If you own a home in Perth that was built between 2017 and 2022, you may have heard about the problems with Iplex Typlex 1050 pipe.
Around 12,000 to 15,000 homes across Western Australia had this type of pipe installed, and homeowners have experienced burst pipes and serious water damage, sometimes with very little warning.
So, what is the problem?
The pipe involved is Iplex Pro-fit Typlex 1050, a type of polybutylene water pipe.
Around 2017, Iplex changed the resin used to manufacture the pipe, and the new Typlex 1050 pipe was then used in a large number of new homes.
Homeowners began reporting burst pipes and leaks, particularly from around 2020 onwards. The issue became more widely known when major Perth builder BGC reported dealing with almost seven burst pipe reports a day at one point.
BGC said the affected pipe had been installed in almost 12,000 homes.
WA’s Building and Energy regulator investigated the issue and found that workmanship was not the cause of the pipe failures in the homes it inspected and the cause was due to the change in pipe resin.
Could your home have Iplex pipe?
If your home was built or had plumbing work carried out between mid-2017 and mid-2022, it’s worth finding out whether Typlex 1050 pipe was installed.
The affected pipe is generally grey and has markings along it that can identify it as Iplex, Typlex or Typlex-1050.
Don’t wait for the next burst
If you own or are buying a Perth home built during this period, it’s worth finding out what type of plumbing is installed before a pipe fails and causes significant damage. This is something we provide with our pre-purchase home inspections.
Questions people often ask-What if we can’t afford a repipe now?
A lot of clients we deal with don’t always have the funds to straight away remove all the faulty pipework and have all new pipes installed.
That’s why we tailor a plan for the repairs based on every client’s budget, we can carry out the new pipework installation in 1-2 or 3 stages breaking down the cost over a time period that suits the client.
The airbag of the plumbing world – Smart Water Shut-Off Valves
Think of a smart water shut-off valve as the airbag of your plumbing system. You hope you never need it, but if something goes wrong, you’ll be glad it’s there.
We install smart water shut-off valves that connect to an app on your phone, allowing you to monitor your home’s water usage and keep an eye on what’s happening with your plumbing.
If the system detects a significant leak or sudden increase in water flow, it can automatically shut off the mains water supply to your property. This can help limit the amount of water released and reduce the risk of major flooding and water damage, it also has a holiday/away mode so you can be on holiday with peace of mind knowing you won’t be coming home to any surprises.
For homeowners with Iplex/Typlex pipe, it’s an added layer of protection while you plan your repairs or re-piping.
It won’t fix faulty pipework — but it’s a smart safety net that can potentially save you when you least expect.
