lifespan on, it’s a little more complicated when it comes to the next few. In terms of toilets, a big variable to consider is how often it’s being used. Believe it or not, toilets can realistically last 50-60 years. Now, do you necessarily want to keep the same toilet for that long? That question is going to be up to you, but it’s not out of the question for them to last more than a few decades.
Keep in mind that if you do have a toilet that’s been there for 30 or 40 years, it is likely not nearly as efficient as modern-day options. Many toilets currently on the market utilize much-fewer gallons of water per flush than older options.
While the toilet itself may last quite awhile, that doesn’t mean nothing will ever go wrong with it. In fact, there are a number of different components in a toilet that will likely need to be replaced. Here are just a few to consider:
- Flapper
- Supply Lines
- Wax Ring
Fortunately, with many of these small components that tend to fail much quicker than the actual toilet, they can be replaced relatively easily (and affordably).
Sump Pump
For those that’ve been following us here on the blog, you’ve likely seen us discuss sump pumps on multiple occasions. All in all, they’re certainly an integral piece in preventing plumbing emergencies. The easiest way to tell if a sump pump isn’t working is simply by testing it. Pour roughly five gallons of water in it and make sure it kicks on like normal.
For a general estimate, you’re likely looking at getting 8-10 years out of a quality sump pump. A key variable to consider though is how often it’s been used. Obviously, a sump pump that’s used just about every day will likely need to be replaced sooner than one that is only running a few days out of the year.
Faucets
Going right along with toilets and sump pumps, faucets are also going to be dependent on a few different variables when estimating their lifespan. Since there are so many faucet brands out there, you’re definitely going to want to make sure you pick out a quality one. Just to name a few, some of our favorites out there include Moen, Kohler, Delta and American Standard.
Routine wear-and-tear is another determining factor in how long a faucet lasts. If it’s in an office building and constantly being used every single day, it’ll likely get worn down quicker than one that’s not used nearly as often. To add one more variable to the equation, since Kansas City has above average levels of hard water, you can’t ignore the implications of water hardness as well. In the end, under normal circumstances, a good estimate is 15-20 years for a faucet.
Replacement Services in Kansas City
As I briefly mentioned in the introduction, Stine-Nichols Plumbing is a full-service plumbing company based out of North Kansas City, MO. Our team of licensed professionals are trained to handle just about any plumbing-related problem you may come across. Whether that be piping, water heaters, sewer lines, sump pumps, toilets, faucets or anything else, we’ve got you covered!
I hope this blog helped provide some clarity into how many years you can expect to get out of your various plumbing components. While nothing is certainly built to last forever, with the proper maintenance plan implemented, you can surely get the maximum return on your initial investment. If you’re ever interested in getting a quote on either a plumbing repair or replacement, you’re more than welcome to give our team a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE.