It may be necessary to actually reside in a home for a period of time to learn of certain types of plumbing problems that, due to the concealed nature of the pipes used in plumbing, are not readily apparent in a pre-purchase home inspection. Plumbing problems can be very expensive to repair and may involve substantial disruption and loss of use when it becomes necessary to open up walls or even cut slabs to reach the offending pipes. In the past several decades, huge problems have arisen due to the extensive use of Polybutylene piping. Poly piping is a low-cost piping formed of plastic resin. It is commonly gray, white, or sometimes black in color. Poly piping is employed as a substitute for copper piping in both underground water mains and interior plumbing. Due to the ease of installing poly piping, it was used in the construction of millions of homes throughout the U.S. between 1978 and 1995; however, it has been discovered that as poly pipe ages and reacts with water-soluble oxidants, it begins to degrade and can leak, causing severe damage to the surrounding building structure. Therefore, even if there has never yet been a leak, the existence of Poly piping represents a potential disaster waiting to happen, and if a seller is aware of the existence of Poly piping, the presence of the piping must be disclosed to a potential buyer. Real Estate Brokers selling homes containing Poly piping are required, due to their presumed experience with Poly piping, to make full disclosure to potential buyers and may be liable for non-disclosure if this problem is concealed.

If you have purchased a home and are now experiencing Plumbing Problems that were not disclosed, please call us at 1-800-306-6010 or contact us online.

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