There’s something special about older homes. The charm, the character, the details you just don’t see in new builds. But if you’ve recently bought a vintage house in Sacramento — or are thinking about it — here’s a little behind-the-scenes truth from the plumbing side:

Behind those charming walls, it can get… interesting.

Old pipes — and we mean old

Many older homes still have galvanized steel pipes. Back in the day, they were standard. Now? They’re ticking time bombs. Corrosion builds up inside over decades, narrowing the water flow until you’re left with weak pressure, orange-tinged water, or worse — full-on leaks inside the walls.

Sometimes the previous owner replaced part of the system with copper or PEX — but only part. We’ve walked into homes where three types of pipe are Frankensteined together with questionable fittings. That’s where long-term problems start.

Hidden leaks that no one knew about

Just because a wall looks dry doesn’t mean there’s no leak. We’ve opened up bathroom walls in older homes and found soggy insulation, mold, or completely rotted subfloor — all from a slow drip behind a vanity that no one thought to check.

We always recommend a full system pressure test before closing on an older home. It’s one of the easiest ways to catch hidden trouble early.
In many cases, we also perform a sewer camera inspection to check the condition of buried lines — especially in homes with cast iron or clay pipes.

Outdated fixtures (that can’t be repaired anymore)

We love a good vintage sink. But we’ve seen faucets and shower valves so old that parts haven’t been made since the ’80s. When something breaks, it’s often easier (and more cost-effective) to replace the entire fixture — because tracking down a single ceramic disk or valve stem isn’t always possible.

And while we’re at it: many older homes still have flexible water supply lines that are long past their safe lifespan. They look fine until they don’t.

Drains that just can’t keep up

In older homes, it’s not unusual for drain lines to be undersized, poorly vented, or sagging in crawlspaces. We’ve seen cast iron pipes with massive rust rings, or clay sewer lines with root invasions that were decades in the making.

Add modern appliances and water usage, and the old system starts to show its limits quickly.

Bottom line:
Older homes are beautiful — but what’s behind the walls matters just as much as the charm you see up front. If you’re moving into a vintage home in Sacramento, let Golden Valley Plumbing help you spot the hidden issues before they turn into major repairs. We’ve seen it all — and we know how to keep the good parts of your home, while fixing the rest.

We serve both residential and commercial properties in the following areas:

Antelope, Arden-Arcade, Auburn, Cameron Park, Citrus Heights, Davis, Dixon, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Gold River, Granite Bay, La Riviera, Lincoln, Loomis, Orangevale, Placerville, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, Vineyard, West Sacramento, Wilton, Woodland, McClellan Park, Pleasant Grove, Rio Linda, Foothill Farms, North Highlands, Elverta, Carmichael, Riego.