Plumbing in your home works hard every day, and while some products and fixtures may need to be replaced sooner than others, it’s not impossible for your pipes and fixtures to last for decades.
- Taking care of your home’s plumbing can extend its life.
Knowing the type of plumbing in your home determines how long it will last without compromising. Your home inspection report or your new home’s documents and warranties will tell you what type of plumbing system you have. Your plumbing system can also be thoroughly inspected to determine its viability. A brass, iron, or steel supply pipe can last 50-70 years. A copper supply pipe can last 70-80 years. PVC piping has a shorter lifespan of fewer than 50 years. Each morning, your water heater cranks to make sure you have a hot shower. Hot water heaters can last a long time depending on how many people are in the house. A tankless water heater last around 20 years, while a traditional water heater or heat pump water heaters lasts about 10-12 years. When a toilet malfunctions, it can cause a major disaster in the home. Toilets can last nearly 50 years but that doesn’t mean all its internal components. A toilet operation is fairly simple, but it does contain about a dozen moving parts. Some components of a toilet will need to be replaced during its lifetime, but cracked bowls or issues with flushing may indicate it’s time to replace it. A faucet’s useful lifespan can vary depending on manufacturer, but the average is about 12 years. One of your home’s plumbing MVPs is the sump pump. Sump pumps are designed to keep your basement dry after heavy rains. Their average lifespan is 10 years. The well pump is the most important component for keeping your water flowing if your home is on a well. You can expect a well pump to last 8-15 years, depending on your water usage, the number of people living in your house, sediment levels, and water levels in your area.