I have Qest (polybutylene) pipe in my thirty year home. We bought our home in 2007 and since then we have had two tiny pin hole leaks in the attic. Replacing those sections of pipe was pretty easy with the shark fittings. I am thinking of replacing all the Quest pipe in my home before we have any other leaks.
Should I get a pro to do it, or can I do it myself? I am reasonably handy and can figure things out.
If I decided to do this on my own is there a guide out there to help?
Best Answer
It's really difficult to say if you can do this yourself or not. It certainly could be a DIY job, though that doesn't mean it should be in your case.
The first thing I think you need to get is an understanding of the scope of this type of project. It will require tearing up walls to replace pipe, adding fittings, etc. During this time, you will have the water to your house turned off. How long this will take depends on how large your house is and the complexity of the plumbing system. Are you able to allocate enough dedicated time of your own to get this done in a reasonable amount of time? Do you have others living with you, and if so, how are they going to feel about not having water for some time?
If I were you, I'd bring in some pros if only to quote out the project. This will give you an idea of how complicated it is. If a master plumber tells you it will take him 5 solid days to do it, count on it taking you a lot longer - is this something you want to get yourself into?
If you want to take a trial and error approach, pick a small section that you feel comfortable working on, like a guest bathroom. Do the work - how long did it take? Were you able to successfuly complete it without outside assistance?
A lot of time DIY'ers start projects that they can't reasonably finish on-time, and this often leads to stress and unhappy spouses. It's OK to acknowledge that you are in over your head and you need a pro.
As far as resources, you will certainly find a lot of how-to's on the internet, but you will not find a guide on how to complete your house. Every project has some unique properties to it and this is where skill and experience really come into play.
Good luck!