Property risk
Poly-B plumbing
Installed widely in Alberta homes built roughly 1985 to 1997, and known for failing without warning.
What happens
Polybutylene supply piping — grey flexible pipe, usually with copper or plastic fittings — was installed extensively in Canadian homes from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. In Calgary that means a large share of housing built in that window.
Failures typically occur at fittings rather than in the pipe itself, and they occur without prior symptoms. Degradation is internal and progressive, so a system can behave normally until the moment it does not.
Chlorinated municipal water is understood to contribute to internal degradation over time, which means age of service matters more than visible condition.
Insurers treat it differently. Some decline properties with poly-B, some require replacement, and some apply restrictions. This is worth knowing before an extended vacancy, not after.
Why vacancy makes this worse
A no-warning failure in an occupied house is noticed immediately. The same failure in a vacant house runs at full supply pressure for the entire visit interval.
What a visit can observe
- Grey flexible plastic supply piping, typically visible in the mechanical room or basement ceiling
- Stamped markings such as "PB2110" on the pipe
- Home built between roughly 1985 and 1997 with no recorded replumb
- Staining or corrosion at fittings
- Prior leak history at fittings
Reducing the risk
- Determine whether the property has poly-B before an extended vacancy — a plumber or inspector can confirm quickly.
- Where present, shutting off the water supply during absence is a meaningfully stronger precaution than usual.
- Confirm with your insurer how poly-B affects your coverage and any vacancy conditions.
- Consider replacement, particularly if the property will be vacant repeatedly.
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