If you live in a building that was built prior to 1960 there is a good chance that you have a lead water main that is too small to provide adequate water pressure into your home. As time goes on, property owners continue to add plumbing fixtures, renovate and even add floors to their building. If you have an older and undersized water main, there are a few important steps to follow.
First it is important to understand that increasing the size of your water main alone will not increase the amount of the volume or water pressure in your home. It is important to make sure that the tap installation on the city main is replaced in addition to the pipe. The tap connection is the valve that connects your pipe, to the city main. The tap is what actually controls the volume and pressure from the city main, into your pipe.
It is also important to make sure that a licensed master plumber obtains the total fixture count of your building, and makes sure that the new tap and water main are properly sized for your house.
If you are having a 2″ copper pipe or a larger size pipe installed, it is considerably more challenging than a smaller size pipe. When installing 2″ copper specifically, it is more challenging to manage than a 11/2″ pipe, and really requires a skilled professional. You may have a plumber that installs 1″ copper water mains regularly however, he may not have the experience required to install a 2″ copper main. This is surprising to most as many assume that there is no difference when installing a copper pipe.
If you are dealing with a larger size pipe, NYC will require ductile iron pipe to be installed per the plumbing code. Installing a 3″ ductile iron pipe is more timely and considerably more expensive than a 2″ copper pipe. The material alone may cost three times as much as a copper water main.
There are many other variables to consider when thinking about upgrading the size of your water main. You should always speak with a licensed master plumber who specializes in sub surface water main and sewer installations. The average “plumber” will not have the required experience, as well as the insurance and bond with the Department of Transportation.
