Water Line Replacement – Oak Hills, Beaverton OR
True Flow Plumbing replaces water service lines throughout Oak Hills, Beaverton. Homes built in Oak Hills during the 1970s and 1980s were served by copper water lines — a material that holds up well in many parts of the country but has a known vulnerability in the Portland metro area. The region's soft, slightly acidic water chemistry causes pinhole pitting corrosion in copper pipe over time. After 40-plus years in service, Oak Hills copper lines that haven't been replaced are showing this degradation to varying degrees. When pinhole leaks start, the right answer is replacement with PEX — a material that's immune to soft water pitting and rated for the next 50-plus years.
Portland Metro Soft Water and Copper Pipe — What Happens Over 40 Years
Portland's water supply is soft and slightly acidic compared to many other metro areas. That chemistry is generally considered good for drinking but is harder on copper pipe than hard water. Soft water leaches trace copper ions from the pipe interior, creating microscopic pits in the copper wall. Over decades, those pits deepen. Eventually they penetrate the pipe wall and create pinhole leaks — small at first, often in spots that aren't immediately visible, but capable of causing significant water damage in a wall cavity or under a slab before they're discovered.
Aging Copper vs. New PEX in Oak Hills
40-Year-Old Copper Service Line
- Soft water pitting on interior walls
- Pinhole leaks — may be in walls or under ground
- Each repair leaves the remaining pipe unchanged
- Pressure loss if pitting has narrowed the line
- Continued corrosion at the same rate after repair
New PEX Service Line
- Immune to soft water pitting — no corrosion
- No pinhole leak risk
- Full pressure from meter to house
- Flexible — handles hillside soil movement
- 50+ year rated service life
Signs Your Oak Hills Water Line May Need Replacement
- Small wet spots on drywall, ceiling, or near the foundation with no obvious source
- Water bill increasing without a clear explanation
- Soft or perpetually wet area in the yard over where the line runs
- Pressure dropping at multiple fixtures — possible pinhole restricting flow
- Trace blue-green staining at fixtures — copper leaching, sign of pitting
- Home is 1970s–80s era with original copper and no service line work on record
How We Replace It in Oak Hills
Oak Hills hillside lots vary more than the flat Cedar Hills tract layouts — some have longer meter-to-house distances and more complex routing. We assess the specific property before settling on the installation method. On most Oak Hills lots, directional drilling is the preferred approach: the boring machine pulls the new PEX line underground along the existing path without opening a continuous trench. Driveways, walkways, and landscaping stay intact. When the lot layout or soil conditions favor open excavation, we use that instead and explain why before we start.
- Directional drilling where lot layout allows — no driveway or yard disruption
- Full property assessment before committing to installation method
- New PEX service line rated 50+ years
- Washington County permit handled
- Water restored before we leave the property
- Most jobs completed in one day
Frequently Asked Questions
I patched a pinhole in my Oak Hills copper line last year. Do I need to replace the whole line?
Patching a pinhole fixes that specific spot but leaves the rest of the line in the same condition that produced it. If the pitting is advanced enough to create one pinhole, the rest of the line has the same level of wear. Most plumbers who patch pinholes in 40-year-old copper in the Portland area are honest about this — it's a stopgap, not a solution. Whether to repair or replace depends on how far along the pitting is, which we can assess and tell you directly.
Will the water pressure improve after line replacement?
Yes, if the existing copper had any restriction from pitting or partial blockage. PEX maintains full interior diameter from meter to house with no buildup and no corrosion narrowing the flow path.
Do you serve all of Oak Hills for water line replacement?
Yes — every residential street in Oak Hills, including the hillside properties above NW 185th. We also serve Cedar Hills, Bethany, and all surrounding Beaverton neighborhoods.
Oak Hills & Beaverton Neighborhoods We Serve
All Water Line Services – Beaverton → | Drain Cleaning – Oak Hills → | Sewer Scope →
Water Line Issues in Oak Hills?
Call us. We'll assess the existing line and give you straight answers on what it needs.