Plumber in Denver, CO

A century of Denver houses

Denver's housing covers more than a hundred years, and the plumbing in each era tells its own story.

Victorian-era homes, bungalows and Denver Squares in neighborhoods like Highland, Baker, Congress Park and Park Hill often still have some galvanized steel supply pipe, joined to newer copper from past repairs. Galvanized corrodes from the inside, which is why these houses so often have weak pressure at the upstairs shower.

Post-war brick ranches in places like Harvey Park have basement water heaters, original shutoff valves and, frequently, a water heater still venting into a masonry chimney. When the furnace has been upgraded to a high-efficiency model that vents separately, the water heater can be left alone in a chimney sized for two appliances, and draft suffers.

Newer neighborhoods and infill, from Central Park to Green Valley Ranch and the rowhomes going up across the city, have PEX, compact mechanical closets and a lot of tankless water heaters.

At 5,280 feet, Denver is also the city where altitude matters most for gas appliances: burners and venting have to be set up for elevation.

Working in older Denver houses

Older Denver homes reward patience. A basement in a Highland bungalow or a Congress Park Denver Square might hold galvanized pipe from the original build, copper from a 1970s remodel and PEX from last year, all joined with fittings of varying quality. Before changing one piece, it helps to know what it's connected to.

Water pressure is the classic complaint, and it's usually galvanized pipe narrowed by decades of internal rust. Replacing the worst runs, often the line from the main to the water heater and the risers to the bathrooms, can make a big difference without replumbing the whole house at once.

Water heaters in these basements often share an old masonry chimney. If the furnace has been replaced with a high-efficiency model that vents out the side of the house, the water heater may be alone in a chimney built for two appliances, which can hurt draft. That's worth checking whenever the heater is serviced or replaced.

Denver's water

Denver Water serves the city from two collection systems: the Moffat system to the north and west, and the South Platte system. Denver Water's Treated Water Quality Summary reports describe its water as soft to moderately hard, with the South Platte supply harder than the Moffat supply and hardness varying by season. It reports hardness in mg/L; divide by 17.1 for grains per gallon.

Your neighborhood's mix depends on which treatment plant serves it, so check Denver Water's current water quality report for the figure that applies to you.

Permits in Denver

Denver's Community Planning and Development (CPD) issues plumbing permits, and water heater replacement is permitted work in the city. Older homes sometimes need venting or gas updates to meet current code on replacement, which is better found before the old heater comes out.