How Long Should Your Plumbing Last?

Since each plumbing system and fixture in your home is such an integral part of your daily routines, it’s easy to forget that sooner or later, it’s all going to have to be replaced. Not necessarily by you, mind you. It’s just that no plumbing lasts forever, and when a faucet or toilet’s number is up, it’s up.

So, courtesy of your friends at Your 1 Plumber, here’s what you can expect:

• Kitchen sinks (made of modified acrylic) – 50 years
• Kitchen faucets – 15 years
• Bathroom shower enclosure – 50 years
• Shower doors – 20 years
• Whirlpool tubs – 20-50 years, depending on use
• Bath cabinets – long-term life expectancy
• Showerheads – long- life expectancy
• Toilets – long-term life expectancy (when inner components are properly replaced/maintained)
• Brass drain lines – 40-70 years+
• Copper drain lines – 50+ years
• Galvanized steel drain lines – 20-50 years
• Cast iron drain lines – 75-100 years
• PVC drain lines – Indefinitely

How about your washing machine? Well, if it’s a top-loader model, you can expect to get 11 – 14 years of productive use out of it. Pretty much the same for your store tank water heater: a 10 – 15 year life expectancy, on average. When it reaches roughly 12 years of age, be on the lookout for these common signs of deterioration: rust around the base, leaking water, less hot water availability, and so on.

By contrast, today’s newer tankless water heaters are built to last up to 20 years, perhaps even longer. That’s because they have fewer working parts and no storage tank.

All plumbing fixtures, pipes, systems, and parts, have their own signs of wear and tear: key indicators that either trouble is brewing or that the need to replace is imminent. It’s the job of a professional plumber to know each of these warning signs, and that’s precisely what you can count on from Your 1 Plumber. And that’s just one reason why we encourage you to contact us today for a whole-house plumbing inspection, especially if it’s been a year or longer since your last inspection.

We’ll tell you exactly what’s going on, what needs attention, what you can expect going forward, and more. During our inspections, we also keep an eye out for anything that could negatively impact the safety of your home and family.