Galvanized steel was standard through the mid-century and it fails from the inside out. The zinc coating wears away, the steel rusts, and the pipe narrows until pressure drops and rusty water shows up at the tap.
Polybutylene, used widely from the late 1970s into the mid-1990s, is the one that made headlines. The gray plastic pipe becomes brittle from chlorine exposure and fails at the fittings, often without warning.
Early plastic and brass fitting combinations round out the list, along with copper in aggressive water conditions, which develops pinhole leaks that seem to arrive in clusters.
The answer for all three is repiping in PEX or copper, done once, with clean access cuts and water restored the same day in most homes. We quote both options.
Need a plumber in the 209 & 350?
Family owned in Escalon since 2010. CA Lic. #953726 (C-36 Plumbing). Flat-rate quotes before we start.