![]() ![]() If you have Poly-B plumbing in your home, it is almost inevitable that you’ll be replacing it at some point. What can you do to maintain your Poly-B plumbing? However, if you leave it too long and your Poly-B pipes start to leak, you might find yourself having to pay for remediation of water damage and mould on top of the Poly-B replacement cost. Replacing a whole plumbing system means tearing up flooring and opening walls - an expensive undertaking. However, aside from the material and labour costs for replacing the plumbing itself, there’s the added cost of actually gaining access to the pipes. Obviously, a larger home with a more extensive plumbing system will cost more. There are quite a few factors that can raise or lower the cost. The average cost to replace Poly-B plumbing within a home ranges from $3,000 to $25,000. He has asked Canadian homeowners to write in if they’ve had issues with their Poly-B plumbing. There are things you can do to extend the life of the Poly-B pipes, but most experts say that the best solution is usually to replace the entire system. Not only might you have difficulty getting insurance, but Poly-B plumbing can discourage potential buyers from purchasing your home if you ever decide to move. Plumbers recommend replacing Poly-B pipes with something else (such as PEX or copper). InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) advises that leakage can happen without any warning. But damage to the pipes begins from the inside where you can’t see it. Home inspectors can look for obvious signs, such as visible repairs or improper installation. It’s difficult to judge the condition of Poly-B piping. What should you do when something goes wrong? Poly-B plumbing may appear perfectly fine on the outside while being ready to rupture at any moment. While a cracked pipe often leaks enough that you’ll discover it quickly, degradation from heat or chemicals can take a long time, and it starts from inside the pipe. Even in the tiny doses sometimes present in municipal water supplies, such chemicals can harm Poly-B pipes and lead to leaks. Most home plumbing systems have to deal with both of those things, making Poly-B a poor choice.Ĭhemicals like chlorine slowly degrade polybutylene. Poly-B pipes are also prone to damage from water pressure and heat. They’ve often been over-tightened, causing the pipes themselves to crack. In some cases, the fittings weren’t installed correctly. These fittings are prone to cracking and leaking over time. The fittings, used to connect one pipe to another, are often plastic. The first problem with Poly-B has historically been the fittings. With Poly-B pipes, you’re better safe than sorry. If you suspect your home’s pipes are Poly-B but you can’t confirm it, contact a plumber to arrange an inspection. Poly-B pipes usually have an identifying code stamped on the side: either “PB2110” or “CSA-B 137.8.” The absence of these codes doesn’t automatically mean it’s not Poly-B if your home’s plumbing meets all the other criteria, it could still be Poly-B. One other way to identify Poly-B plumbing is by the markings printed on the pipes. Copper- or brass-fitted Poly-B systems are reportedly quite common in Alberta, for example. Poly-B plumbing systems often have plastic fittings connecting the lengths of pipe, though copper fittings appear sometimes as well. If you’re not sure whether you have Poly-B plumbing, look for gray plastic pipes anywhere there is exposed plumbing: under the sink, connected to the water meter, at the hot water tank, or on the ceiling of an unfinished basement. Most Poly-B pipes are grey, though other colours (like black, white, or blue) exist. ![]() There are as many as 700,000 homes across Canada with Poly-B plumbing. These homes had not just water damage, but also mould. Some Poly-B plumbing would leak slowly - hidden behind drywall - and the homeowner wouldn’t discover it until it was too late. However, by the mid-‘80s, a pattern started to emerge: homes with Poly-B plumbing were experiencing leaks. It was flexible, easy to install, and much cheaper than copper. At the time, plumbers thought it a fantastic material. Poly-B (short for polybutylene) pipes were, at one point in time, a popular material for home plumbing systems.įrom the early ‘70s until the early ‘90s, Poly-B piping was installed extensively in new homes.
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