If your Orlando home was built before about 1975, it may still have its original galvanized steel water lines. We confirm what you have, then replace it.
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Valid for a limited time on new whole-house repipe projects.
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I just had a whole home re-pipe done and the process was efficient, clean and quick. They were the most cost-effective company and for what I received it was an excellent value! Additionally, the warranty offered can’t be beat. Thank you Shamrock!
5 star experience from start to finish. We had a total re-pipe of our house; the crew were incredible, fast, efficient and respectful. Overall cost also very reasonable versus a competitor. Don’t bother getting other estimates — these guys are by far the best, go straight to Shamrock!
I had Shamrock do an entire re-pipe of my house. The estimate was well below another company and there was no pressure. The crew was fantastic and the work was done in a few hours. Other than some new paint, you would never know there were holes in the wall. Reasonably priced and excellent work.
If your Orlando home still has its original galvanized steel water lines, you are probably already living with the symptoms. Water that runs rust colored in the morning. Showers that lose pressure when someone starts the dishwasher. Small leaks that keep showing up at the joints.
Galvanized pipe is steel coated in a protective layer of zinc. It was the standard for residential water lines from the early 1900s until copper took over through the 1960s and early 1970s. That zinc coating wears away from the inside, and once bare steel meets water it corrodes. Replacing the pipe is the only permanent fix.
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You can usually answer this yourself in about five minutes.
Galvanized was the standard until copper took over. If your home was built before about 1975 and has never been repiped, galvanized lines are a real possibility.
Galvanized is rigid steel with a dull silver gray finish. The giveaway is the joints: sections screw together, so you see a collar where two lengths meet. Copper is reddish brown and soldered.
Hold a refrigerator magnet against the pipe. Copper and plastic will not hold it. Steel will. This is the fastest way to rule galvanized in or out.
Check where the water line enters the house, at the main shutoff, at the water heater, and under sinks. Older homes are often a mix of materials, so it is common to find newer pipe at the water heater and original galvanized still buried in the walls. If you find gray plastic pipe instead of metal, see our polybutylene pipe replacement page.
Any one of these on its own might be a local problem. All three together point at the pipe itself.
Once the zinc wears away, water sits against bare steel and the steel corrodes. Those particles come out of your faucets. It is usually worst on the first draw of the morning or at a tap you rarely use.
Corrosion and scale build up inside the pipe, so the opening narrows every year. The clue is that it got worse gradually, and that pressure drops hard when two fixtures run at once.
Threads are the thinnest part of the system, so that is where it fails first. If you have patched two or three leaks recently, the rest of the pipe is the same age and condition.
Not sure what you are looking at? We will confirm it for you.
Get My Free EstimateFlorida carriers commonly require a four point inspection on older homes before they will write or renew a policy. It covers the roof, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. Aging galvanized supply lines are a frequently cited plumbing concern, because carriers treat them as a water damage claim waiting to happen. Depending on the carrier, that can mean a higher premium, a policy that is declined or not renewed, or coverage offered only on the condition that the home is repiped.
Lenders care for a related reason. If a buyer cannot get a policy bound, the loan does not close. A buyer's inspector who notes galvanized pipe can slow a sale, trigger a repair request, or reduce the offer. Replacing the pipe removes the issue from the report.
There is no reason to put galvanized steel back in. The two standard replacements are PEX and copper. Both are approved for residential potable water.
A flexible plastic tubing. It does not corrode, and it needs fewer fittings because it bends around corners instead of turning at joints.
Rigid, long proven, and preferred by some homeowners for that reason. It costs more to install because the material is more expensive and the labor is more involved.
For most Orlando homes the decision comes down to budget, how the house is built, and personal preference. We walk through the tradeoffs in PEX vs copper vs CPVC: the best repipe material for Orlando homes. Cost depends on the size of the home, the number of bathrooms, whether the house is on a slab, and the material you choose. For a fuller breakdown, see what it costs to repipe a house in Orlando.
A whole house repipe follows the same basic path on almost every job.
A plumber confirms the pipe material, walks the home, counts fixtures, and gives you a written quote.
Repipe work is permitted and inspected under local code.
The crew opens small, planned sections of drywall to reach the lines, running most of the new pipe through walls and attic space.
New pipe is run to every fixture, then tied into the water heater and the main.
The system is pressure tested and signed off before anything is closed up.
Access points are closed and finished. Ask your estimator how patching is handled on your job, and whether painting is included.
Timelines vary with the size of the house, so your estimator will give you a schedule for your home. Water is typically shut off only during working hours.
Our customers tell us it best: the warranty can’t be beat. Every Shamrock galvanized repipe is protected by a 10-year workmanship warranty and a 25-year manufacturer warranty on the PEX pipe itself, so you can stop worrying about your plumbing for good.
With more than 80,000 repipes completed, Shamrock Plumbing has pulled corroded galvanized steel out of homes across every corner of Central Florida, and we’re a 6-time Angi Super Service Award winner.
Common Questions
If your water is discolored, your pressure keeps dropping, or an inspection flagged your plumbing, we will confirm what you have and give you a written quote. Call (407) 326-3056 or use the form.
Shamrock Plumbing has proudly served
residential and commercial clients for over 20 years.
Our licensed and insured team delivers reliable repairs,
installations, and 24/7 emergency service throughout
Orange and Seminole Counties.
License # CFC1426719
