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Question: I recently moved to a 35yr old home which has slab plumbing. By this I mean the supply lines come up through the slab instead of being routed through walls. I have read some horror stories about slab leaks, and copper pipe breaking down over time inside a slab. So, my main reason for posting is to get advice on whether it is advisable to go ahead and run new overhead supply lines to the bathroom for the remodel. If so, I assume I can just take a branch off the lines going into/out of the water heater (in the center of the house), which is fairly close to the bathroom? Another reason for wanting to do this is because the supply to the old shower comes out of the slab about a foot from the wall, unlike the other lines which come up inside the walls. I would like to cap off the shower supply lines since they are in the way - is the best way just to chisel down a few inches, cap off, and fill in with quickrete or similar?
Answer: I pretty much agree with your plan. If you don't have freezing weather there, running overhead is OK. One downside is the dead-end lines where water remains dormant. That can encourage bacterial growth, but is probably less of a problem if this is chlorinated city water. In some areas, 35 years is a long time without leaks. Count your blessings. Maybe start planning for the replacement of the remaining lines.
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