Polybutylene Pipe Replacement for Newmarket Homes

Service

Polybutylene Pipe Replacement

Category

Pipes and leaks

Where

Newmarket and nearby York Region

Booking

By telephone

Clues that point to polybutylene pipe replacement

Polybutylene is usually grey, sometimes blue or black, and often stamped PB2110. It was cheap and easy to install, which is why it turned up in many subdivisions. Over time, chlorine in treated water can make it brittle from the inside, and its fittings can crack.

• Grey flexible pipe at the water heater or under sinks
• Plastic or metal crimp fittings with copper rings
• An insurer questioning pipe type at renewal
• A leak from a fitting with no obvious cause

Our method, in order

1. Confirm the pipe type by looking at exposed sections in the basement, at the heater and under sinks.
2. Plan new PEX or copper routes that follow the old lines where practical.
3. Replace section by section, keeping water available each evening.
4. Fit new fixture shut-offs as we go.
5. Pressure test, flush and confirm every fixture.
6. Provide a written note of the work for your insurer.

Newmarket houses and this job

Not every home of that era in Newmarket has polybutylene. Many builders used copper. Others used PB only for the main feed or for a few runs. We look before recommending anything, and if your home has none, we will tell you so.

The service pipe from the street can also be a factor. In some areas the buried line into the house was plastic of that period, and it may be worth checking at the same time. That part of the job is covered under water line replacement.

Questions owners ask

Is it about to fail? Not necessarily. Many polybutylene systems are still working. The trouble is that failures, when they come, tend to be sudden and are hard to predict, which is why many owners choose to replace it on their own schedule rather than after a leak.

Arrange a look

Call us and we will check your pipe. Our polybutylene guide shows how to identify it yourself.