Call An Expert For Whole House Repiping

Whole house repiping is one of the biggest residential plumbing projects that homeowners face.  Most homeowners will never need a whole house repiping, but homes that were built with polybutylene pipes or have other plumbing issues may need to have all of their plumbing pipes replaced.  If you are one of the unfortunate homeowners facing a whole house repiping project, in most cases your best option is to have the job completed by a plumbing contractor who specializes in whole house repiping.

Millions of homes built during the from about 1975 to 1995 were plumbed with polybutylene piping.  At the time, polybutylene was believed to be an excellent choice for residential plumbing because it was easy to work with, relatively inexpensive, and seemed to be very durable.  Unfortunately it was later discovered that the chlorine found in most household drinking water caused polybutylene pipe to fail after a few years.

Replacing all of the defective pipe in your home is a big job that can require knocking holes into walls, floors, and ceilings.  The original piping may have been installed in the attic, under floors, and inside walls.  If your home was built on a slab, your plumbing probably runs under the slab and is routed up through the slab in various locations.

Most good plumbers can tackle a polybutylene pipe replacement, but it takes some experience to be able to replace all of the plumbing in a home with the least amount of damage to your walls, floors, and ceiling.   A plumber who specializes in whole house repiping will have years of repiping experience and will have developed techniques to get the job done as quickly as possible with the least amount of damage to your home.

Replacing Polybutylene Pipe

Are you one of the millions of Amercans whose homes were plumbed with polybutylene pipe?  Maybe you’ve known about the pipe for years or perhaps you just got a great deal on a foreclosure home and discovered the polybutylene piping.  In either event, a whole house repiping is in your future, and not very far off either.

Polybutylene piping is blue or gray semi-flexible piping that was installed in millions of homes built up to 1995.  This pipe was discovered to have a defect that causes it to deteriorate and split over time.  In some homes, the pipes last for many years before they start to split but once it starts, all of the pipe needs to be replaced.

Attempting to repair polybutylene pipe is a waste of time and money.  Even if your plumber can successfully repair a burst pipe, it won’t be long before another pipe bursts.  The only effective solution is to have all of the piping in your home replaced with copper, PVC, CPVC, or PEX piping.

A whole house pipe replacement is a big job that involves locating all of the existing polybutylene pipe, removing it and installing new pipes.  In some areas such as Florida where homes are commonly constructed on a slab, the process is further complicated by the fact that the original piping is under the slab.

You can take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone.  Millions of homes have undergone polybutylene pipe replacement including homes built on slabs and there are some plumbing contractors who specialize in replacing polybutylene pipes.

If you have split or leaking water lines, or you suspect that your home is plumbed with polybutylene plumbing, schedule an appointment with a polybutylene pipe replacement specialist.  They will do a complete evaluation and explain your options to you.

Fixing Leaky Qest Plumbing

If you are experiencing problems with leaky Qest (often called Quest) plumbing in your home, you should consult with a plumbing contractor with experience in polybutylene pipe replacement before spending any money repairing your old Qest pipe.  Qest was a brand name for a type of polybutylene pipe that was taken off the market in the mid 1990’s.  Until then it was used in millions of American homes and manufactured homes for the hot and cold water lines and the water supply line from the meter to the home.

Qest hot and cold polybutylene pipes are usually grey although you may find some silver or black polybutylene pipes.  The water supply line is usually blue but can be gray or black.  If you suspect that you have Qest or any other type of polybutylene pipe, have it inspected by a professional plumber.  It is easy for a homeowner to confuse defective polybutylene pipe with modern PEX pipe.

Polybutylene pipe is no longer on the market because it tended to fail at a very high rate.  Early failures were experienced at the fittings, but later the pipes themselves began to fail.  It was discovered that chlorine in the water reacted with the pipe and caused it to break down.

Several class action lawsuits over the defective pipes were settled years ago.  Unfortunately, if you have not already filed a claim it is probably too late to join the settlement.

Repairing polybutylene pipe is a short term solution because it will soon fail again.  The only permanent solution is to have all of the piping replaced by a plumbing contractor that specializes in residential repiping.  Most plumbers can probably handle the job, but a specialist will have learned techniques for replacing the pipes with minimal damage to your home.

Use a Specialist For Whole House Repiping

If you need to replace the water pipes in your home, you have a choice between using a general plumbing contractor or a repiping specialist for your plumbing replacement.  Some homes have serious plumbing issues that require all of the water distribution plumbing to be replaced.  The most common reason for a whole house repiping is because the home was plumbed with polybutylene pipes.

After polybutylene pipes were installed in millions of American homes built from the mid 1970’s to the mid1990’s, it was discovered chlorine in municipal water supplies reacted with the pipe led to pipe failures.  Polybutylene pipe was taken off the market, but many homeowners are still dealing with the after effects.

Most general plumbing contractors can handle a repiping, but you are probably better off hiring a plumber who specializes in commercial and residential repiping.  Replacing all of the pipes in your home involves locating and removing the original plumbing and installing new PVC, CPVC, PEX or copper pipes.

The original pipes can run through the basement, crawlspace, or attic and are often hidden in walls, ceilings and floors.  If the home was built on a concrete slab, the plumbing may run under the slab or be embedded in the concrete.

A residential repiping specialist who has handled hundreds or thousands of commercial and residential repipings will have developed techniques for replacing the piping with minimal damage to your home.  They will have a better feel for what type of replacement pipe works best and how to run the new piping if access to the old piping is limited.

In addition, in most cases holes have to be cut in walls, floors or ceilings and a repiping specialist may have contractors who can quickly and professionally make the necessary repairs.

Polybutylene Pipe Woes

If your home is plumbed with polybutylene pipe, you are probably wondering what to do next.  The conventional wisdom is to have all of the polybutylene pipe replaced with new PVC, CPVC, PEX or copper pipe and that may be the best alternative, but take a few minutes to explore your options before you start tearing out the old plumbing.

Polybutylene pipe was installed in millions of American homes built starting in the 1970’s and ending in the early 1990’s.  Initially hailed as an inexpensive, easy to work with alternative to copper pipe, it was later discovered that polybutylene pipe reacted to the chlorine in the public drinking water supplies.  Exposure to chlorine caused the pipe to split.

The majority of homes have had their polybutylene pipes replaced, but there are still hundreds of thousands if not millions of homes with polybutylene pipe installed.  If your home is one of these and has not developed leaks in the pipes, you may have some time before you need to deal with the problem.  If you are on a well or your municipal water supply has a low level of chlorine, your pipes may not cause problems for years.

On the other hand, if your pipes have started to leak, then you will need to take action soon.  Fixing a leaking polybutylene pipe is a temporary solution because the rest of the plumbing will begin leaking soon.  You may be able to put off a polybutylene pipe replacement for a year or two, but a complete residential repiping is the only way to prevent future leaks.

One thing to consider is that your insurance company may deny any water damage claims due to leak water pipes once the initial problem has been discovered.  A plumbing contractor who specializes in commercial and residential repiping can help you make the right decision.

Polybutylene Pipe

Many homes built in the 1980’s and early 1990’s have polybutylene plumbing and/or polybutylene water service lines that run from the street to the home.  Polybutylene pipe was used because it was less expensive than copper tubing and easier to install.  Builders saved thousands of dollars for materials and labor on each house constructed by using polybutylene plumbing instead of copper.

Unfortunately, it turned out that polybutylene pipes and fittings suffered from manufacturing defects that caused them to fail after only a few years of service.  They were also affected by the chlorine present in most municipal water systems which cause the pipes and fittings to break down.

In addition, polybutylene pipes can become fragile from excessive heat or cold or if they were overly stressed during installation.  In short, polybutylene plumbing systems usually have serious problems with leaks repeatedly developing either due to cracked pipes or from failed fittings.

If you have polybutylene plumbing in your home that is developing leaks, it is often possible in the short term to repair the leak by replacing the failed section of pipe or fittings using modern PEX pipe and fittings with adapters to connect the PEX pipe to the polybutylene pipe.

However, repairing leaky polybutylene pipe is rarely cost effective.  Your polybutylene pipes will continue to develop leaks and the best solution is usually to completely replace all of the polybutylene plumbing.

A complete polybutylene pipe replacement is a big job that is best left to an experienced plumber.  Be sure to get bids from several reputable plumbers and choose a plumber with experience in replacing polybutylene plumbing.