It’s easy to forget about your pipes – after all, they’re hidden under floors and between walls, but pipes don’t last forever.

They can corrode and burst, causing you all kinds of headaches, which can be avoided, if you catch the problem early enough.

The most obvious sign that your pipes have become compromised is a pipe leak, but leaks, especially small leaks, aren’t always so obvious. If your water pressure is lower than normal or your water bills are higher than normal, and you haven’t increased your usage, or you see evidence of mold or mildew in your home, you might want to have a plumber check things out.

Here in Florida, copper piping is especially vulnerable to pinhole leaks caused by corrosion that breaks through the surface of the piping, so keep an eye out for blue-green corrosion on copper pipes.

If your home was built over 40 years ago, and your pipes are not made of PVC, there’s a good chance your pipes have begun corroding.

The rule-of-thumb lifespan for different piping materials is:

•   Brass: 40 to 70 years
•   Galvanized steel: 20 to 50 years
•   Cast iron: 25 to 30 years
•   Copper: 10