Polybutylene pipes pipes are much more prone to cracking and breaking than others.
Nobody ever wants to come home to find water pouring out from their ceiling or coming down the side of a wall. Unfortunately, if you’ve got a pipe to break, this might occur. Some pipes are much more prone to cracking and breaking than others. If your home was constructed in between the years of 1970 and 1995, then it might be at risk. This is because your home might contain polybutylene pipes. Read on to learn more about polybutylene pipes and why you have to consider replacing them if you have them.
What Exactly are Polybutylene Pipes?
Polybutylene pipes are water supply piping that was created from plastic resin back in the 1970s and used up until the mid-90s. Due to their low costs, flexibility, freeze resistance, and ease of installation, they were used as a substitution for traditional copper piping in home constructions during this era. These pipes are easy for a plumber to identify, but some homeowners mix them up with PVC or polyethylene. Pipe sizes are typically ½’ to 1/ in diameter. One way to identify them is by their use – they’re always used for water, and they will usually be labeled with the code PB2110.
What’s Wrong With Polybutylene Pipes?
Unfortunately, as promising as polybutylene piping looked once it entered the market, it did not last. Allegations quickly began to surface that the pipes were bursting and causing extensive water damage. Studies show that specific chemical and disinfectants contained within the water were causing the polybutylene to flake and develop tiny fractures from within, which caused the pipes to fail.
Why You Should Replace Your Polybutylene Pipes
Because polybutylene pipes develop damage slowly over time and burst and flood without any warning, you should have your home re-pipes if you have this kind of piping. Even if your pipes were installed around the period that they were hot on the market, they are now older and unreliable. Damages that happen from your pipes bursting can swiftly become pricey. You won’t only have to worry about having someone replace the pipes, but you will sustain the cost of the sheetrock work and any further damage caused to flooring and furnishings within your home. Call Alpha Plumbing to inspect the damage and get the job done for you!
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.