The Best Plumbing Upgrades to Add During a Remodel
A home remodel is an exciting time. It is a chance to transform your living space, update aesthetics, and improve the daily function of your home. As you focus on new cabinets, countertops, and flooring, it is easy to overlook what is happening behind the drywall. When the walls are open, you have a unique and cost effective opportunity to address the most critical system in your home: your plumbing. Upgrading your plumbing during a renovation is not just an add on; it is a fundamental step that ensures the longevity, efficiency, and safety of your investment.
Making these changes while the studs are exposed saves thousands of dollars in future labor, preventing you from having to cut open finished walls later. It is the moment to fix old problems, improve water quality, and add modern conveniences that will serve your family for decades. For homeowners in Broken Arrow and the surrounding Tulsa area, this is the ideal time to partner with a licensed, professional plumber. A quality plumbing team can evaluate your existing system and recommend upgrades that provide the best long term value, turning your remodel into a comprehensive home improvement.
The Unseen Upgrades: Why Remodeling Starts Behind the Walls
The most valuable plumbing upgrades are often the ones you will never see. Older homes frequently suffer from outdated plumbing materials that are inefficient or, in some cases, dangerous. Decades old galvanized pipes, for example, are notorious for corroding from the inside out. This internal rust restricts water flow, reduces your water pressure, and can turn your water a brownish color. Over time, these pipes will inevitably leak, causing water damage that ruins your new remodel. Addressing this at the source is the single most important upgrade you can make.
Replacing old, problematic pipes with modern materials is a process called repiping. This is a non negotiable upgrade if you have old galvanized pipes or polybutylene pipes. The new standards for plumbing are PEX and copper. PEX is a flexible, durable cross linked polyethylene piping that is resistant to scale buildup and corrosion. Its flexibility allows for faster installation with fewer fittings, which means fewer potential points of failure. Copper has been a reliable standard for generations, known for its long lifespan and natural antimicrobial properties. A whole home repipe ensures your new kitchen and bathrooms are fed by clean, reliable, and leak free water lines.
This is also the perfect time to evaluate your home’s layout. If you have always wanted to move your kitchen sink to an island, or add a second sink in the master bathroom, now is the time to do it. Rerouting water supply lines and drain lines is relatively straightforward when the walls are open. It is a far more complex and expensive project once the drywall is up and the cabinets are installed. This flexibility extends to your drain, waste, and vent systems. Old cast iron drains can be cracked, corroded, and clogged. Upgrading to modern PVC drain lines improves flow, prevents clogs, and eliminates sewer gas odors.
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Finally, do not overlook the small components. Every sink, toilet, and appliance is connected to the water supply with a shut off valve, often called an angle stop. These small valves are frequently the cause of catastrophic leaks. Older, multi turn valves often seize up with mineral deposits or become brittle with age; they may fail to close completely or snap off when you try to use them in an emergency. Upgrading every shut off valve in the remodeled area to new, reliable quarter turn ball valves is a low cost upgrade that provides incredible peace of mind and essential protection.
Revolutionize Your Hot Water: The Tankless Decision
For decades, the standard home water heater has been a large, forty or fifty gallon tank tucked away in a closet or garage. This tank constantly heats and reheats water, twenty four hours a day, whether you are home or not. This process, known as standby heat loss, wastes a significant amount of energy. Furthermore, the tank has a limited supply. Once that hot water is gone, you must wait for the unit to heat another full tank. During a remodel, you have the perfect chance to upgrade to a modern, far more efficient solution.
A tankless water heater, also known as an on demand water heater, completely eliminates the need for a storage tank. These compact units mount to your wall and use a powerful burner or electric element to heat water instantly as it passes through the unit. When you turn on a hot water faucet, the unit activates; when you turn the faucet off, the unit shuts down completely. This means it consumes zero energy when hot water is not being used. The energy savings are substantial, cutting water heating costs significantly over the unit’s lifespan.
The most popular benefit for Oklahoma families is the endless supply of hot water. You will never run out of hot water again, even if you are running laundry, the dishwasher, and multiple showers back to back. Tankless units also save valuable space. By removing the bulky tank, you can reclaim an entire closet for storage or other uses. Because they do not store corrosive water, tankless heaters also last much longer than traditional tanks, often twenty years or more compared to the eight to twelve year lifespan of a tank.
It is important to plan for a tankless installation during the remodel. Gas powered units are the most popular and efficient, but they require a larger gas line and specialized venting. Running these new lines is simple when the walls are exposed but invasive later. As Navien certified installers, the team at Sargent Plumbing and Drain can properly size the new unit for your home’s needs and ensure the gas and venting systems are installed safely and to code, providing you with endless, efficient hot water for years to come.
Upgrading the Modern Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and its plumbing is central to its function. A remodel offers the chance to add features that make cooking and cleaning more efficient and enjoyable. One of the most popular and beneficial upgrades is a water filtration system. While municipal water is safe, it often contains chlorine, sediment, and minerals that affect the taste of your water, coffee, and food. A point of use filter under the sink is a good start, but a whole home filtration system is even better. This system treats all water as it enters your home, protecting not just your drinking water but also your new dishwasher, ice maker, and faucets from scale buildup.
Another feature that transitions from a luxury to a practical necessity is a pot filler. A pot filler is a dedicated cold water faucet mounted on the wall directly over your cooktop. Its articulated arm swings out to fill large pots for pasta or soup right where they are used. This eliminates the need to carry heavy, sloshing pots of water from the sink to the stove, reducing strain and spills. Adding the required water line during a remodel is a simple task that adds immense convenience and a high end, professional feel to your new kitchen.
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This is also the time to rethink your sink and disposal. Many homeowners are opting for deep, single basin sinks that can easily accommodate large pans and roasting sheets. Paired with this, a garbage disposal upgrade makes a huge difference. Newer models are significantly quieter and more powerful, able to handle tougher food waste without clogging your new drain lines. While the fixtures are being replaced, consider a touchless or motion activated faucet. These are incredibly helpful for hygiene, allowing you to turn the water on with a wave of your hand when you are handling raw meat or have greasy fingers. Finally, this is the time to add gas lines for new appliances, such as a high performance gas range or an outdoor kitchen grill.
Creating the Bathroom Oasis
Modern bathroom remodels are focused on creating a personal, spa like retreat. The plumbing upgrades in this room are what make that luxury experience possible. The trend is moving away from built in tubs and toward large, walk in showers. These showers often feature a curbless or zero threshold entry, which is excellent for accessibility and creates a seamless, open look. This design requires precise plumbing, especially with the drain. Linear drains are a popular choice, as they can be placed along a wall and require the floor to slope in only one direction.
The shower experience itself is defined by the fixtures. A remodel allows you to install complex shower systems that are impossible in a simple replacement. This includes ceiling mounted rainfall showerheads for a gentle, drenching flow, or multiple body sprays installed in the wall for a full body massage. A handheld shower wand on a slide bar is a practical addition for rinsing and cleaning. To control this complex system, you must upgrade the valve behind the wall.
Older showers use a simple valve that only controls volume. Modern code requires pressure balancing valves, which prevent you from being scalded if someone flushes a toilet. The ultimate upgrade is a thermostatic valve. This technology allows you to set an exact water temperature, which the valve maintains perfectly. You can even have multiple valves to control the volume and temperature for your showerhead, body sprays, and handheld wand independently. This is the kind of plumbing that truly defines a luxury bathroom.
Of course, freestanding tubs are also a major focal point. These tubs require a floor mounted tub filler, which means the plumbing must be run up through the floor before your new tile is installed. Similarly, upgrading to a dual vanity with two sinks requires running new hot and cold supply lines and a new drain connection in the wall. These are all projects that are best, and most affordably, handled during a major renovation.
Smart Protection and Water Efficiency
A remodel is not just about adding new things; it is also about protecting your investment. Water damage is one of the most destructive and expensive problems a homeowner can face. Today, technology offers a powerful defense. Smart leak detectors can be installed on your main water line. These devices monitor your water usage patterns and can detect a tiny, abnormal flow, like a pinhole leak in a wall or a dripping faucet. If a major pipe bursts, the system can send an alert to your phone and, in many cases, automatically shut off the main water supply to your entire home, stopping a flood before it can begin. Installing this during a remodel ensures it is integrated perfectly with your system.
At the same time, a renovation is the best time to improve your home’s water efficiency. Water conservation saves you money on your utility bills and is an important part of responsible homeownership. You can replace all your old, inefficient toilets with new, high efficiency models. Modern toilets use 1.28 gallons per flush or less, compared to the 3.5 or 5 gallons used by older models, without sacrificing performance. WaterSense labeled faucets and showerheads are also engineered to use less water while maintaining a strong, satisfying pressure by infusing the water with air. These fixtures reduce waste and contribute to a modern, efficient, and smarter home.
A home remodel is the single best time to make strategic, high value plumbing upgrades. When your walls are open, you have unparalleled access to the infrastructure that keeps your home safe, comfortable, and efficient. From the fundamental security of repiping your home with modern materials to the daily luxury of a tankless water heater or a spa like shower, these changes add significant and lasting value. They prevent future disasters, lower your utility bills, and improve your quality of life for years to come.
These upgrades are not simple DIY projects; they require the skill, experience, and knowledge of a licensed plumbing professional. At Sargent Plumbing and Drain, we are committed to integrity and hard work. Our team has over 25 years of combined experience helping families in Broken Arrow, Tulsa, and the surrounding areas build the homes of their dreams. We are fully licensed, insured, and dedicated to delivering 5 star service.
If you are planning a remodel, do not let this opportunity pass you by. Contact Sargent Plumbing and Drain to discuss how we can help you lay the foundation for a safer, more efficient, and more beautiful home.