POLY-B (or POLYTBUTYLENE) REPLACEMENT
Ensure your home is not exposed to Poly-B.
Poly B, also known as Polybutylene, is a semi-flexible grey pipe used in residential plumbing systems. It was installed in between the years of 1985 and 1997 because of its flexibility, low cost, and ease of installation. Estimates are that in Canada there are over 700,000 houses that have Poly-B installed before it was discontinued. Every single one of these homes is at risk of poly-b failure. As time passes it becomes more of a risk for failure. It’s not a matter of if but when it fails.
Why should I replace my Poly-B plumbing?
1) Poly-B in a home is degraded by the chlorine found in the water. Chlorine will make the pipes brittle over time and will eventually lead to pinhole leaks or even a complete pipe failure. If not caught early this can lead to damaging your home, even worse you may not detect this damage.
2) Homeowners may experience difficulty in securing insurance and Poly-B plumbing can discourage potential buyers from purchasing your home in the future.
Why can you do about Poly-B?
Eventually, all Poly-B will fail and ideally it should be replaced before the risk of failure. If replacing is not a current option there are some steps you can take to slow down the rate of failure.
Replace plastic fittings:
Some fittings were made of plastic and often failed over time. It is easy to check if you have plastic fittings and they should be replaced copper or brass fittings.
Lower water pressure:
Pressure-reducing valves can be installed to reduce the water pressure, this reduces the stress on the pipes and fittings and may extend the life of your Poly-B pipes.
Reduce chlorine:
Chlorine in water can speed up the degradation of poly-B pipes. Installing a filter to remove chlorine before the water comes into your home.
Reduce your heat:
Hot water will make Poly-B pipes degrade quicker. Consider lowering the minimum acceptable level. BC Hydro recommends setting the tank to no lower than 55 degrees.
See Why Our Customers Trust Acorn Service Group
On what may seem like the wettest day of the year so far, Chris and James worked effortlessly to get our new gas fireplace installed. Super friendly and hard working I would 100% recommend them and am already looking to book them for my annual boiler service.
Sarah Cooper
21:51 29 Aug 23
Acorn service group came out to install a new combi unit (hot water on demand and boiler). The team here was awesome. They were so great about removal of old unit (our house is an old renovated cottage) the boiler was the last item. Kyle who arrived with his right hand guy was so professional and did a great job. Definitely give them a call I would in a minute use them again. Thank you Acorn, we now has a little more space in our laundry room…..
Linda Mitchell
17:19 06 Aug 23
Acorn has been nothing but exceptional! I had a new heat pump installed a few months ago and just recently received a service call for a strange noise coming from my exchange unit. I replaced the filter but the noise was still there, unfortunately or fortunately when the technician came on site we discovered that the noise was from a loose duct tape which was embarrassing. The technician could have called it a day and moved on to the next call. But he didn't and decided to just go over the exchange unit to ensure that there were no other issues. Luckily he did find a small gas leak which he resolved and to my pleasure knowing that the extra time and dedication from the technician resolved a safety issue for my family.From Sales, Installation to Support Acorn has been fantastic and I would recommend Acorn to my friends and family.
Robert Chan
16:17 02 Aug 23
It was time to upgrade our furnace and water tank, immediately and obviously we thought of Acorn for the job. Colin and Wes were the technicians sent for the installation. Both of these guys were amazing! They were kind, tidy, informative and best of all showed up when they said they would. They ensured a seemless transition into our new heat pump and hot water tank. We were soooooo pleased with the service they provided! Thanks again Colin and Wes - your service went above and beyond our expectations 😊
Michelle Reynolds
02:53 02 Aug 23
Solid service. Ke was efficient at identifying the problem and getting the heat pump running again.
C Shum
21:08 01 Aug 23
Acorn installed a heat pump and on-demand hot water tank for me. All of the gentleman that installed the equipment were very professional, prompt, honest, and worked quickly to minimize any disruption to my home. I would recommend this company to anyone requiring plumbing, heating, or cooling services. They also assisted me with applying for a number of rebates to minimize the cost.
Josie Kozack
17:03 01 Aug 23
We had a furnace and heat pump installed in June by Acorn. From the estimate to the installation to the help with getting the rebate everyone we dealt with was very helpful and professional. I highly recommend them!
Glenn Paterson
18:42 12 Jul 23
I have a geothermal heatpump that was installed in 2006 which is obviously getting near the end of its life.Jamie was fantastic to have over at my apartment to get my heatpump blowing the coldest air this heatpump has ever been.I am very impressed with your company , prices and the quality of service Jamie performed as these heatpumps are located in the ceiling above the washing machine which makes it incredibly difficult to repair Jamie answered all my questions and concerns and I will definitely be buying a heatpump from your company and getting it installed with your company as I am very impressed and couldn't be happier with the service provided
Mike Harding
23:06 10 Jul 23
Jamie, Chris and Kyle were amazing in helping to get my new Yorke heat pump installed and working.Chris and Kyle were great and spent the entire day setting up the new pump, getting everything installed.Jamie was amazing and came out to ensure everything was working properly and to make final adjustments with regards to the functioning of the pump and getting the thermostat to work.Can't say enough about this team - everyone has been amazing, thorough and attentive.*Separately... Acorn USED to be based out of Boundary Bay and directly in front of my parents house. I KNOW how amazing the crew is from the ownership on down due to their care and attention in parking their trucks so my mother never had an issue in gaining access to her driveway. Great people.
Wade Scheer
22:02 20 Jun 23
Acorn diagnosed the problem with our furnace quickly and then ordered the part. They kept us up to date as to the part delivery and then installed it right away. We have heat again. Hooray! Thanks Acorn.
Karen Simpson
16:15 18 Jun 23
Adam came to service our furnace and tankless water heater and the experience was fantastic! Super friendly, professional, efficient, and knowledgeable. I’ll definitely continue to use Acorn for any of our home maintenance needs!
Jaclyn Keene
02:18 10 Jun 23
Acorn Plumbing is amazing!Murphy's law happened and we lost our water heater and furnace at the same time - late in the day. I called Acorn and they sent a technician to check it out the next morning, bright and early.The equipment was old so they ended up installing a new tankless water heater and heat pump, the next week. There were a few bumps along the road, with our old equipment and Acorn went above and beyond to make sure we had hot water over the weekend, when the hot water tank died.I can't say enough about the excellent service technicians (multiple excellent, skilled experts), and very helpful office staff, who make sure our experience was excellent.Thank you to Kyle, Ian, Nolan, Adam, Colin, Dante, Malcolm, and Wes and all the staff at Acorn. You are all awesome!
M GA
22:37 29 May 23
We would highly recommend Acorn for all your heating and cooling needs!! Big thanks to all the staff, Shane, Ian Chris , Kyle , Matt and the office admin team as well!! Great job!! Allan and Janice B
AJ Blitzstein
16:44 15 May 23
Great service. Service techs who have been sent have all been professional and friendly. I would recommend Acorn for your heating and plumbing needs.
Kamal P
17:01 27 Apr 23
This review is by Steve Blake. I am extremely pleased with the work done by Kyle and Chris yesterday when they installed a new hot water heating system for my garage. The system works perfectly. Kyle was very professional explaining what they were doing each step of the way. He consulted with me to make sure everything was installed where and how I wanted. Chris excelled at the electrical work and showed great initiative doing things, including cleanup, without being told. Both of these fellows were friendly, polite, caring, and very concerned that I ended up with a heated garage and equipment that was easy to operate. They both went over the instructions to make sure I knew how to operate and adjust the system. I give full marks to both Kyle and Chris!
Susan Blake
01:07 21 Apr 23
A shout out for the entire crew at Acorn Service Group. We recently purchased a fireplace insert through them and found their service to be exceptional. Their sales rep Shawn came over to view our place before he would recommend any of their products. After seeing our place he made his recommendation & then arranged to meet us at the Regency showroom to view the different models. The one he originally recommended was the most appropriate for our situation as the other models gave off too much heat even on the lowest setting.We had shopped around & had spoken with 2 other suppliers who had preferred to give us a quote & then offered to come by to check the premises. When we explained that the room was not overly large & the models we were viewing seemed to give off too much heat no one directed us to a more appropriate model.The installation crew Austin, James & Diarmuid were on time and very professional. They made the custom alterations on site to fit the original masonry opening and James looked at the furnace & added a fan switch at for nominal cost. James then explained the components along with the remote functions.I highly recommend Acorn Service Group for all your heating needs.
Philip Schoenfeld
03:47 14 Apr 23
Tankless water heater and gas furnace service
Jeff Knauer
21:22 21 Mar 23
Ahead of schedule service fast on repair. Definitely recommend acorn, plumbing and heating.
Ron Bethueser
18:14 13 Mar 23
I totally recommend Acorn to help with anything needed with heating and plumbing. Efficient, super helpful and knowledgeable technicians on the two occasions that I have had them here over the past few years.Today I was delighted to be able to ask the advice of Dennis (the technician who was here to do a check over of my furnace) about a problem that had been bugging me for years with the noisy fan of my fireplace. I was thrilled that he was able to quickly troubleshoot the issue and is now arranging with his Acorn colleague to see about ordering a replacement part.I also was able to learn more about my furnace and after seeing the filter that it would be advisable to have the ducts cleaned (I have 3 big dogs). I was able to get a referral to reliable company with a 10% discount—again, supportive, helpful and efficient.The technician also checked my water tank and offered very helpful advice (and will ask his Acorn colleagues to check (via the tank’s serial numbers) as to what it’s longevity is before it should be replaced. I am a big fan of being proactive to avoid “disasters” such as a leaking tank so I am feeling relieved about the water tank (which has been on my mind for a while).What I really appreciate is the support and assistance through the technician’s helpful attitude, knowledge, efficiency plus follow through which for me translates to peace of mind as a homeowner.Having a quality company that I can trust and depend on translates to peace of mind. I totally recommend Acorn Plumbing and Heating.
Wendy Steeves
23:57 11 Mar 23
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