It's a question of when, not if, polybutylene pipes will fail in homes

During the late 1970’s up until around the mid 1990’s, polybutylene pipes were frequently installed in new home builds. It was a much lower cost alternative to other pipe options and it was said to be the material of choice for plumbing in Katy, Texas and across the nation for that matter for the decades to come.  However, this claim proved to be false.  Polybutylene began to start failing in homes as shortly as just ten years later. The material began to deteriorate and breakdown due to its sensitivity towards chemicals that are used in the treatment of water.  Polybutylene pipes became a catastrophic failure not only for plumbing in Katy, Texas but across the entire nation.

With that failure, homeowners experienced massive water damage to properties nationwide due to water leaks from the breakdown of polybutylene pipes.  This pipe of the future proved to be a false legacy and would never recover its previous status in sales after the fallout.  Dupont® quit making acetyl fittings for polybutylene pipes in 1989 and as of 1996 Shell Chemical Co. ® stopped supplying polybutylene for pipes nationwide.  Polybutylene pipes are so risky in fact that some home insurance companies will sometimes cancel homeowner’s policies or refuse to insure homes built with it.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing can provide repiping for your home’s plumbing in Katy, TX. If you have polybutylene piping in your home, it is not a question of if it will fail, but when. The risks associated with this type of piping include:

  • Flooding
  • Mold and mildew
  • Higher insurance premiums or loss of insurance coverage
  • Ruined furnishings
  • Damage to your home
  • Inability to sell a home with Polybutylene piping
  • Mortgage lenders deny loans for home’s with Polybutylene

Give Benjamin Frankin Plumbing a call, our professional and courteous plumbers will replace your home’s plumbing in Katy, Texas with reliable, modern pipe material.

Identifying Polybutylene Piping

Polybutylene is a type of plastic compound used in piping between the late 1970’s to the mid 1990’s.  This type of piping may be located indoors as well as outdoors.  This piping may be connected to your water’s main water supply line and it is usually colored black, blue or gray.  Usually, the piping will be stamped with the letters “PB” and a series of numbers. The most common stamp in homes nationwide was “PB2110”. Additionally, copper pipe may be what exits the wall to a home’s fixtures, but polybutylene may be out of sight within the walls.  Homeowner’s may not even be aware that this type of piping is in their home.

Chemical chlorine and other minerals that are found in water play a part in the chemical breakdown of polybutylene piping.  These pipes wear from the inside out due to the exposure to these common chemicals found in potable water supplied by your municipality.  As the inner surface of this pipe weakens from exposure, it can flake or scale off, resulting in pinhole leaks or even fractures.  Due to the fact that the pipe weakens from the inside out, it can be impossible to determine the integrity of the pipe without performing video line inspection to see the inside of the material.

Leaks can occur unexpectedly and without warning. The result can be widespread and costly damage if it goes undetected for a while. This type of pipe is very unreliable and should be replaced as soon as possible once discovered.  If you are in the market of purchasing a home, you should first find out when the plumbing was done and built. If the home was repiped or build between the late 70’s to the mid 90’s, then you should have the home’s plumbing inspected.  A home that has this type of pipe will depreciate the value of the home and it may even have unidentified damage to the integrity of the home or even its foundation.  If your intentions are still with purchasing a home that contains polybutylene pipes, hire a plumber to repipe the plumbing in Katy, Texas, and inspect the home for water damage and mold.  Benjamin Franklin Plumbing can provide you with a quote, and the repiping of the home’s plumbing in Katy, Texas that you need in order to negotiate with the real estate agency the price of the home.

If your home has polybutylene piping installed in it, your only solution is to replace this piping as soon as possible.  It is not a question of if it will fail but when. About the only thing polybutylene is reliable in is breaking down. Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing to repipe your home’s plumbing in Katy, Texas today.

About Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers professional plumbing in Katy, Texas. We have on-call emergency plumbers twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days a year for your convenience.  Our experienced and friendly experts with plumbing in Katy, Texas provide on time plumbing related services to not only Houston but Katy, Rosenberg and Sugar Land Texas also.  If you are in need of a professional plumber to make repairs, maintenance, or installation services then you need to look no further than Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Houston, Texas.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg is a leading local plumbing company with high standards of service that you can rely on. When you contact us you can rest assured knowing that you are receiving the best plumbing services in the area. Our commitment to service and excellence is reflected in our rock solid A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. If you have a plumbing related problem in your home or business and you need help, do not hesitate to reach out to us today. One of our professional and friendly experts with plumbing in Katy, Texas will be more than happy to answer any of your questions and schedule an appointment with you to assess the problem and resolve it at your earliest convenience.  Give Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg a call today if you are looking for professional plumbing in Katy, Texas. If there’s any delay, it’s you we pay®