Operation Hours

Mon–Sun: 8 AM to 5 PM

Emergency Services Available

Swell Plumbing owner cartoon — residential plumbing in Salem, Keizer & the Willamette Valley

Book A Service

503-884-4072

Whole House Repiping for 1970s Homes in Keizer, Oregon

Honest guidance and fair, no-surprise pricing for homes built when orchards became neighborhoods

1970s Keizer Homes: Why Polybutylene Is Worth Checking For

Keizer’s population roughly doubled in the 1970s, to about 11,400 residents, as homes replaced orchards and berry fields. If your Keizer home dates from then, it’s about 50 years old.

What’s inside your walls depends on the year. Late-1970s homes fall into the polybutylene window, which ran from 1978 to mid-1995. Earlier 1970s homes more often have copper or galvanized pipe. Any of them can have trouble with age. The good news is that you can learn a lot from a quick look: gray flexible plastic, silver-gray steel and reddish copper each tell a different story about your home.

We’re a local husband-and-wife team serving Keizer. We look at your plumbing, explain what we find in plain language and give you a fair price.

Gray polybutylene supply pipe with copper crimp rings in an open wall

What We Often Find in 1970s Keizer Homes

Where in the decade your home was built makes a difference:

Signs Your 1970s Keizer Home May Be Ready for New Pipes

Whatever the material, these signals are worth acting on:

Fair Price. No Surprises. Here’s How We Do It.

A repipe is a big decision. Nobody should push you into it. We start with an inspection, tell you what we find in plain language and lay out your options. If a smaller fix will solve the problem in your Keizer home, we’ll say so.

If a repipe is the right call, you get a written quote after the inspection. Once it’s quoted, the price stays put. No surprise charges. Whole house repiping comes with a lifetime workmanship warranty.

The Swell Way: Honest answers. Clear options. Quality work, every time. No pressure, no gimmicks, no surprise pricing once your job is quoted. That’s how Jason Garsjo runs every job.

What a Repipe Looks Like in a 1970s Home

1

Inspection & Diagnosis

We identify the pipe by how it looks and what’s printed on it, whether gray plastic, silver steel or reddish copper, and test pressure and water quality.

2

Planning Around Your Home

If polybutylene turns up, we explain your options, talk through PEX or copper, and give you a written quote.

3

Minimally Invasive Installation

We work to limit wall and floor damage, often by reusing the paths of your old lines.

4

Testing & Inspection

The new system is pressure tested and inspected before your water is turned back on.

5

Cleanup & Follow-Up

We clean up the work area and stay available after the job is done. Need drywall repair? We can refer you to a trusted local partner.

Common Questions from Keizer Homeowners

Does my late-1970s Keizer home have polybutylene?

It might, but many homes don’t, and many have been updated. Polybutylene was installed from 1978 to mid-1995 and is usually gray, often stamped PB2110. A quick look near the water heater tells you a lot, or we can check.

First, look at exposed pipe near your water heater or under sinks. Second, check for stains, damp spots or crusty buildup around fittings. Third, run the hot water first thing in the morning and notice the color.

If the pipes are failing, yes: it protects the home from water damage, restores pressure and removes rust from your water. We only recommend it when the pipes themselves are the problem.

A whole house repipe is a significant investment, typically from about $5,000 to $15,000 or more depending on the size and layout of your home and the materials you choose. You get a detailed written quote after our inspection, and once it’s quoted there are no surprises.

Water is off while the new lines are installed. We’ll discuss the timeline with your quote. We’ll go over the plan with you before we start.

Then that’s what we’ll recommend. We only suggest a repipe when the pipes themselves are failing, not when a smaller fix will work.

Related Services You May Find Helpful

Not sure where to start? These are good first steps:

Whole Home Inspection

Get a clear picture of your pipes before you decide anything.

Whole House Repiping

See how a repipe works and what it involves.

Get a Written Quote. Fair Price, No Surprises.

Call or request service for your Keizer home. Honest answers and a written quote, no surprises. Serving Salem, Keizer and the Willamette Valley.

Swell Plumbing Co. logo — licensed Salem, OR plumber, Oregon CCB 241493