Around Your Home
The polybutylene pipes that you may have around your home are far from the best kind of pipes used. These pipes were installed during the 70's to the 90's as a lo cost alternative to copper, but we now know today that it is not reliable and a lawsuit that was settled, can no longer help you since the deadline is years overdue. Because of all the problems, you may want to get it replaced with better suited for long term reliability. If you hire a licensed plumber that has experience with Polybutylene pipe problems, your plumber will know the best coarse of action.
Where is My Polybutylene?
You could have polybutylene anywhere around your home. It could be outside where you have the pipes coming into the house, or you might have the pipes inside the house if it was built when everyone was using those pipes, especially in Georgia and other parts of the south.
Outside Pipe Replacement
These pipes that you are replacing will be dug out of the ground using a special tools, and the plumber will replace everything. If you chose only to repair leaking portions of bad water pipes, you could be setting yourself up for more problems later as other portions of the water lines will probably leak. Replace them all while you already have the plumber there. This is the complete solution for your pipes, and you will avoid issues later. There are various kinds of pipe replacements you can use, but you need to be sure that you have asked your plumber which pipe they think you should use.
Replacing Pipes Inside
You do not want your home to be ripped apart, and you should remember that the pipes will take time to replace. This is often called a repipe. You will see the pipes replaced throughout the house, and you will not have to worry about them falling apart over time. Why replace your old unreliable water pipes? Anything could happen, and you do not want a flood or burst to occur while you are trying to live comfortably in your home.
What Should You Use?
Your plumber will let you know which types of pipe to use, but it may change depending on where the pipes are. Plumbers who are skilled in the art of replacement know what your best alternatives are, but there is still an argument to be made for the copper pipes that people used to use before everyone got into using polybutylene pipes. You do not have to get copper pipes, but that might be the best choice for you over a long period of time even though it is more expensive.
Copper Pipes
Copper pipes are still the best choice for any house in America. There is a reason they were used for so long in the past, and you can have the copper pipes put in your home in the future. These pipes will work everywhere in the house, but you still need to see if you can use other kinds of pipes that might be just as good as something like copper that is a little cheaper.
CPVC
This is the way to go if you do not want to pay for copper pipes. You have so many things to choose from when you want your home to look and feel its best, but CPVC is the best thing that you can do for yourself. It is the cheapest thing you can use, but it is not going to fall apart like the polybutylene that was used in your home in the past. You need a cheaper kind of pipe, and this pipe will help you.
Your plumber knows how to work with CPVC, and they will show you how to get it installed in your home. It is still a little cheaper than any other the other things you might use, and this will help you avoid problems with the pipes in the future. You want to make sure that your home will be in safe condition, but the house cannot be safe if you are using something that will not work.
Leaks In Your Polybutylene
The first leak that you encounter with your polybutylene pipes is the time when you need to start thinking about getting something new. Almost every plumber you meet will tell you do the replacement right now so that you can avoid the leaks in the future. The leaks will keep happening until you have them all replaced, and you could have problems selling your house if you are selling it with the polybutylene pipe intact. People will know that your home is a plumbing nightmare.
You can get new pipes for your home that will be much better than the polybutylene pipes. The copper pipes that you buy will be fairly expensive, but they are still better for you than what you have now. Other people can go with the CPVC that is much stronger than older versions, and you can have it installed in all of your different parts of the house.