polybutylene

4 Myths About Polybutylene Pipes

Don’t be fooled by the myths!  The risk of damage to your home due to cracking, leaking, old polybutylene piping in your plumbing system is far worse than actually updating your home’s plumbing system to one that complies with guidelines of today.  Here are 4 popular myths that are easily de-bunked!

The Dangers of Polybutylene Pipes

Polybutylene Pipes

If your home or office was built in the 1980’s, it’s likely that polybutylene water pipe was used. It was a popular material because it was a faster and cheaper alternative to copper or PVC pipe. It is suspected that the rate of failure was high in homes with this type of piping because oxidants like chlorine used in municipal water supplies reacts with the pipes and fittings, which then causes the material to scale, flake and become brittle. This can result in breaks or leaks that compromise the integrity of the entire system and could possibly flood your home.

Ins and Outs of Polybutylene Piping

Exposed plumbing pipes in a new construction.

Polybutylene piping, also known as “poly” or “quest” piping is a plastic piping system used for water distribution systems in houses and some commercial buildings. Popular in the late 70’s through the mid 90’s, this product offered quick, clean, low skill installation. It greatly cut down on building plumbing cost. Turns out, there were problems. …

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