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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
Q: Ed, I read you every week, and now I have a problem. My house is 37 years old and has slab floors. Lately I see rusty water when I turn on the bathroom tub. Does this me my hot water pipes in the slab are rusted? How big a job is replacing water pipes in a concrete slab? Diane (California)
A: Diane, replacing any type of pipe in a concrete slab is a very big job. But the good news is that the pipes are probably fine, and you may be having a water heater problem.
A quick test to determine this is to run cold water only for the tub and then fill up a clear container of water. Then run hot water only and fill up a second clear container. Let the two sit for a bit and then look to see if only the hot water is rusty. If this is the case, chances are your water heater is on its way out and may need to be replaced.
Water heaters are a piece of heating equipment with controls and hard pipe connections, so I recommend calling a licensed plumber to do this job. Replacing a water heater is a lot easier than replacing underground pipes, and the chances are that your pipes will be fine. If you find rust in both containers, still call the plumber to check out and trace this problem. Rusty water always needs to be addressed!
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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