The problem
The upstairs shower barely ran, and the first water out of every tap was brown. A camera and a cut section confirmed it: the original galvanized pipe was nearly closed off with rust inside.
What we did
We ran new copper mains through the basement and PEX branch lines up through closets and an existing chase, so we only had to open two small wall sections.
Water was off for under four hours each day, and every fixture worked each night. We patched the openings, tested every line at pressure, and hauled away the old pipe.
The result
Pressure upstairs went from a trickle to normal, and the rusty water is gone. The homeowners have photos of every new line in their home file for the next time anyone opens a wall.
