Poly B can be a household headache
By Lethbridge Herald on August 15, 2025.
Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald
Polybutylene. To the unfamiliar, this word means nothing. To others who have water pipes made of this substance – more commonly known as Poly B – it potentially means a need to hire a plumber for a repair that could cost thousands of dollars.
Poly B was commonly used by the residential construction industry from the 1970s through about 1997 to supply water through homes.
Developed in the U.S.as an alternative to copper, it became highly popular. According to the Alberta Real Estate Association, manufacturing of the flexible, lightweight resin piping stopped in 1998 in part because of complaints of failures of some early installations.
It was removed from the Canadian Plumbing Code in 1995 for use.
The AREA and Alberta government say that Poly B may have been installed in about 148,000 homes in this province. Most of these were done with brass or copper insert fittings or soft copper crimping rings, says the AREA which notes several factors came into play in what it calls “the relatively fast failure” of the piping, including prolonged UV exposure, prolonged exposure to high water heat or the heat of surrounding environments. Or even high chlorine water supplies.
“The fact is that Poly-B pipe most often does not change colour or appearance as it deteriorates, so, like other plumbing systems, there is no early warning if there is going to be a problem,” says the AREA, noting that it has a lifespan of roughly 20 to 30 years. The author of an AREA blog stated that his home, built in 1994, still has some Poly B pipes, so if there were aggravating factors in place causing its deterioration, they likely would have happened years ago.
So maybe the concerns for homeowners who have Poly B with no issues so far may not be that great.
In homes that have Poly B, owners could be facing issues with their insurance companies if leakage or breaks happen causing water damage. For people buying homes with Poly B water pipes, if they want insurance, that could be problematic from what I’ve read.
According to ATCO Energy, “it only takes a slight temperature or pressure change for the brittle plastic to crack, leaving you with water damage. From leaks and water damage to compromised structural integrity and health risks like mould, the impacts of neglecting Poly B piping can be overwhelming if not addressed.”
One insurance website states that a company could add a surcharge to a homeowner’s premium or give a deadline to have the Poly B replaced. Insurers could also deny water damage coverage or other coverage.
If you’re wondering if you have Poly B in your home, it should have an identifier stamped on the grey piping that says PB2110 and/or Poly B.
The cost of replacing Poly B will vary on numerous factors, from what I’ve read, including home size and the number of fixtures as well as the ability of a plumber to access water pipes.
THANK YOU: Just a quick note of thanks to the staff from both College Ford and Davis GMC Buick who stopped to offer their assistance when a control arm in my vehicle suddenly broke at the intersection of Crowsnest Trail and W.T. Hill Boulevard on Monday while I was enroute to breakfast. And also to the kind person behind me who asked if I was okay when my vehicle unexpectedly lurched to the right when the break occurred and the car came to a sudden stop – like running into a brick wall.
This is the type of situation where roadside assistance certainly comes in handy and one reason I’ll always be an Alberta Motor Association member. Just moments before the sudden stop, I had been travelling at speed on Crowsnest and had already come across Whoop-Up.
I’m afraid to think of the consequences if the break had occurred at those speeds. But I suspect somebody would be writing my obituary this week instead of me writing this column.
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