Whole-House Repipe in Pomona, CA

Brown water, weak pressure, and one pinhole leak after another. If your home still has its original galvanized pipe or worn-out copper, a repipe replaces the whole water system at once.

Call (909) 769-4490

Service provided by Los Carnales Plumbing, CSLB C-36 #1147159.

Signs it's time to repipe

Low pressure at several fixtures, worst at the far end of the house or upstairs.
Rusty or brown water when you first open a tap that hasn't been used for a while.
More than one pinhole leak in copper pipe within a couple of years.
A second slab leak.
Green or white crust building up at copper joints.
Grey metal pipe with threaded fittings under the sinks or at the water heater. That's galvanized steel. A magnet will stick to it; it won't stick to copper.
A home built before 1970 that still has its original water pipe.

Galvanized pipe in pre-1970 Pomona homes

Galvanized steel water pipe was standard in houses through the 1950s and into the 1960s. That covers a lot of Pomona. The 1950s were the city's biggest building decade, and the historic districts, Lincoln Park, Wilton Heights and Hacienda Park, are older still.

Galvanized pipe rusts from the inside. The zinc coating wears away, rust builds up on the walls, and the opening narrows until a 3/4-inch line flows like a garden hose. There's no cleaning it out. Once the pressure is gone, replacement is the fix.

Patching galvanized one section at a time usually means chasing the next leak a few months later. And when new copper is connected straight to old galvanized without a dielectric fitting, the joint corrodes faster than either pipe would on its own.

Copper vs PEX

Feature	Copper	PEX
What it is	Rigid copper tube, joined with solder or press fittings	Flexible plastic tubing, joined with crimp or expansion fittings
Installation	More cuts and fittings, more wall openings	Long runs fish through walls and attic, usually fewer openings
Corrosion	Aging copper can develop pinhole leaks	Doesn't corrode
Sunlight	Not affected	Has to be kept out of direct sun
Track record	Many decades in homes	Shorter, but widely used in new California homes
Cost	Generally higher	Generally lower

PEX comes in a few types. PEX-A uses expansion fittings that slide over the tube, and PEX-B uses crimp rings. Ask which one the plumber installs and why. Whichever you choose, you'll get new shutoff valves at every fixture as part of the job.

What a repipe involves

Plan the route. On slab homes, new lines usually run through the attic and down inside the walls, so nothing new is buried under the floor. On raised-foundation homes, they can run through the crawlspace.
Pull the permit with the City of Pomona Building & Safety Division.
Open the walls with small access cuts where lines drop to each fixture.
Run the new lines and connect them to the main, the water heater, and new shutoff valves at each sink and toilet.
Pressure-test the new system and pass the city inspection.
Patch the openings. Ask up front whether drywall patching and paint are included. Some plumbers patch; others leave it to a drywall contractor. Lath-and-plaster walls in older Pomona homes take more work to patch cleanly.

Repipe or just fix the leak?

One leak in otherwise healthy copper is a repair. Repeated leaks, galvanized pipe anywhere in the system, or a second slab leak are signs the pipe as a whole is wearing out. At that point a repipe is often a better use of money than paying for leak after leak, plus the water damage that comes with them.

Repiping questions

How long does a whole-house repipe take?

Most single-family homes take a few days of work, plus time for the city inspection and patching. Larger houses, two-story homes and lath-and-plaster walls take longer.

Do I have to move out during a repipe?

Usually not. Water is typically shut off while work is going on and turned back on at the end of the day. Ask the plumber for a day-by-day plan so you know when you'll be without water.

Should I choose copper or PEX?

Both are approved in California and both work. PEX usually costs less and needs fewer wall openings. Copper has a longer track record and handles heat and sunlight better. PEX also won't develop the pinhole leaks that aging copper can.

Do I need a permit to repipe a house in Pomona?

Yes. A repipe needs a plumbing permit from the City of Pomona Building & Safety Division, and the new pipe is inspected before the walls are closed. The licensed plumber usually pulls the permit.

Will repiping fix my low water pressure?

If the low pressure comes from galvanized pipe that has rusted shut inside, yes. If it comes from a failing pressure regulator, a main valve that's partly closed, or the supply from the street, a repipe won't help. Have the pressure checked before you decide.

Can I repipe just part of the house?

You can, and sometimes it's a reasonable step, like rerouting one leaking line out from under the slab. But leaving old galvanized in place keeps its problems in the system, and a galvanized-to-copper joint without the right fitting corrodes faster.

Thinking about a repipe in Pomona?

Call to have a licensed local plumber look at your pipes and talk through copper or PEX.