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What is Polybutylene?
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.
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.
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