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Polybutylene pipe may be gray,
white, blue or black. White, or black pipe may not be
polybutylene. The safest way to check for polybutylene
is to have a professional
plumber thoroughly check the system. Polybutylene pipe
connectors can be copper,
brass, or plastic. The connector types are barbed with
a crimp ring or compression
with a plastic or metal ferrule.
Polybutylene is a form of
plastic resin that was used extensively in the manufacture
of
water supply piping from 1978 until 1995. Due to the low
cost of the material and ease
of installation, polybutylene piping systems were viewed
as "the pipe of the future" and were used as
a substitute for traditional copper piping. It is most
commonly found in the "Sun Belt" where residential
construction was heavy through the 1980's and early-to-mid
90's, but it is also very common in the Mid Atlantic and
Northwest Pacific states.
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The
piping systems were used for underground water mains and
as interior water distribution piping. Industry experts
believe it was installed in at least 6 million homes,
and some experts indicate it may have been used in as
many as 10 million homes. Most probably, the piping was
installed in about one in every four or five homes built
during the years in which the pipe was manufactured.
How to Tell If You Have Poly
Exterior - Polybutylene underground water mains are usually
blue, but may be gray or black (do not confuse black poly
with polyethelene pipe). It is usually 1/2" or 1"
in diameter, and it may be found entering your home through
the basement wall or floor, concrete slab or coming up
through your crawlspace; frequently it enters the home
near the water heater. Your main shutoff valve is attached
to the end of the water main. Also, you should check at
the water meter that is located at the street, near the
city water main. It is wise to check at both ends of the
pipe because we have found cases where copper pipe enters
the home, and poly pipe is at the water meter. Obviously,
both pipes were used and connected somewhere underground.
Interior - Polybutylene used inside your home can be found
near the water heater, running across the ceiling in unfinished
basements, and coming out of the walls to feed sinks and
toilets. Warning: In some regions of the country plumbers
used copper "stub outs" where the pipe exits
a wall to feed a fixture, so seeing copper here does not
mean that you do not have poly.
Will the Pipes Fail?
While scientific evidence is scarce, it is believed that
oxidants in the public water supplies, such as chlorine,
react with the polybutylene piping and acetal fittings
causing them to scale and flake and become brittle. Micro-fractures
result, and the basic structural integrity of the system
is reduced. Thus, the system becomes weak and may fail
without warning causing damage to the building structure
and personal property. It is believed that other factors
may also contribute to the failure of polybutylene systems,
such as improper installation, but it is virtually impossible
to detect installation problems throughout an entire system.
Throughout the 1980's lawsuits were filed complaining
of allegedly defective manufacturing and defective installation
causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Although
the manufacturers have never admitted that poly is defective,
they have agreed to fund the Class Action settlement with
an initial and minimum amount of $950 million. You'll
have to contact the appropriate settlement claim company
to find out if you qualify under this settlement.
Call Atlanta Commercial Plumbing today for information about poly
pipes and fittings. We offer free estimates within our
service areas.
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