How do I tell if I have Polybutylene pipes, and if I do, what do I do from here?

Polybutylene pipe (sometimes called PB or Poly-B pipe) is a non-rigid, usually gray but at times silver or black, plastic pipe used in plumbing for drinking water supply. PB pipe is not PVC or CPVC, which is a rigid white or off-white plastic pipe. PB was introduced in the late 1970s and has been used in approximately six million mobile homes, apartments, houses and other structures in the U.S. Half of the mobile homes and about 5% of the single-family houses in the U.S. are thought to employ PB for plumbing. The product has been sold under the popular trade names Qest, Thermoguard and Flex-Temp. Polybutylene pipe is a plastic plumbing product manufactured from plastic resin supplied by Shell Oil Company.

By the late 1980s, a number of PB plumbing systems began to experience problems with leaky fittings. Today, there are a number of class action lawsuits against the manufacturers as well as the installers. One of the largest (Cox v. Shell Oil Co., et al) has been settled for $950 million – the deadline for filing a claim was August 20, 1999. As of April 1996, the Shell Chemical Co. no longer supplied polybutylene resin for pipe applications in the U.S. With other class action lawsuits (Qest, Vanguard), a claim must be made within 13 years [with acetal fittings] or 16 years [with metal fittings] after the date of installation or before the year 2009, whichever comes first.

When the product first came out, acetal plastic fittings, made of a hard gray (sometimes white) plastic, were inserted into the pipe and clamped in place with an aluminum (and later a copper) band connecting the joints. These fittings were prone to cracking and leaks due to the different expansion characteristics of the plastics. As a result, metal fittings made of copper or brass were introduced. Although the metal fittings are more reliable, they still may suffer failures. The tools used to crimp these connectors needed to be carefully calibrated. Recent installations of PB piping systems use compression fittings that often have a plastic or metal nut to secure the seal. So far, this has solved the problem of leaks at the pipe connections.

The are a number of other factors that contribute to the leaks associated with PB plumbing systems. Although 90% of the leaks are at the joints in the piping due to poor joint connections using plastic insert fittings, 30% of the problems at the leaking joints are due to installation errors. Another defect is the pipe itself. The pipe is usually manufactured to withstand 100 pounds per square inch and a temperature of 180º F (82º C). To get more information on Polybutylene Piping, click Polybutylene Detailed Info and Claims Process.
 

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PB PIPING SYSTEMS FAILURES:

SOME PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE IF YOU HAVE  PB PIPE: