The Problem with Polybutylene

We love plastic. It’s cheap and easy to manipulate. We make utensils, bags, glasses and water pipes out of it.

How Polybutylene Came About

Copper piping, preferred for home plumbing for years, got a bit expensive in the late 1970’s. So, plastic suppliers focused on plastic resins for use in home plumbing. They recommended one resin, polybutylene, and touted it as the home plumbing pipe of the future. Builders installed it in millions of homes from 1978 to around 1995.

We found out a bit late this wasn’t a good idea. Many plastic resins such as PVC, or PEX are excellent choices for piping. However, there is a problem specifically with polybutylene. Chemicals in water such as chlorine react with polybutylene causing deterioration. This deterioration isn’t detectable by cursory inspection. The pipe needs specialist’s inspection to confirm it’s about to fail.

The Problems Polybutylene Causes

Polybutylene piping failures cause more than minor leaks. If the piping is behind sheetrock and springs a leak, the damage hides until the wall comes apart or mold sets in. Sudden failure is common and costly, damaging the structural integrity of the home.

How do you know if your home’s plumbing contains this piping? Take a look at the pipes you can see. If they’re gray, black or white and curved, call an inspection service who knows this piping and its issues. Many types of reliable plastic piping resemble polybutylene, and only a well-trained plumber or inspector recognizes the difference. Better safe than sorry in these cases.

What to Do if You Have Polybutylene Piping

It’s recommended this piping be replaced before catastrophic failure occurs. It’s costly but ignoring the issue is more expensive. In addition to lowering your home’s value, it’s likely to spend more time on the market if you sell.

As far as covering the expense goes, check with your home insurance company for coverage limits. In addition, there is a class action suit against polybutylene manufacturer’s which has paid out to homeowners, so you may wish to consult an attorney.

The best news is there are companies in your area who excel at replacing this piping to help save your home.

Polybutylene

Quick Order of Free Polybutylene Repipe Estimate:

(770) 682-3145 info@amarepiping.com Our contact page: amarepiping.com/contact for polybutylene replacement

 

Read More About Polybutylene:

You just bought your dream home… Suddenly you hear that dreaded sound: water leaking.

Your first instinct is to call a plumber…

Stop!

Most plumbers will tear your house apart leaving behind a mess trying to find a leak.

Rest easy: AMA Repiping has a better solution.

Your leak may very well be the result of polybutylene pipes.

If your pipes are polybutylene, they will leak.

Trust the experts at AMA Repiping to inspect, replace, prevent and resolve your problem.

Within 3-5 days AMA will replace or by-pass the entire polybutylene water system.

You’ll be able to use your water system while the work is being done.

AMA Repiping repairs wallboard and repaints after surgically accessing and rerouting your new water lines.

All materials and labor are covered by a transferable 25 year warranty.

100% satisfaction guaranteed.

Call AMA Repiping for more information at (770) 682-3145. Or visit amarepiping.com.

Our licensed plumbers are specialists in repiping, so when excellence matters, call AMA Repiping!

Read more about Polybutylene and Residential Repiping.

See our Contact Page.

Read more about Polybutylene Repipe.

 

Do not allow polybutylene disasters like these to happen to you:

 

Is your house built with polybutylene piping? This could be a serious issue for your while you live in that house and the polybutylene plumbing almost certainly be required to be replaced if you decide to sell your house.

Polybutylene Repipe in Atlanta – How to Deal With It?

AMA Repiping LLC in Atlanta is specialized in completely replacing the plumbing in a building with a new one.

AMA Repiping provides 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and 25 Year Warranty.

The repipe is done while the house is occupied, so you do not need to disrupt your schedule.

Here are some additional aspects that separate AMA Repiping from other companies who may offer you polybutylene repipe services:

• Finishing work. Repiping requires through the process, temporarily some of the walls of the building to be uncovered (drywall/wallboard to be removed), then re-finished with new one. AMA Repiping’s team puts specific effort for this finishing work to be done with top quality. The drywall/wallboard is replaced, it is finished (to a smooth surface) and painted to restore the “as new” look and quality of your walls.
• Quality Control. On every project we do our team performs more than a dozen specific quality control inspections to assure we leave a product of very high quality.
• Specialized in Repipe. All of our competitors that we are aware of are general plumbing service companies. They do not specialize in repipe. AMA Repiping does not do other plumbing services. We offer one thing: Repipe.

If you are approached by a competitor of ours on the market, ask them if they offer these benefits.

If you are faced with the reality of having polybutylene plumbing in your house, do not hesitate to call AMA Repiping for a free estimate. Call us, email us or send us a message from the form on our Contacts page.

Read more about polybutylene on Wikipedia.