I have a gas hot water heater (low pressure) that is severely leaking.  I want to change it to an infinity type water heater but have been told that before doing so need to change the water pipes under the house as well because they are galvanised and wont accept the change in pressure.  We also have water pipes coming around the outside of the house and one of them is rusty and just holding.  I approached a plumber about fixing it but he was unhappy to touch any pipes that go through the wall. 

Do i need to upgrade all the water pipes?
What is the danger with old pipes going through walls?  Am i looking for a specialist for some of this job or will any plumber and gasfitter be able to do the job?

Thanks


Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/ask-plumbers-public/2/galvanised-water-pipes/1278/

hi Bakeit, yes you will need to replace all those rusty galv pipes, they will leak when you mains pressure the hot system, i suggest you get your plumber to price a complete upgrade too you pipe work, or you run the risk of leaks from old pipes for yours to come which will cost you far more.
Those pipes will be causing you all sorts of other problems with debris blocking filters and damaging any new tapware you have.
Do it once and do it right
regards

And Bakeit, bear in mind that quite a large % of the plumbers price will be bouying up a corrupt industry Board..... who has recently tried to avoid paying tax by spending $24 000 of these law abiding plumber's annual contributions, on lawyers to hold on to its charity status,(yes a charity) which, as it is meant to be a "not for profit" organisation and you only pay tax on profit, is a misnomer if you don't make a profit....and they made heaps of profit this year.....unbelieveable but all totally true.

Remember to "ask for the card".....because it costs $4500 to get...

One year they paid for an all in partners included trip to Melbourne, funded by us tradies.....but ultimatly by the public because we have to pass on this huge cost.....do you know of any other jobs where you pay $4500 to go to work?

Did you know Bakeit that on average for each licence it costs an already fully qualified, time served, plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer $4500 each year, yes four and a half thousand dollars every twelve months for each licence... just to go to work, we are qualified, but can't work with out a licence.

Mate, every one who contacts us for free advice(which I don't mind giving) should know why we charge what we do and what crap we must go through.....just to go to work to feed our families, if the public knew all this they would last about a week.

thanks to all of you for the replies although contradictory in nature - yes change all pipes or no because the galvanised ones wont be affected?

It is great that we can get advice from members of this board but the reason we need to is that there are some unscrupulous tradies who charge the earth to not do the project properly and I've been stung before and even as seen in the replies i have from the forum you lot cant agree .  As members of the public we now need to get information to arm ourselves against tradies who don't do the job right and won't fix it when it is wrong.  Hence i understand the need for industry registration and upskilling but agree that the cost of doing your job is a killer.  I myself have a qualification and to use it have to do 200 hours upskilling a year and pay for it along with a licence in an area which the government can make changes that severely affect our income.  It is hard on a family to find the extra upskilling hours and the money while still trying to keep a job.  Good on you for complaining and letting us all know about the cost but unfortunately the "regulators"  will just keep doing what they want  so I feel we have the choice to get in and be a voice of change in the system that delivers the education so that it meets your needs and not the bodies need or just get on with it because tomorrow you might not be around.