Polybutylene Plumbing Removal

What is Polybutylene Piping?

Polybutylene is a brand name of a very popular type of pipe used in residential and commercial installations. It hit the peak of its popularity in the latter part of the ’70’s and the ’80’s. It is not sold today! Polybutylene pipe is gray colored and flexible when used in a home and is blue colored when used in a yard. It is used for both hot and cold plumbing. Pieces of Polybutylene pipe are joined by using fittings of plastic or copper that are inserted into the pipe and then compressed with a copper band. The fittings may be of copper or a gray/blue colored plastic. The outer compression band is of copper and is crimped on with a tool that looks similar to a bolt cutter.

What’s the problem?

 Even though you might not have experienced a leak as of yet, the problem with polybutylene piping is still there. Polybutylene pipe itself is subject to deterioration and leaks. The plastic fittings harden, and leaks develop first at the fittings, but the pipe itself also hardens and becomes brittle. The use of copper fittings delay the onset of leaks, since the pipe ages much more slowly than the plastic fittings do. However, it is still a time bomb.

The fear is that homeowners insurance companies may begin to issue exclusions to homeowner’s policies for water damage to homes plumbed with polybutylene. In addition, the sale of a home plumbed with this material will probably become a disclosure item on a real estate listing or sale. In any event, a home inspector for a buyer would notice the polybutylene plumbing and would certainly call it to the attention of the buyer.

How do you know?

The first step is to verify that your home is indeed plumbed with polybutylene piping and that there were numerous plastic fittings of the type that developed leaks first. At Ace Empire Plumbing and Solar, we offer Video Inspections and Leak Detection.

What can you do?

The only solution to the problem would be to totally remove all Polybutylene plumbing from the house, including inside the walls and to replace it. Ace Empire Plumbing and Solar can solve this problem for you and offers this service, commonly referred to as Re-piping.