. How old are the pipes in your home?
How old are the pipes in your home? Depending on the age of your home, they might have not been replaced until recently. This can be a problem if your home contains polybutylene pipes. From the 1970s until the 1990s, this was an inexpensive material to use for many homes as the housing sector exploded. Chlorine and rust cause these pipes to expand, so how can you go about replacing them?
What to Look For
Before you buy a home, call some home inspectors. These inspectors can look out for elements of your home that might think aren’t a problem. Even if the inspectors find polybutylene pipes, they aren’t always required to report their findings.
That’s why you need to ask them to look for these pipes and then answer back to you. One way to tell if you have these pipes is if you also have copper pipes since these two types were usually used at the same time. There should be a stamp on them that says “PB2110”, which is one definite marker.
These pipes will also be small, so it’s possible you might not notice them at all. This is because they’re typically half an inch, although they can be up to an inch as well. During the closing process in which you are finalizing the purchase of your home, ask when it was built. If it was built during the 70s, 80s, or 90s, then this means it’s much more likely that these pipes are present.
What to Do Next
So, you might be curious about what to do next. Don’t worry, because that’s only natural. Get them replaced as soon as possible. If you don’t, then you run the risk of your house flooding once the pipes finally wear out. Dealing with water damage and flood cleanup can take time, and be more expensive than you want to think about, both in terms of money and replacing cherished belongings that could be unique.
A RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PLUMBING COMPANY YOU CAN TRUST
Alpha Plumbing is a full-service plumbing and contracting company serving the Baltimore and Annapolis metro area with expertise in all aspects of plumbing. We’re family-owned and operated since 1991 from our office in Pasadena. We offer quality plumbing services at reasonable rates in a timely fashion. Our trucks are equipped with GPS systems to ensure we’re prompt and on time. No job is too large or too small! We maintain a fleet of well-stocked trucks and also own and operate our own backhoes for jobs requiring excavation.
For more information and to get a free no-obligation estimate, you can contact us on our website, send us an e-mail, or give us a call at (410) 255-5998.