Scottsdale homes have a median build year of 1990, and the city's own figures show some of the hardest water in the Valley south of Indian School Road. Repeat pinhole leaks, scale-choked fittings or failing original pipe are the usual reasons for a repipe here. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Scottsdale.
Scottsdale at a glance
The city's hard water fact sheet lists hardness by area: about 22 to 25 grains per gallon south of Indian School Road, 20 to 22 between Indian School and Chaparral Road, and 16 to 18 north of Chaparral. The southern neighborhoods also tend to hold the city's older housing, so worn pipe and heavy scale often show up in the same homes. Scottsdale Water disinfects with chlorine and is surveying service lines installed before 1989; the city says it does not expect to find lead service lines and keeps removing galvanized lines on its side.
What to do now
- If a line is actively leaking, close the main shutoff, usually near where the line enters the house or at the meter box.
- Take photos of stains, wet spots and any visible pipe, including the type of pipe at the water heater.
- Check the water meter with every fixture off. If it still moves, there is a leak somewhere in the system.
- List the leaks you have had and roughly when, since a pattern matters more than any single one.
- Call for an assessment before agreeing to another patch on pipe that has already failed more than once.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Pinholes in copper in different rooms | Original copper wearing thin from the inside |
| Weak flow everywhere, brown water at first draw | Corroded galvanized steel |
| Warm patch on a tile floor, meter moving | Hot line leaking under the slab |
| Crusty, stiff valves and failing cartridges | Scale from very hard water |
| Leaks only at one type of fitting | A defective fitting or product, not the whole system |
Cost factors
- Size of the home and the number of fixture groups, which can be large on Scottsdale lots
- Attic access and height for overhead runs in slab homes
- PEX or copper, and whether a softener loop is added or rebuilt
- Wall finishes such as tile or plaster that are harder to open and patch
- Permit and inspection: Scottsdale requires a plumbing permit to install, alter, reconstruct or repair a plumbing system, applied for through the city's SPUR portal
Repiping questions in Scottsdale
Does a repipe need a permit here?
Will the local hard water shorten the life of new pipe?
Should the water heater and softener connections be redone at the same time?
How much drywall has to be opened?
More plumbing services in Scottsdale
Repiping nearby
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