Galvanized Pipes in Older Valley Homes

How do you tell if your house has galvanized pipes?

Find a bare stretch of supply pipe, put a magnet on it and scratch it lightly with a coin: if the magnet sticks and the scratch shows silver, it is galvanized steel. EPA researchers describe the test for service lines: copper scratches "yellow orange," lead and galvanized iron both scratch shiny silver, and "if the magnet sticks to the pipe, it's likely iron and not lead" (EPA).

Good places to look are where the line comes out of the ground at the house, the pipes above the water heater, and under sinks. Galvanized joints are threaded, with a visible ring where pipe screws into fitting, while copper is soldered and PEX is clamped or crimped. Many Valley houses have a mix, with galvanized left in one wing after a past repair.

What goes wrong with old galvanized pipes?

Old galvanized pipes rust from the inside, narrowing the bore and releasing rust and scale. LADWP's water quality FAQ puts it plainly: galvanized steel pipes "will corrode over time. As they corrode, they swell up on the inside causing these built-up minerals to flake off." The flakes are often mistaken for sand and clog washing machine inlet screens and showerheads.

The second sign is brown, red, orange or yellow water. LADWP says this water "is not a health concern," but it shows the pipes are corroding, and they "can eventually begin leaking." To tell a street problem from a house problem, LADWP suggests filling a white container at the front hose bibb near the main shutoff: if that water is clear and the indoor taps are not, the cause is inside.

Valley water chemistry plays a part in how much scale lines the pipe. LADWP's Valley sources averaged about 103-140 mg/L (6-8 gpg) of hardness in 2025, while Burbank Water and Power's 2025 report printed 286 mg/L (16.7 gpg). LADWP also warns that if you add a water softener, "the softer water can begin to re-dissolve the minerals on the pipes," so a burst of flakes after a softener goes in is not unusual. The hardness page has every supplier's figure.

Can galvanized pipes hold lead?

Galvanized pipes can hold lead only if lead reached them, and in LADWP's system the usual source is absent. EPA's lead infographic explains that "lead particles can attach to the surface of galvanized pipes" and later enter drinking water. Under EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, a galvanized line counts as "requiring replacement" if it is, or ever was, downstream of a lead service line.

LADWP finished its service line inventory in October 2024 and found "no lead service lines or galvanized pipes requiring replacement service lines," including privately owned ones (LADWP water quality page). Burbank Water and Power's 2025 report also says it has no lead service lines. Lead at a tap in a Valley home is more likely to come from pre-1986 solder or older brass fixtures.

If you want a number for your own tap, a certified lab test is the way to get one; LADWP's 2023 tap sampling found a 90th percentile of 3.9 ppb against the 15 ppb action level. The lead page and home testing page cover both.

Do insurers and buyers care about galvanized pipes?

Insurers and buyers do ask about galvanized pipes, but this site found no California or Los Angeles rule that requires replacing galvanized supply pipe before a sale. Coverage turns on how damage happens: the California Department of Insurance lists "sudden & accidental water damage" among perils typically covered and "water damage cause by seepage or leaks," "wear and tear or maintenance" and "neglect" among those generally excluded. Ask your own carrier how it treats older steel piping.

A sale in Los Angeles does trigger other plumbing items. The seller certifies that the water heater is braced (Health and Safety Code §19211), a seismic or excess-flow gas valve is required before sale under LAMC 94.1216, and noncompliant toilets, showerheads and faucets must be disclosed. The water heater strap page and seismic gas valve page explain each.

Can you replace galvanized pipes in sections?

You can replace galvanized pipe in sections, but LADWP cautions that partial replacement "can improve the problem, or it can actually make it worse." When new copper is joined directly to old steel, "the copper can cause the steel to rust even more than before," which a dielectric coupling between the two metals avoids.

In Los Angeles, replacing plumbing needs a permit under LAMC 94.103.1.1. On a detached single-family home, a certified licensed contractor may replace "defective domestic water piping within the dwelling" with pipe of equal size and quality and file a Certificate of Compliance instead (LAMC 94.103.1.2.12). Repairing a leak needs no permit when it does not require removing fixtures or any part of the drainage system (LAMC 94.103.1.2.3). Section-by-section work makes sense when one run is failing and the rest tests sound; when rust shows at taps all over the house, most owners start pricing a full repipe.

What replaces galvanized pipes?

Copper and PEX replace most galvanized pipe in Valley homes, and the 2025 California Plumbing Code's Table 604.1 also allows CPVC, PE-RT, stainless steel and galvanized steel itself. Copper water piping must be at least Type L, with thinner Type M allowed aboveground in a building (§604.3). Buried PEX needs a sleeve, and §604.13 keeps PEX out of the 18 inches of pipe nearest a water heater.

The trade-offs between the two main choices, including chloramine and quake questions, are on the copper vs PEX page.