Edgewater has one of the oldest housing stocks in the metro, with a median build year of 1958 and about 79% of homes built before 1980, so galvanized steel and aging copper supply lines are common. Owners also own their water service line and meter. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Edgewater.
Edgewater at a glance
Edgewater is a small, fully urban city bordered by Denver, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge just west of Sloan's Lake. Census survey data puts its median home at 1958, with about 79.4% built before 1980. Many of these houses still have supply pipe from their original construction or from repairs decades ago. The City of Edgewater buys its water from Denver Water through six master meters and owns and maintains its own distribution system. The city maintains and replaces water mains, while property owners are responsible for their water service lines and meters; meters are bought from the city and installed with a city inspection.
What to do now
- Close the main or the fixture valve if a line is leaking.
- Identify your pipe: gray threaded steel, reddish copper or plastic tubing at the water heater and under sinks.
- Test the flow at an upstairs or far fixture with another tap running.
- List every leak from the past few years and where it happened.
- Think about the service line. Because owners are responsible for it, an original line may belong in the same project.
Symptoms in older Edgewater homes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Weak flow at every tap | Galvanized steel narrowed by rust |
| Brown water at the first draw | Corroding steel pipe or fittings |
| Pinholes in several rooms | Copper thinning with age |
| Leaks where old and new pipe meet | Weak transitions from earlier patches |
| Wet spot between the street and the house | A leak on the owner's service line |
Cost factors
- Size and number of fixtures, usually modest in Edgewater's smaller homes
- Basement or crawl space access
- Plaster walls in older houses, which take more care to open and patch
- The service line and meter setting, if replaced at the same time
- PEX or copper
The City of Edgewater Building Department handles plumbing permits. Homeowners can pull their own permit only if they certify they will personally do the work and the property is not for sale or rent, so most repipes are permitted by the plumber. Because Edgewater homes are mostly smaller and older, a full repipe is often a more contained project than in a large suburban house, though plaster walls and tight framing can add time.
Repiping questions in Edgewater
Why does galvanized pipe lose water pressure over time?
Should the line between the meter pit and the house be replaced at the same time?
Who handles the permit for a repipe here?
What pipe materials show up in older homes around here?
More plumbing services in Edgewater
Repiping nearby
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