How long do copper water lines last?

[jod78]

What's the avg. lifespan of copper lines? I'm talking about all indoor lines, nothing underground.

 

[Geniescience]

decades or centuries. Check back again in two hundred years.

A lot depends on the water. The longest lasting installations have not yet reached their lifespan. The oldest copper is less than 100 years old, AFAIK.

david

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

average life span

if the home is grounded properly
and the copper isnt being used for
a back up ground for the home......

odds are you will get between 45 to 100 years
of L copper.....

 

[FloridaOrange]

25 years is pushing it down here! So many houses down here are/have been getting repiped for cpvc.

 

[Jadnashua]

Depends a lot on the water chemistry and the soil (for supplies). When used for drains, depends on what you put down them.

 

[Terry]

Here is a copper waste line to a toilet.
The homeowners didn't flush at night, trying to save water.
Look what happened to the bottom of the pipe. The home was built in 1965

 

[Randyj]

10 years ago I had to replace copper water lines to two buildings adjacent to each other. One had been a garage, the other a cafe. That was around 1998. All of the pipe under concrete was pitted and had several leaks. These buildings were constructed around 1965. I've also seen the same problem with galvanized water lines installed in the 1950's and 1960's that are not under concrete. The area is full of coal and iron deposits, lots of sandstone and red clay.

 

[Lee Polowczuk]

A couple of years ago, my parents house developed some pin hole leaks in a few pipes.

House built in 1968. Pennsylvania well water

 

[sinkholed]

Wow...great question & eye-opening answers. Making me think maybe I should replace the copper supply lines in the bathrooms I'm redoing (house is 34 years old).

 

[Construct30]

I read somewhere that some of the new copper pipe has a lot more impurities in it than the old pipe did, so it goes bad quicker. Also do not over do it with the flux, it keeps the green layer from growing inside the pipe and that is what helps to protect the pipe from electrolysis. Some plumbers are in the habit of dipping the pipe into the flux can, use a brush. You have to get a nice layer on the pipe and fitting, but don't go overboard.

The electrical codes require the copper pipes to be grounded, but it is bad for the pipe, but very necessary. Use PEX pipe it will last about as long if properly installed, the electricians will stay away from it.

mark