When a bathroom feels tired and old, a homeowner often considers doing a remodel. But a full remodel isn’t always the answer, and you may be in a situation where you’re fine with how your bathroom looks—you just want it to be more convenient, work better, or help save water. The question you have is whether you should arrange to replace the fixtures in your bathroom.
We handle residential plumbing in Hamilton, OH and throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Tri-State area and have for more than 45 years. We know a little bit about upgrading bathroom plumbing! We can help you make the choice about those bathroom fixture replacements, and the best way to start is to work with our plumbers in person. We can offer you some advice in this blog post, however, to get you started thinking about your choices and what fixtures most need upgrades.
In the ol’ days of residential and commercial plumbing, the most common materials for piping were cast iron, clay, and galvanized steel. If you have a home that was built before 1970, you may have galvanized steel pipes in many places—if not for your entire plumbing system. Even earlier-built houses (pre-World War II) can have cast iron pipes and a clay sewer line.
What appliance in your home uses the most water per year? You’d likely guess “the shower,” but that’s not correct. (Unless you take ridiculously long showers—which you should stop doing right away!) No, the correct answer is “the bathroom toilet.” The toilet accounts for 40% of all indoor water use. This means that a toilet that uses too much water is the biggest source of household water waste. If you have an older toilet (more than 20 years), we recommend looking into having it replaced with a special low-flow model, also known as a low-flush toilet. But a low-flow toilet is also a good idea as a replacement for newer standard toilets. The difference in water use is still significant.