Buying a Home? Check for Polybutylene Piping

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With interest rates at record lows, house prices near rock bottom, and sellers anxious to get rid of their homes in an overcrowded market, now is a terrific opportunity to get a great deal on a nice home.  New home construction is still slow, so most home buyers are looking at re-sales.

If you are looking at re-sales (previously owned homes), be sure to have the home thoroughly inspected before committing to the purchase.  If the home was built before the early 1990’s be sure the home inspector checks to see if the home was plumbed with polybutylene plumbing.  If in doubt, an inspection by a reputable local plumber could save you thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs for a polybutylene pipe replacement.

Polybutylene pipe was used for the hot and cold water supply pipes in millions of homes constructed after about 1970.  By the early 1990’s use of polybutylene pipe stopped because it was clear that most polybutylene pipes would fail after 5 to 15 years of service.

The exact cause of polybutylene pipe failure is not completely understood, but most experts believe that the pipe reacted to the chlorine in the municipal water supplies, causing it to become brittle and fail.  The only practical solution once the pipes start to fail is to have all of the plumbing in the home replaced.

Most homes built with polybutylene pipes have already had the pipes replaced, but you may find a few homes that still have the original polybutylene pipes.  If so, your options are to either steer clear or to make sure that the purchase price reflects the need to have all of the polybutylene pip replaced.

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