This is truly one of the most frequent questions we get at Marines Service Co., though often it is specific to a certain plumbing fixture like the water heater, bathroom fixtures, or pipes. Regardless, it is a good question and one that not many people are sure about it.
At Marines Plumbing, we recommend regular maintenance for all of your plumbing fixtures, but there are lifespans for certain items that should be paid attention to.
Bathroom
Toilets can actually have a pretty long lifespan and usually only need to be replaced when they are cracked. Some of their internal features however, do not last as long. Handles may need to be replaced every few years, while flappers typically last around five years. Toilet repair can extend the life of your toilets and save you the cost of having them replaced.
Kitchen
Common kitchen plumbing repairs consist of replacing faucets, garbage disposals, and updating old pipes. In the kitchen, a garbage disposal should be replaced every 10 years. The caveat here is that they will only last that long if you are using them properly, aka not disposing of anything other than food or accidentally turning it on when there is silverware down there.
Kitchen and bathroom faucets typically last for a really long time. Unless they are constantly leaking or breaking, it is rare that we would recommend replacing it. However, if your faucet doesn’t match your overall style then we would of course encourage you to replace it with one that does.
Laundry
Washing machines, depending on when they were made, tend to have an 8-10 year lifespan. However, washing machine hoses actually need rather frequent replacing. We recommend every three to four years because for a small feature, it actually works incredibly hard, which means it wears down more quickly.
Miscellaneous
Water heaters last between 15-20 years, depending on the style you have. A traditional heater will last roughly 10-15 years, while a tankless heater could last up to 20 years.
Lastly, we can’t forget about pipes. Supply pipes have a long life span of up to 100 years, depending on the material. The exception there would be copper pipes, that need to be replaced every 80 years.
The reality is that regardless of your fixture’s age, if it is functioning less efficiently than usual, it is time to get it checked out and most likely replaced. You’ll be amazed at the difference a functioning fixture can make! Call Marines Plumbing today to check on the health of your plumbing features and fixtures!
