By Alan Trauger

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 used in lieu of copper piping. The piping systems were used for underground water mains, as well as interior water distribution piping.

Experts indicate that between 6 to10 million homes have polybutylene pipe installed. It has been discovered that as poly pipe ages and reacts with water soluble oxidants, it begins to degrade and can leak, causing severe damage to the surrounding building structure. The presence of poly piping can affect the homes value on the real estate market.

Poly pipe generally takes 10-15 years to begin to show signs of deterioration, therefore it is important to know what problems can be caused by its presence, and what can be done about it before it does pose a risk.

If your building was built between the late 70′s and mid 90′s, polybutylene pipes may have been installed and may still be there. This type of piping was used for both residential and commercial water distribution piping in buildings. There is an unusually high failure rate under normal operating conditions.

Although some poly piping problems stem from improper installation, most complaints are with the integrity of the piping itself. Polybutylene pipe is known to deteriorate due to contact with oxidants normally found in public water supplies. The failure can occur in the plastic fittings or in the pipe itself. A main concern regarding poly pipe is that, since the oxidants are carried in the water, the pipe deteriorates from the inside. This makes it very difficult to determine if the pipe is truly in good condition. Poly pipe leaks are unpredictable and there are no symptoms to warn of an impending leak. Some factors that affect polybutylene piping adversely can include:

• Poor installation

• Water quality

• Pipe age

• Chlorine levels

• Deterioration of fittings (both metal and plastic)

When polybutylene pipe reacts with the oxidants in normal tap water, it becomes brittle, sometimes scaling or flaking. This results in a fracturing of the interior surface of the pipe wall, which allows for more deterioration, resulting in leakage.

Insurance companies sometimes cancel or refuse policies for homes with known poly piping due to its unreliability as a plumbing system.

The primary manufacturer of polybutylene was the Shell Corporation which began production in 1977. However, as early as the 1980′s, leaking problems with the PB system arose. The primary cause of the leaks was assumed to be related to the acetal fittings. In the late 1960′s, Hoechst Celanese Corporation and the DuPont Corporation developed a polymer acetal resin that could be used in the manufacturing of plastic products. Acetal resin provides plastics with certain qualities such as stiffness, resistance to heat, wear and solvents. Acetal resin was later used to manufacture the plastic fitting first used with polybutylene piping.

However, later studies revealed that plastics containing the resin deteriorate when exposed to chlorine or chlorinated water. Due to this fact, the polymer acetal fittings were replaced by the use of copper or brass fittings. Even after the replacement of the acetal fittings, PB leaks continued. Due to the rising concern with the pipe, Shell, HCC, and DuPont formed the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center in an attempt to deal with customer complaints. The center was later use to handle the claims resulting from class action lawsuits brought against the manufacturers. The largest of the class action suits and one of the largest suits in US history is the Cox vs. Shell settlement of $950 million in 1995.

Alan Trauger is a Building Consultant that performs property condition assessments for residential and commercial properties. An experienced and knowledgeable problem solver, understanding processes and issues related to building structures and their systems. An expert witness, trainer, and educator. To view past newsletters on construction and buildings.
http://newsletters.alantrauger.com
To review authors bio, qualifications, and interest in receiving future email newsletters: http://www.alantrauger.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Trauger
http://EzineArticles.com/?Polybutylene-Piping-Failures&id=3597523

By Alan Trauger

Polybutylene Pipe (“PB”) is a non-rigid sometimes curved, usually gray (or possibly silver or black) plastic pipe used in indoor plumbing. The fittings / joints connected to the PB pipe, such as elbow and tee-shaped joints can either be gray acetal plastic inserts or copper / metal inserts. The poly pipe connectors are typically barbed with a crimp ring or compression with a plastic or metal ferrule.

The most effective way of identifying polybutylene pipe is to have your plumbing inspected by a plumber or knowledgeable home inspector. While inspectors generally can not determine if there is deterioration in poly piping, it can be confirmed if you have poly piping in your home. Poly piping can be used anywhere in the homes plumbing system – usually its presence can be ascertained by checking the attachments under household sinks, near hot water heaters, or leading into toilets. Other areas to observe could include basements, crawlspaces, or attics. Also look at exterior locations including the homes main water shutoff valve, or attachment to your homes water meter. Another area where poly piping may have been installed is the incoming water supply line to the home. If this incoming pipe is a light blue plastic pipe, it is likely that you have a type of poly pipe informally called “Big Blue”. This pipe is extremely prone to failure and unexpected bursting. If this type of pipe is observed as the incoming water supply line, it is recommended that it be replaced as soon as possibly. There is another type of piping, PEX piping – that is more reliable than poly piping but is also known to be colored blue. It should not be confused with poly piping.

Remediation / Replacement

The only way to eliminate the possibility of problems associated from deteriorating polybutylene piping is to replace the pipe itself. Fortunately, this procedure is relatively inexpensive and can be accomplished by a licensed plumber or re-pipe specialist. Poly piping runs behind the walls and under the floors of a home or building. It will be necessary to cut holes in the walls and floors to repipe, a professional can perform it with minimum of damage to walls, and other structures. Typically, it is not necessary to “chip up” slabs to replace the piping, as it can normally be accomplished through the attic, crawlspace, or trenching around the buildings exterior walls. The polybutylene class action law suit applied to homes with polybutylene installed between 1978 and 1995. There are still millions of homes with this installed piping across America. From a proactive position, it would be wise to have the home or building repiped prior to suffering water damage from burst piping. The average replacement cost for repipng an average one story home would generally be in the $3,000 range.

Alan Trauger is a Building Consultant that performs property condition assessments for residential and commercial properties. An experienced and knowledgeable problem solver, understanding processes and issues related to building structures and their systems. An expert witness, trainer, and educator. To view past newsletters on construction and buildings.

http://newsletters.alantrauger.com/

To review authors bio, qualifications, and interest in receiving future email newsletters http://www.alantrauger.com