Risers: Replace Or Restore?

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Risers: Replace Or Restore?

17 September 2017
 Categories: , Blog


Risers are a supply line that carries water from one story of a building to the other. They are normally found in a structure that has a lot of stories because it is the most convenient way to pump the water through that many floors. Understandably, it is extremely stressful if one of the risers should fail and mess up the entire system. But it does happen quite often just from simple wear and tear, age, or accidents. Do you think your risers are becoming faulty or old and need replacing? Use this guide to determine if your risers need to be replaced.

What are the signs of failing risers?

Risers are made out of durable materials that give them an expected life expectancy of 40 to 70 years. Regular maintenance and inspections can go a long way to making sure the risers last that long, but of course, there are always reasons the risers can fail before their life expectancy is up. Here are some signs of failing risers:

  • Lower water pressure

  • Discolored water from corrosion

  • No water

  • Debris in water

Do the risers need to be restored or replaced?

You may be able to get away with just restoring the risers. It is considerably less expensive than replacing the system. In order to restore a riser, you must:

  1. Insert a liner into the existing pipe.

  2. Inspect the rest of the risers and repeat wherever necessary.

  3. Perform a water pressure test to determine that the new liners are doing the job correctly.

  4. Completely dry off the risers and apply an epoxy coating to the liners.

  5. Allow 24 hours for the epoxy to set and cure completely.

  6. Restore water to the lines once the epoxy is cured.

So you can see, the restoration process is pretty simple. In order to replace the risers you will need to:

  1. Locate the lines by breaking through walls, ceilings, and floors until you find them.

  2. Remove all the lines and replace them with new ones.

  3. Repeat the epoxy steps with the previous section.

  4. Turn the water back on after the curing is done.

  5. Repair walls, ceilings, and floors that were taken apart during the process.

The new lines can cost quite a bit per foot, so you may want to price some beforehand to find the best deal.

Conclusion

In order to determine whether or not you need to replace or restore, you should contact a professional plumber, such as from YYZ Plumbing. They can give expert advice and guide you through the process.