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White PVC Drain Pipe Break (C) Daniel Friedman PB Pipe, Polybutylene Pipe in Buildings
Properties, uses, standards, defects, failure claims, class action + Polybutene (PB-1) Piping Information

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PB polubutylene plastic plumbing pipes:

This article describes the properties of polubutylene (PB) plastic piping and tubing used in buildings.

We include information about failures and problems with some generations of plastic pipes (PB or polybutylene) and we describe good building practice installation details where plastic piping is being installed.

The articles at this website will answer most questions about plastic building water supply and building drain piping products, failures, and claims as well as many other building plumbing system inspection or defect topics.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

PB Pipe: Polybutylene Plumbing Plastic Pipe Use, Installation Specs, Failures, Leaks, Claims, Settlements

Plastic drain piping (C) Daniel Friedman

Thumbnail: Polybutylene (Polybutylene) Plumbing (plastic pipes): gray plastic water supply piping cracked, leaked, and resulted in a class action and settlement.

PB or Polybutylene pipe material (photo at left, center horizontal piping) is gray plastic water supply piping that racked, leaked, and its early use resulted in a class action and settlement.

In 1995 a $950 million class action settlement, Cox v. Shell Oil Company, provided relief for damage due to leaks in Polybutylene plumbing (PB Plumbing) within certain age constraints. Periodic notices were to be provided to homeowners over a 12-year period (ending ca. 2007) as follows:

Owners who purchased a house, mobile home, or other structure in the United States after August 21, 1995, provided that the structure contained polybutylene piping with plastic or metal insert fittings when they purchased it, are included in the class. These individuals may have been entitled to free replacement of their plumbing if it leaked previously or in the future.

The Polybutylene Pipe Settlement case is now closed. Homeowners whose structures still contain problematic versions of PB plumbing may nevertheless find that their building or mobile home is damaged by leaks and needs repairs. However there is no longer relief provided under the class action suit.

By 2010 it would be uncommon to find problematic plastic piping in buildings as we expect that where leaks were a problem, they have in many if not most installations, been discovered and repaired by now.

However home inspectors and home buyers as well as building maintenance staff need to be alert for discovery of older problematic or leaky plastic piping in buildings.

When we see several types (colors) of plastic piping mixed together, especially on older renovation or handyman plumbing jobs we worry that amateur work may have omitted use of the proper pipe glues and sealants.

PB polybutylene pipe failures notice

But the majority of leak problems with polybutylene supply lines involve failure of plastic fittings. Fitting failure may lead to the need for system replacement.

This type of fitting was commonly used from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. Copper fittings were used in most installations from the late 1980s until the late 1990s. Failure of copper fittings is rare. Failure of the actual polybutylene piping also seems relatively uncommon.

For at least some of the extensive plastic pipe failure claims, an important factor in the PBS pipe failure mechanism included water that contained significant levels of chlorine.

See CHLORINE SOURCES in DRINKING WATER for related information.

Polybutylene water piping guidelines (C) Carson Dunlop Associates

Connections for PB or polybutylene water piping can be made without soldering, and the pipe is easy to work with, as Carson Dunlop's illustration (left) shows.

Our photo (below right) shows hot and cold water piping using these materials and fittings in a new building.

Polybutylene Piping failures

Polybutylene water piping guidelines (C) Carson Dunlop Associates

Polybutylene piping has been (PB) the source of considerable controversy due to failed fittings, especially first generation plastic fittings.- Home Reference Book, used with permission.

In this article (below) we include links to information about PB piping failures, claims, and litigation. -DF

Identification Photographs of PB (Polybutylene) Pipe & Piping Failures

PB Piping leak-prone Polybutylene PB2110 piping in a home inspected by BnB Home Inspection (C) InspectApedia.com & BnB home Inspections 2019Here are some better images from yesterdays inspection, this is a good article but has poor images of in the field PB in my opinion.

Photo:, Gray PB2110 PB (polybutylene) piping identifiied at a home inspection, photo courtesy of BnB Home Inspections

[Click to enlarge any image]

Reply:

BnB:

Thank you for the photo contributions; I'll add these PB identification photos and your comments in the article above.

 

Your photos include a mix of black ABS (DWV pipe), gray PB (Polybutylene) piping identified in your thoughtful photo showing pipe PB2110 markings (manufactured ca 1978-1995), and what looks like red and blue PEX (Cross-Linked Polyethylene) piping.

ABS (black) and probably PEX (red) drain and water supplyi piping photos (C) InspectApdia.com BnB Home Inspectins

Above

Special thanks to Brad Barbour, BNB Home Inspection Services, for clarifying that the "red" plastic pipe shown in his photographs is ALL polybutylene or PB pipe; the "red" pipes had been painted red, most likely to identify hot water lines.

Identifying bad PB piping such as PB2110 by color can be further misleading as that polybutylene piping was produced in both gray and dull or off-white colors. There are other gray or white "plastic" piping materials that are not PB, such as gray or even white PEX.

Plastic water pipes: Gray PB Polytbutylene (leak prone) pipes and p;robably red PEX piping in a home (C) InspectApedia.com BnB Home Inspections

I also see what looks like gray PB fittings (similar to Zurn PB fittings / connectors but probably a different brand) and plastic gray PB shutoff valve - leaking nicely;

Gray plastic possibly PB pipe fittings and plastic shutoff (C) InspectApedia.com BnB Home Inspections 2019

Below: corroded, leaky clamp fittings on the PB pipe installed in this same home. Again at right you can see the red-stripe painted on gray PB pipe carrying hot water.

Leaky corroded clamp fittings on gray PB polybutylene pipe made by Vanguard (C) InspectApedia.com  Brad Barbour BNB Home Inspections Washington State

Below:

Some of the identification markings on this Gray PB or Polybutylene plastic pipe showing the Vanguard® brand. This polytbutylene is PB2110.

These PB2110 polytbutylene pipe photos showing both gray PB pipe and red-painted gray PB pipe as well as some ABS drains were provided by Washington State home inspector Brad Barbour whose contact data we give below. Mr. Barbour notes that

These photos were taken from a 1989 Manufactured home. I saw The Vanguard markings on the piping as well, but this was not a Vanguard Manabloc set-up, [Photo below].

Gray polybutylene pipe or PB piping made by Vanguard,(C) InspectApedia.com photo courtesy Brad Barbour, BNB Home Inspections

[Click to enlarge any image]

Watch out: when relying on the color of plastic pipe to identify its type. Identifying PB pipe, PEX, or other plastic pipes by depending on color (red or blue) can trick us.

Pipe may have been painted; some of the PB pipe in Barbour's photos had been painted red. Click to enlarge those images and you can see the peeling red paint and the gray PB plastic below.

Similarly, we may also encounter gray PEX water supply piping, for example the Zurn PEX Non-Barrier Tubing & Zurn Q3PC100X shown below.

Gray PEX plastic tubing cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Above: this tubing is PEX not Polybutylene. Most plastic piping products are stamped with the piping type, the manufacturer, and other information.

ABS pipes are discussed at ABS PLASTIC PIPE

PEX piping is discussed separately at PEX PIPING INFORMATION

PB Pipe: Polybutylene Pipe Failures, Claims, Litigation, Contact Information (now obsolete)

White PVC Drain Pipe Break (C) Daniel FriedmanOur photograph of a broken white Schedule 40 PVC sewer line in a crawl area (left) illustrates what can happen to this material if a sewer line is blocked and exposed to freezing.

Case Law Citation for Polybutylene Piping Failures

Tina Cox et. al., Plaintiffs vs. Shell Oil Company, et. ano., Defendants, Civil Action 18,844, Notice of Class Action and Settlement, in the Chancery Court for Obion County Tennessee, at Union City, Tennessee, settlement approved on November 17, 1995. The class included all owners and past owners of structures ... with a certain type of plumbing ...

Watch out: as of December 2016, all of the PB pipe class action, claims, litigation, and settlement websites, links, and claims administrators listed below had been removed from internet access and the links return either a 404 not-found error message or they link to plumbing contractors who purchased the links to obtain business.

Below we include excerpts from original polybutylene piping class action settlement claims data and we show the original links and sources for historic reasons even though, as we indicate, those web page links no longer produce useful content.

PB pipe failure images, class settlements now closed - at InspectApedia.com PB pipe failure images, class settlements now closed - at InspectApedia.com

These images included a claim eligibility form showing that the claims were to be mailed to the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center, CPRC, POB 969006, Plano TX 75086 Tel: 800 392 7591.

PB pipe failure images, class settlements now closed - at InspectApedia.com

To the best of our knowledge as of 12/17/2016, of the images were published by that claims settlement agency - last updated on 3/8/1996 and now defunct.

PB pipe failure images, class settlements now closed - at InspectApedia.com PB pipe failure images, class settlements now closed - at InspectApedia.com

Watch out: all of the PB piping class action lawsuit settlement links are dead - Editor.

Recommendations (Specifications) for PB Polybutylene Water Pipe Installation

Industry associations, including the Polybutylene Product Line Committee of the Plastic Pipe & Fittings Association have made recommendations for successful installation of polybutylene piping systems, including those listed below.

Frankly by 2010 we were never seeing PB installations in buildings at which all of the recommendations below were followed and OPINION it may be that industry experts no longer consider all of the 1990 recommendations necessary.

PB Polybutylene & Polybutene (PB-1) Piping Installation, Standards, Guides

Polybutene piping as described by the PBPSA Polybutene Piping Systems Association cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

Illustration: modern or contemporary Polybutene piping, described by the PBPSA cited below.

Note: Polybutene is often referred to as Polybutene-1, Polybutylene, PB-1 or PB.

Polybutene is not sold by PBPSA members for use in pipe applications intended for use in North America, and those parties require their customers or distributors not to sell products made from Polybutene into pipe applications for North America. - PBPSA cited below.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2023-07-22 by InspectApedia Publisher - could old piping stock be used after discontinuation date

@Chris B,

We can't be certain without seeing any identifying markings on your drain trap parts but I wouldn't rule out that a builder used old stock made before 1996 in a home built in 1996.

That doesn't look like a high-risk part nor location - any leaks would be quite visible. In any event if that's the only plastic drain pipe that raises a concern, it's happily in a location that makes it easy and inexpensive to simply replace the part.

A complete pop up sink strainer assembly in chromed brass costs less than $25. as illustrated by these parts from Canadian Tire.

See details at

PB POLYBUTYLENE (PB) PIPES - you are on this page

PB PIPE FAILURE CLAIMS

and don't hesitate to post photos of any markings on your piping or to add follow-up thoughts or questions.


pop-up sink drainer assembly Cited and Discussed at InspectApedia.com

[Ed. note: this question was originally posted on our home page and moved to this relevant topic page.]

On 2023-07-21 by Chris B

My home was built in 1996. Does it have grey PVC, or poly B? It was an entire neighborhood, if poly b was banned in 95 would our town allow this?

gray piping under sink (C) InspectApedia.com Chris B


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