Can I use a pipe snake on a supply line?
#1
09-29-10, 04:35 PM
Can I use a pipe snake on a supply line?
I'm not a plumber, but I've used a snake to clear clogs in drains. Now, the water pressure has dropped to almost nothing in two downstairs sinks (kitchen and bathroom), while the rest of the house is fine. There is corrosion in the galvanized supply lines that are 50-60 years old. Is it safe to shut off the main and snake out the lines to these two sinks?
#3
09-30-10, 09:37 AM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
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hi freelance –
Here’s a picture of what a galvanized nipple on the supply line in my house looked like when I cut it off. The house is 45+ years old. New pipe on the left, the old pipe on the right. I’m still shocked every time I look at it.
Good luck on your project!
Here’s a picture of what a galvanized nipple on the supply line in my house looked like when I cut it off. The house is 45+ years old. New pipe on the left, the old pipe on the right. I’m still shocked every time I look at it.
Good luck on your project!
#4
09-30-10, 06:02 PM
The problem with snaking old galvanized pipes is that usually the crud is all that's keeping them leak free. Shoving a snake in will often make it come out the side
#5
10-01-10, 06:34 PM
A snake would not do much for that, and you won't get a snake very far into a waterline...toomany 90s, tees, etc,
If you were inclined, there is a process , I think it is called Duraflow, where they sandblast the inside of the pipes and reline with epoxy. It is handy for large ships, industrial applications, etc where a repipe is sort of out of the question. But to do a home costs nearly as much as a copper repipe, so is it really worth the effort???
If you were inclined, there is a process , I think it is called Duraflow, where they sandblast the inside of the pipes and reline with epoxy. It is handy for large ships, industrial applications, etc where a repipe is sort of out of the question. But to do a home costs nearly as much as a copper repipe, so is it really worth the effort???
