POLYBUTYLENE MYTHS
POLYBUTYLENE MYTHS POLYBUTYLENE a.k.a. PB, is a plumbing pipe material installed in an estimated 4-6 million homes from 1978 to 1996 and has been proven to be defective in multiple class action settlements, Shell v. Cox, Vangard v. Dragon, Spencer Class Settlement ; etc. ( unfortunately they all have expired and there are no money for remediation left)
The pipe leaches oxidants such as chlorine out of the water and becomes brittle as it ages. The older Polybutylene gets and the more it expands and contracts with temperature changes, the closer it is to leaking; and it WILL leak, it's not if , but when
Myth: Only systems that have plastic fittings will have problems:
Not true!! Systems that have metal fittings fail as well. It is true that systems with plastic fittings have more components that fail and based on our experience they fail at a greater rate than systems with metal fittings or manifold type systems. Both metal fitting systems and manifold systems contain polybutylene piping as well as plastic valves, and both of these components are subject to failure.
Myth: Replacing polybutylene pipes is very costly:
Actually , replacing poly pipes is about the same cost as installing a new shingles on your home or replacing the carpet. A repipe specialist will provide you with the best price , warranty and quality workmanship to include the drywall repair and painting. Replacing the poly pipes is really similar to any other maintenance items you do on your home, just one that you didn't expect so soon!
Myth: Poly problems occur because of poor installation:
The quality of the installation may be a factor but appears not to be the primary cause.Factors contributing to system leaks include degeneration of piping/fittings, water quality,chlorine levels, poor installation and age. So even with perfect installation , polybutylene system could fail at some point as a result of other factors.
Myth: Any good plumber can replace my pipes:
True, any reputable plumbing company can install water supply piping professionally, but the real questions are," Can they do the whole job for a fair price and at least inconvenience to me?" A few general plumbing companies will do the whole job by subcontracting the drywall and paint, but a company that specializes in repipe is your best bet. They have the personnel to give you a quality job, and they will do it more efficiently , with less damage and inconvenience and most importantly , for less..
Myth: The poly in my house has lasted for 10 years, so it must be okay,:
Not true. In most cases it takes years for polybutylene systems to fail. It may leak within a few years of installation but most cases the leak start in the 10-15 year time frame.
Myth: You will not have a problem selling your home with poly:
This depends on the awareness of the buyer. In general, real estate professionals tell us that homes with poly sell for less and tend to take longer to sell compare to their competition.. Most of the times, the home inspectors flag the problem and the pipes are replaced before closing.. Unfortunately, we don't know how many buyers will simply ignore homes with poly pipes because they recognize it as a potential problem from the start.
Myth: My home inspector said the poly "looked" fine:
It may "look" fine , but that doesn't mean much because most of the problems with poly systems are not visible. Basically the home inspector can look for water leaking RIGHT NOW, he can look for evidence of any repairs done or certain installation issues (only where pipes are exposed) That helps a little, but many factors contribute to a poly leak, most all of which an inspector cannot see. What matters most is the useful life of the poly systems in a home, and an inspector cannot predict this for any poly systems.
Myth: My insurance will cover the resulting damages if the pipes leak:
Absolutely- this is not a myth. Water damage of all sorts is typically covered by most policies. But the problem is that your insurance company may decide to increase your premium after a claim ,or worse yet, they may not renew your policy. This can happen with any casualty (such as fire or wind damage) , but there is no reason to set yourself up for this type of problem when you can avoid it in the first place.
Myth: The pipe replacement work will practically destroy my home:
That depends. Pipe replacement is serious work, and if you choose the wrong company to do it, they could make quite a mess. However, a reputable pipe replacement expert knows how to minimize damage to walls and ceilings, so the disruption and the time it takes to complete the job is minimized. The average home should take about 3-5 days start to finish, and after that you should see no signs of the work ever being done- that is the real test!
The pipe leaches oxidants such as chlorine out of the water and becomes brittle as it ages. The older Polybutylene gets and the more it expands and contracts with temperature changes, the closer it is to leaking; and it WILL leak, it's not if , but when
Myth: Only systems that have plastic fittings will have problems:
Not true!! Systems that have metal fittings fail as well. It is true that systems with plastic fittings have more components that fail and based on our experience they fail at a greater rate than systems with metal fittings or manifold type systems. Both metal fitting systems and manifold systems contain polybutylene piping as well as plastic valves, and both of these components are subject to failure.
Myth: Replacing polybutylene pipes is very costly:
Actually , replacing poly pipes is about the same cost as installing a new shingles on your home or replacing the carpet. A repipe specialist will provide you with the best price , warranty and quality workmanship to include the drywall repair and painting. Replacing the poly pipes is really similar to any other maintenance items you do on your home, just one that you didn't expect so soon!
Myth: Poly problems occur because of poor installation:
The quality of the installation may be a factor but appears not to be the primary cause.Factors contributing to system leaks include degeneration of piping/fittings, water quality,chlorine levels, poor installation and age. So even with perfect installation , polybutylene system could fail at some point as a result of other factors.
Myth: Any good plumber can replace my pipes:
True, any reputable plumbing company can install water supply piping professionally, but the real questions are," Can they do the whole job for a fair price and at least inconvenience to me?" A few general plumbing companies will do the whole job by subcontracting the drywall and paint, but a company that specializes in repipe is your best bet. They have the personnel to give you a quality job, and they will do it more efficiently , with less damage and inconvenience and most importantly , for less..
Myth: The poly in my house has lasted for 10 years, so it must be okay,:
Not true. In most cases it takes years for polybutylene systems to fail. It may leak within a few years of installation but most cases the leak start in the 10-15 year time frame.
Myth: You will not have a problem selling your home with poly:
This depends on the awareness of the buyer. In general, real estate professionals tell us that homes with poly sell for less and tend to take longer to sell compare to their competition.. Most of the times, the home inspectors flag the problem and the pipes are replaced before closing.. Unfortunately, we don't know how many buyers will simply ignore homes with poly pipes because they recognize it as a potential problem from the start.
Myth: My home inspector said the poly "looked" fine:
It may "look" fine , but that doesn't mean much because most of the problems with poly systems are not visible. Basically the home inspector can look for water leaking RIGHT NOW, he can look for evidence of any repairs done or certain installation issues (only where pipes are exposed) That helps a little, but many factors contribute to a poly leak, most all of which an inspector cannot see. What matters most is the useful life of the poly systems in a home, and an inspector cannot predict this for any poly systems.
Myth: My insurance will cover the resulting damages if the pipes leak:
Absolutely- this is not a myth. Water damage of all sorts is typically covered by most policies. But the problem is that your insurance company may decide to increase your premium after a claim ,or worse yet, they may not renew your policy. This can happen with any casualty (such as fire or wind damage) , but there is no reason to set yourself up for this type of problem when you can avoid it in the first place.
Myth: The pipe replacement work will practically destroy my home:
That depends. Pipe replacement is serious work, and if you choose the wrong company to do it, they could make quite a mess. However, a reputable pipe replacement expert knows how to minimize damage to walls and ceilings, so the disruption and the time it takes to complete the job is minimized. The average home should take about 3-5 days start to finish, and after that you should see no signs of the work ever being done- that is the real test!
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