Property Advice: The sell-by date of the plumbing in an old house

A burst pipe could lead to a lot more home damage if you don’t take action

I would recommend a significant overhaul of old plumbing if any level of budget is available.  Picture: iStock

Hi Kieran. I live in a 45-year-old house. We had an underfloor water leak due to a burst/leaking pipe in the circulating oil heating system. Is this likely to happen again? The plumber says yes. Thank you. Vera, Mullingar

Hello Vera

Thanks for your question. I guess, like most things, as you start to get older, you aren’t quite as robust as you were in your youth. Little things start to go wrong and, as these little things mount and become more impactful, you wonder if it’s time to go to the doctor or perhaps the surgeon for a more comprehensive overhaul.

There are certainly wear-and-tear elements of your body: hips, knees, teeth, hair! It’s only a matter of time before one item goes and it’s time to check the insurance cover. Your house is no different. So let’s look at your case in a little more detail.

When I look at an old house, I almost discount the plumbing and electrical systems as they usually have a sell-by date. It reminds me of the first house I ever renovated, my late grandmother’s house in Wilton Road. Outside of the clear sentimental value I had placed on the entire house, I marvelled at the workmanship of that period – the plasterwork, the joinery and, of course, the plumbing. Everything was so pretty and considered. It had a heritage value all of its own. Just like your house, there were wants in the plumbing system. It was time for surgery.

Kieran McCarthy: 'It is a bitter pill to swallow ripping off many of the finishes and the steep investment in a new system, not to mind the dust and the mess.'

I guess all building decisions come down to cost and the level of project you are undertaking. For example, if you are carrying out a considerable overhaul of your house, it is likely that you would be moving out for a while and, as you open up sections of the house to carry out work, you may have access to elements of the heating system that would otherwise be inaccessible. You may also have need to reroute some of the heating pipes so you will have need for a plumber in any case. In these circumstances, fitting a new heating system would be a prudent investment.

However, as I feel may be the case, if you have been living in your house for some time and, to be fair, are very comfortable in your home, it is a bitter pill to swallow ripping off many of the finishes and the steep investment in a new system, not to mind the dust and the mess.

In a heating system, the water circulating is generally under pressure. It is likely you have a circulating pump which keeps the water moving from the heat source (your oil burner) to all the radiators in your home. Any weakness in this system will be exposed by the water under pressure, causing a leak.

Whereas a leak can usually be easily fixed, the fact that all the other components of the heating system were probably fitted at about the same time would suggest that, if you get one leak this week, what is to stop you getting another leak in a few months? The problem with leaks, of course, is you never know where or when they will occur. The ultimate nightmare is you head away on holidays for two weeks only to be greeted by a flooded home on return.

When we renovated my grandmother’s house (for resale), we took the view that it was best to remove and replace the old system. We couldn’t take the risk of the old system failing and, indeed, we felt it would negatively impact the resale value of the house.

We were drylining all the external walls and converting the garage so we were certainly committed to a significant body of work. I also felt that it would have been a disaster if we had the whole house put back together, decorated and ready for sale only to find leaks here, there and everywhere as we fired back up the heating system with the few new radiators fitted. ‘Buyer beware’ would have been written on the For Sale sign!

In your case, it really depends on your budget and appetite for risk. If the money simply isn’t available (and you aren’t planning any prolonged vacations), then that makes your decision for you. I would recommend a significant overhaul if any level of budget is available, however.

There are other benefits in a new system too. Because it is new, it comes with a guarantee and it will, of course, be much more efficient than your existing system. Your existing system may only be 50-60% efficient whereas a new system could be upwards of 95%.

There are grants available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland if you opt for a modern approved heating system.

Outside of the peace of mind, this system will significantly reduce your heating bills. You can then put your savings towards that holiday in the sun you had been putting off all those years.

The ultimate nightmare, of course, is that you head away on holidays for two weeks only to be greeted by a flooded home when you return.

Kieran McCarthy is a building engineer and director of KMC Homes bespoke A-rated new home builder, serving Cork and Limerick. He is also co-presenter of the RTÉ property show Cheap Irish Homes;

Follow Kieran on instagram @kierankmc for more home building information, tips and Q&A advice;

You can also follow Kieran on the Built Around You Youtube channel and @kierankmc on TikTok.