Ep 20. Detroit: Plumbing Road Trip

In season 34, episode 20 of This Old House, the crew takes a plumbing road trip to Detroit. The episode starts off with Kevin O'Connor and plumber Josh Smith discussing the decaying plumbing infrastructure in Detroit and how it's affecting the city's homeowners. The duo visits a couple of homes to get a firsthand look at the plumbing issues and provide practical solutions to fix them.

The first home they visit is a beautiful Tudor-style house owned by a couple who has been experiencing plumbing problems for years. The house is over 100 years old and still has the original cast-iron pipes, which have started to corrode and leak. The crew begins by using a camera to inspect the pipes and identify the damaged areas. They then break through the walls and floors to access the pipes and replace them with new ones.

After fixing the plumbing issues, the crew moves on to the second house, which is more challenging than the first. The second home is a vacant building that the crew wants to convert into a mixed-use property. The first step is to remove all the old plumbing fixtures and pipes, which are extremely rusty and heavily corroded. This is a difficult task that requires a lot of manpower, but the crew gets it done efficiently.

Next, the crew moves on to the basement and starts digging to access the city's water main, which is corroded and leaking. They install a new water main and then begin running new plumbing lines to all the floors of the building. They encounter various challenges, including the need to replace old lead pipes with new ones and working in tight spaces, but they work through each obstacle until all the plumbing issues in the building are resolved.

Throughout the episode, the crew emphasizes the importance of proper plumbing maintenance to avoid costly repairs in the future. They educate homeowners on how to identify and prevent common plumbing problems, such as clogged drains and leaky pipes. They also stress the need for regular inspections of plumbing systems to catch any issues early on before they turn into bigger problems.

Overall, the episode provides a fascinating look at Detroit's plumbing issues and how they're affecting the city's homeowners. By showcasing the crew's expertise in identifying and fixing these problems, viewers can learn a lot about how to maintain their own plumbing systems and avoid costly repairs. As always, the crew's dedication to their craft and the homeowners they serve is evident throughout the episode, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in home improvement and renovation.