Totally get where you’re coming from—spot-fixing can be a real win, especially if you’re trying to avoid unnecessary waste. I’ve done the same with old copper lines in my place, just swapping out the worst stretches. That said, I’ve had those “quick” jobs turn into full weekends when I found hidden corrosion or weird fittings behind the wall... Sometimes you just don’t know until you open things up. But yeah, no need to rip out everything if most of it’s still solid.
WHEN DOES A "WEEKEND PLUMBING JOB" EVER ACTUALLY TAKE A WEEKEND?
You nailed it—those “quick” fixes have a way of snowballing, don’t they? I can’t count how many times I’ve told myself, “Just a couple hours, tops,” only to end up knee-deep in some 1970s mystery plumbing by Sunday night. Spot-fixing is smart, though, especially if you’re working with older copper or galvanized lines. No sense in tearing out what’s still good.
But yeah, you never really know what’s lurking behind the drywall until you start cutting. I’ve seen pipes that looked fine from the outside but were paper-thin once I got a look at the inside. Sometimes it’s just a bad joint or a weird fitting that someone cobbled together decades ago—those are always fun to deal with...
I get why folks want to avoid ripping everything out. Full replacements can get expensive fast, and if most of your lines are solid, why bother? Still, I always tell people to budget extra time for surprises. Even with experience, there’s no way to predict every curveball an old house will throw at you.
Ever run into those old compression fittings that just refuse to budge? Or worse, when you finally get them off and realize the pipe behind it is barely hanging on? That’s when a “weekend job” turns into a week of trips to the hardware store.
Honestly, as long as you’re not seeing green corrosion everywhere or dealing with constant leaks, spot repairs make sense. Just gotta be ready for those little surprises... and maybe keep Monday morning open, just in case.