Throughout the years, there has been a variety of piping materials utilized in U. S. homes. These types of pipes include copper, galvanized, Polybutylene, CPVC, PVC, polyethylene, and others. Polybutylene pipe was installed in homes between the late 1970’s and into the mid to late 1990’s. For many of these homes, the piping is likely still to be in use. It has an abnormally high rate of failure due to degeneration, especially in the connective fittings used between the joints of the pipe, although the pipe itself remains a problem. To avoid extensive damage in your home, the pipe should be replaced a.s.a.p. by a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing plumber in Fort Worth.
Recognizing Polybutylene
Polybutylene is a type of plastic material, and is generally gray, black, or blue in color. Typically, the color of the pipe is gray, while outdoors it will often be blue. However, you may find any color in either setting.
An additional aid in identification is a stamped PB with a series of numbers. An example of a common stamp was PB2110. If you have Polybutylene pipe, you will have leaks, In fact, of all residential leaks repaired in the southern states, plumbers have reported approximately 80% are due to this piping with severe structural damage present in the affected homes.
The Cause of Failure
While a shoddy installation can affect any type of plumbing in Fort Worth, the primary problem is with the piping itself. Typically, a visual inspection of the pipe won’t reveal a sign of deterioration, which occurs from the inside out. A plumbing inspection is unable to determine the pipe’s condition, unless a problem is present.
Furthermore, numerous home insurers will often refuse to issue a policy on home’s containing the pipe, and for those that will insure, it isn’t uncommon for policy cancelations. That’s because it can fail at any time, and without warning. The cost of repair to a home with damage has been known to exceed the value of the home. Due to the serious nature of potential damage, seriously consider repiping when your plumbing is Polybutylene pipe.
Water leaks are typically serious, and deterioration tends to occur faster in areas where water is treated with chlorine, and where hard water exists. Selling a home with polybutylene is extremely difficult. Replacement is the best solution, and a Benjamin Franklin Plumber in Fort Worth offers a variety of reliable modern pipe material to select from, with one sure to be within your budget.
Complicating the problem, homes may exhibit copper pipe where the pipe is visible, while polybutylene exists in the walls or beneath the floors. A Benjamin Franklin plumber in Fort Worth can determine if your home or business has the defective pipe, and provide the repiping that you need.
A Benjamin Franklin Plumbing plumber in Fort Worth can provide an estimate for the replacement of polybutylene pipe in your home, or place of business. Our wide range of plumbing services is backed by the Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 100% satisfaction guarantee. We serve Fort Worth, Arlington, and the surrounding areas, and are a member of the BBB with an A+ rating.