Old Pipes in Older Whitby Homes
Older homes may have galvanized, lead, cast iron or clay pipe. Knowing what you have helps plan repairs.
- Step-by-step, written from real jobs
- Tools to have ready and safe stopping points
- Where to stop and hand it to a licensed plumber
- Licensed plumbing trade
- Camera before digging
- Written job notes
- Phone-only booking
Summary card
Older homes may have galvanized, lead, cast iron or clay pipe. Knowing what you have helps plan repairs.
Galvanized lines corrode inward, losing bore year by year. Lead service lines may be present in homes built before the mid-1950s. Cast-iron drains rust from the inside. Clay sewer laterals let roots in at joints.
Knowing what you have helps you plan and budget for replacements.
The procedure
- Look at the pipe where water enters the house
- Check for grey galvanized pipe with threaded joints
- Scratch test: lead is soft and silver
- Look at the main stack for cast iron
- Book a camera inspection for the sewer
Tools to have at hand
- Flashlight
- Magnet
Do it in this order
- 01
Find the main water line where it enters the house
- 02
Scratch the pipe lightly: lead is soft and grey, galvanized is magnetic
- 03
Look at drain pipes for cast iron
- 04
Check for corrosion and stains
- 05
Ask about a repipe or service replacement
Older Whitby homes may have lead or galvanized pipes. Testing your water and checking the pipe type is a good start.
Whitby Plumbing, from the job
Stop and phone a plumber if
- You find lead pipe
- Galvanized pipes have low flow
- Cast iron is leaking
Notes for Whitby
Homes in Downtown Whitby and older parts of Oshawa may still have some original materials.
When the desk should take over
Book a look before you renovate or make an offer.