Copper piping

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

This is a case of where the horse has bolted, but I am curious.

My parents home was renovated - well, parts of it were finished as my Dad grew old and too busy to finish off his work. Everything he did he did well and when it was seen by the plumber, the electrician, and the man who did the ripping off- I mean the organising and some of the work, they marvelled at the workmanship.

What I want to know is this:

Should the copper piping have been left intact, just finished? They were amazed by the craftmanship and attention to detail. I asked the plumber. "What would you do if it were your house?"

He would rip it out and use all plastic.

I still feel a bit sad and miffed. Disappointed. Outraged if I think about it too much.

But it was a runaway train anyway. I won't go into the gorey details.

So the copper was all removed.

Just for the sake of my education, was the copper better off to have stayed and perhaps more copper used to finish the process?

Edited to add: I didn't explain what I am talking about. It was the bathroom and en suite upstairs. Dad had extended the house himself from a 12 squares, 3 bedroom home to a two story cape cod. And he'd done everything, but as I said, never finished. He still had to connect the piping to the hot water tank (the tank was installed) and then fit out the bathrooms.

Featured Answer

kudzu9

11 years ago

The plumber wanted to increase the amount of money he made on the job, so he ripped out totally functional copper piping. Sorry that you didn't ask here before you got steam-rollered. Even if you needed extensions of the plumbing that were done in PEX, that can be done with connectors to the copper.

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Comments (6)

User
11 years ago
The plumber probably just wanted the copper. Good work doesn't need to be removed. How sad.
tete_a_tete thanked User
tete_a_tete
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for your reply aliceinwonderland.

Strangely, your comment makes me feel better. I think I just wanted affirmation. And for my Dad's work to be appreciated. Now many on Garden Web can know that he was great.
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w0lley32
11 years ago
I would have kept the copper too. Copper systems have not changed much in the past 40 years or so. My mother has all copper in her 1971 house and she never had a problem. I have seen 10 year old poly-b systems fail catastrophically. I keep hearing that the pex systems are better and have survived the test of time, but they seem to change the fittings every couple of years. My house has pex, but when I needed to add a few feet when I changed my hot water heater, I did it with copper. I will believe in pex when I see a system that has lasted 20 years without issues.
tete_a_tete thanked w0lley32
tete_a_tete
Original Author
11 years ago
I never knew of Garden Web when all this was afoot.

There's a ton of reasons why this mess happened, almost enough for a soap opera script. It's one of life's lessons I suppose. And knowing my father, he'll be up there looking down, or maybe somewhere else, exploring now that he is free from old age. He won't be worried. And he'll be telling me that it's all water under the bridge.

I love copper piping. I love great workmanship. I love honest people who do an honest days work for a good days pay. Or for the love of it. Or to help someone out.
jackbe1
5 years ago
I am having the same problem. Should I ask the contractor to replace the plastic he put in with the copper that he took out?
tete_a_tete thanked jackbe1