What is Poly B Plumbing? Was your home plumbing done during the 80’s or early 90’s? Are the pipes not made of copper? If yes, then you could be having poly b piping. Polybutylene pipes were standard till 1995, after which they were stopped.

If your home has a home plumbing system with poly-B plumbing, then you can face problems. In this guide, we will tell you what Poly-B plumbing is. You will also learn how to tell if you have such type of plumbing and what does it looks like.

What is Poly B plumbing?

• Poly-B or Polybutylene is a material used for home plumbing.
• Cheaper than copper, polybutylene was preferred because of its ease of use and flexibility.
• Starting from 1978 until 1995, poly b was used in home plumbing.
• It is believed that nearly 700,000 homes in Canada have a home plumbing system that uses Poly B.

The problem with Poly B pipes for home plumbing system

During the 1980s, problems with poly-b type plumbing became apparent. Those homes that had Polybutylene piping began to experience problems like leaks. By 1995, people had understood that poly-b plumbing was bad, and plumbers stopped using it. In fact, in 2006, the Canadian plumbing code removed poly b from its list of acceptable materials for plumbing.

How to tell if you have poly-b plumbing

• You must understand how to identify if your home has this plumbing.
• If the plumbing in your home was done from 1978 to 1995, you may have Poly-B plumbing.
• What does it look like? Poly-B looks like plastic and is usually grey-coloured.

Also read: What is PEX Plumbing?

How to identify Polybutylene Pipes?

• If you are concerned you have poly-b plumbing in your home, we will tell you how to identify polybutylene pipes.
• Poly B piping is grey usually. But you may have pipes that are blue, white, or black.
• When you carefully examine the pipe, you will likely find “PB2110” written on it.
• This is a sure way of identifying that the pipe is made from polybutylene.

Other ways of identifying Polybutylene pipes include:

• The fittings are plastic but may have crimps and connections made of copper.
• You may find curved pipes since the material is flexible.
• Polybutylene pipes are used mainly for water and are thinner than drain pipes.

Why is Poly-B plumbing bad?

As we mentioned above, problems with Ploy-B began to occur during the 1980s, and incidents reported increased over time.

• Since the material is plastic, it tends to crack over time. A major problem was the presence of chemicals in water.
• Chlorine in water would affect Polybutylene and degrade it gradually.
• The result would be leaky pipes.

In some cases, improper fitting of the pipes led to cracks and leakage. The pressure of water flowing through the pipe and heat (in the case of hot water pipes) also damaged it.

Leaking pipes were the major problem people faced, which is why the use of Polybutylene pipes was stopped after 1995. There were class action lawsuits demanding damages, and many homeowners received money.

If you have Poly B pipes, then you could have claimed damages. However, the deadline for making claims expired in 2005. With so many issues involved, Polybutylene pipes are definitely a problem.

Professional plumbing services to help you fix the problem

So, how do you fix the problem if you have poly b pipes? Get in touch with a plumber who offers professional plumbing services.

Plumbing Ambulance Inc. is a plumbing company known for its quality services and transparent pricing. we can help you with your poly b piping problem. The expert plumber near you will carry out a detailed inspection. They will then let you know whether it can be maintained so you can continue to use it; or whether you need to replace it. They will also advise you of the costs involved.

You can use their professional plumbing services to replace your poly-b piping. Contact us today to know how much it costs to replace poly-b plumbing.

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