Polybutylene Plumbing-The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Let’s start with a little history about polybutylene plumbing. Polybutylene is a plastic resin that was used extensively in water supply piping from 1978 until 1995. With its lower cost and ease of installation polybutylene was considered the pipe of the future. It was used as a substitute for copper and was most commonly found in the Sunbelt, Mid Atlantic and Northwest Pacific states. Industry experts believe polybutylene was installed in a minimum of 6 million homes during its manufacturing time frame.
The Good
When it was initially installed, the plumbing job was less expensive for the builder and therefore the first owner of the home would have been able to save a little money.
The Bad
It is believed that due to the oxidants in our public water supplies, such as chlorine, that a reaction occurs between the polybutylene and the oxidant causing the piping to fail. This failure can be due to stress crazing in the piping which creates a very small crack which leads to water intrusion into areas of the home where water is not intended to be. The damage caused by the flooding to the structure as well as personal property can be devastating. Just as victims of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf Coast have found out, replacing damaged personal property may never be accomplished.
The Ugly
Although the manufacturers have never admitted that polybutylene is a defective product, they did provide approximately $950 million dollars to fund a class action law suit. Unfortunately the time limit on this law suit has expired and if you have polybutylene plumbing inside your home you are out of luck. The truly ugly part of this is that the question is not if the polybutylene is going to fail but when it’s going to fail.
What If You Have Polybutylene Plumbing
The most important thing to consider is that with interior polybutylene plumbing you are living with a ticking water bomb. I have seen the value of homes that have polybutylene be diminished considerably or inspectors throw up red flags during the inspection period, sometime even killing the sale. On his radio show, I’ve heard Atlanta based consumer advocate Clark Howard go so far as to recommend that buyers not purchase homes with interior polybutylene plumbing. So if you have polybutylene plumbing the best advice is to get it replaced.
I thought that replumbing a home would be a major ordeal. While it is not the most pleasant activity there are companies that specialize in polybutylene repipe. In Metro Atlanta we are fortunate to have one of the industry leaders, Delta Mechanical. I have used them to assist my clients in the past and will do so in the future. Not only do they provide an excellent service but they leave the home in an undisturbed manner. Where walls are cut they repair and repaint them. After they are done you almost don’t know they were there except for your peace of mind.
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3 Responses to “ Polybutylene Plumbing-The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ”
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Very nice article! Being a local home inspector here in Atlanta, I’d say you did a fine job explaing the issues on poly….
These are the exact types of pipes I have been having trouble with. They are more inexpensive and easy to install, but in my experience they do not hold up as well as other pipes. Your rundown is accurate and thorough - thanks!
Home Inspector and California Plumber, Thanks for stopping by. The pictures in this article were actually taken at a repipe job done last week in Suwanee, GA.