Should you Replace Polybutylene Piping In Your Home?
If your home was built any time during the late 70s through the mid-90s, there is a very good chance that the builder used polybutylene tubing for much of your plumbing. Polybutylene resin is a saturated polymer that can be molded into a number of forms and shapes. It is resistant to chemicals, acids, alcohols, and fats and was seemingly the perfect solution for replacing traditional water pipes. However, as these piping systems began to age, their reliability was called into question. And as it turns out, polybutylene pipes begin to deteriorate after 10 – 15 years. A good home inspection can determine if your plumbing uses polybutylene piping, but a visual inspection can only go so far. As the deterioration happens from the inside out, only a licensed plumber can determine if there are any issues. If your home was one of the millions of households built during this time using polybutylene plumbing it’s recommended to get your system checked out. Polybutylene Piping? Call Today! We have plumbers On-Call and Standing By. Call Now! Polybutylene pipes can fail due to either faulty installation or chemical reactions between the polybutylene and chemicals put in the water supply (chlorine for instance). This can cause the pipes to become brittle and begin to fail. Once this reaction happens, these cracks can lead