Buying house with galvanized copper piping?
I am interested in buying a house where this tenant has been living there for 25 years. It's a 1961 concrete block house. The only "issue" I have is that it still has the galvanized piping and has not been replumbed with PVC. It is unlikely the tenant is going to move. I plan to buy this house with enough "room" in the numbers to repipe for like $2k to $3k. But I wouldn't want to do this while the tenant is still there. What do you think about this situation? There isn't a plumbing problem now, but if something happens it could be nasty--but you can say that about any plumbing problem, I suppose. Thoughts?
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There is no such thing as galvanized copper piping. There is galvanized steel and copper, but not galvanized copper. Galvanizing copper is a chemical impossibility.
Projected lifespan of galvanized piping is typically projected at 60 years, but it can be less or more depending on the water quality of the source.
Copper is generally projected at 80 years but same caveat.
Lifespan of plastic is for all practical purposes, infinite. However, PVC can break fairly easily so PEX has generally replaced it for supply lines.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." No need to replace the water lines unless they show signs of significant corrosion and are leaking. If it the pipes are leaking, they are just about rusted through and due to burst.