No one wants to come home and find water pouring from their ceiling or coming out of the base of a wall. Unfortunately if you have a pipe to break, this could happen. Some pipes are more prone to crack and break than others.
If your home was constructed between the years of 1978 and 1995, it may be at risk. This is because your home may contain polybutylene pipes. What are polybutylene pipes and why do you need to consider re-piping if you have them? Here is some information to consider.
What Are Polybutylene Pipes?
Polybutylene pipes are water supply piping that were created from plastic resin between 1978 and 1995. Because of their low costs, flexibility, resistance to freezing, and their ease of installation, they were used as a substitute for traditional copper pipes in home constructions during this period of time.
Polybutylene pipes are easy for a plumbing professional to identify but some homeowners confuse them with PVC or polyethylene. Pipe sizes are normally 1/2" to 1" in diameter. They are normally grey in color, but they can also be found in white, black, silver, or blue.
One of the easiest ways to identify them is to look to see if they are stamped with the code PB2110. These pipes are more flexible than PVC, and some may appear to be curved.
They will always be used to bring water into your home and will never be used for waste, drain, or vent pipes. You can find them bringing water to your sinks, toilets, or water heater, running across your unfinished basement ceilings, or going through several exterior locations.
What Went Wrong With Polybutylene Pipes?
Unfortunately, as promising as polybutylene piping looked when it entered the market, it did not last. Fewer than twenty years after it had been introduced, allegations began to surface that the pipes were bursting and causing extensive water damage.
Studies showed that certain chemical and disinfectants contained within water was causing the polybutylene to flake and develop small fractures from within. Over time, these fractures work their way to the surface of the pipe which in turn cause the pipes to fail.
The pipe manufacturers alleged that the leaks were being caused by the pipes being improperly installed and were mainly occurring at the joints and unions. Homeowners and contractors brought forth numerous successful class-action lawsuits against the manufacturers that resulted in massive payouts.
These payouts were designed to re-pipe the affect homes, or reimburse the homeowners for the cost of their incurred damages.
Why Should You Replace Polybutylene Pipes?
Because polybutylene pipes develop damage over time and can burst and flood without warning, you should have your home re-piped if you have this type of piping. Even if your pipes were installed during the end of the period that they were on the market, they are now more than twenty years old and have become unreliable.
Damages that occur from your pipes bursting can quickly become expensive. You will not only have to worry about having someone replace the busted pipe, but you will incur the cost of the sheetrock work and any damage caused to flooring and furnishings in your home.
Take a preventive stance. If you suspect that you have polybutylene pipes in your home, call Mike's Plumbing
to come and inspect your home. Our knowledgeable professionals will be able to verify the type of pipes you have, as well as inspect your plumbing throughout your home.
If your home needs to be re-piped, we will be able to provide you with pricing and a timeline in which we will be able to get it done.
