Replacing Aging Water Service Lines in Alliance Homes and Rentals

Identifying the pipe that feeds your house

The easiest place to check is where the service line comes through the basement wall, just before the main shutoff. A few quick observations tell you a lot, though we always confirm before recommending work.

Water utilities across the country, including in Ohio, have been building inventories of service line materials, and some customers have received letters saying their line is unknown or may contain lead. A letter like that is not a diagnosis. We can expose and verify the pipe on the private side and tell you what is actually there.

• Lead: dull gray, soft enough to scratch to a shiny silver with a key, and a magnet will not stick.
• Galvanized steel: gray and threaded at the joints, and a magnet sticks firmly.
• Copper: the color of a penny where scratched, and non-magnetic.
• Plastic: usually black, blue or white tubing with compression or barbed fittings.

Why old galvanized lines choke your water pressure

Galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside. Over decades, rust and mineral scale build up until a one-inch pipe may have a much smaller opening than it started with. The result is a house where the shower weakens every time someone flushes, and where the first water out of the tap after a weekend away runs brown.

Corroded galvanized lines also tend to leak at threaded joints and at the point where they pass through the foundation. Patching one leak on a pipe like that usually leads to another a short distance away. For that reason we generally recommend replacing the whole run from the curb stop to the house rather than chasing individual leaks.

A plan for Alliance landlords and rental owners

Alliance has plenty of rental housing, from single-family homes to converted multi-unit houses, including many near the University of Mount Union. A service line failure in a rental means displaced tenants and urgent calls, often at the worst possible time. A planned replacement is almost always easier on everyone than an emergency dig in January.

If you own several older properties, we can look at the service lines and main shutoffs during an estimate and help you set priorities. Lines that are lead, badly corroded or have already been patched usually move to the top of the list. We coordinate access with tenants, keep water off only as long as the work requires, and leave the site clean. If a line has already flooded a basement, our restoration services in Alliance cover cleanup and damage inspection.

How a replacement is done

After a free estimate and your approval of the specifications, we request utility markings through 811, confirm the curb stop location and shutoff procedure with the water department, and set up the dig. The new line, typically copper or polyethylene made for buried water service, is laid below frost depth, connected at the curb side and at a new main shutoff valve inside, then pressure tested and flushed.

Old galvanized service lines often feed equally old galvanized pipe inside the house. Putting a new line on the outside will not fix narrow, rusted pipe on the inside, so ask about whole-house repiping for Alliance homes if pressure is weak throughout. For smaller drips and fixture leaks, our Alliance water leak repair service is the better fit. More detail on materials and methods is on our Stark County water main page.

Small steps that protect an older line until it is replaced

If replacement is not in this year's budget, you can still reduce risk. Turn the main shutoff fully closed and open once or twice a year so it works when you need it. Run cold water for a short time after the house has sat unused, especially if you suspect lead, and use cold water for drinking and cooking. Watch the bill and the yard for signs of a leak, and call us if pressure drops suddenly.