subject: Polybutylene Issues for Home Buyers [print this page] When buying a home, the list of items to check can be overwhelming. If you've fallen in love with a place, you will naturally want to rationalize the bad wallpaper, fixtures that can be replaced, or a yard with weeds. Your home inspector will look at everything and probably alert you to any major problems, including plumbing issues, but he may not look at the water pipes from a seriously critical point of view. They may not leak today, but what about in a year? Polybutylene replacement can be expensive, especially when they are the ones you can't see just by looking under the sink.
Most agree that copper pipes are the best, but many homes built in the 1970's to the 1990's used polybutylene pipes. This poly plastic resin gained popularity in the 20th century as a cheap alternative to copper that was quick to install and allowed builders to cut costs and corners, so they could move on to the next job.
Frequently, polybutylene pipes were crimped together at the joints in various ways. It is also not uncommon to see combinations of copper pipes and polybutylene pipe. Over time, the chlorine and other chemicals we use to clean our water corrode and degrade polybutylene, causing the polybutylene to become brittle, crack, and then leak. Polybutylene replacement ranges from cutting out sections of pipe to complete replacement.
We don't see most of the pipes that carry water in and out of our homes, but you can get an idea of the quality of the pipes in a home you're considering buying by looking for plastic. While there are different kinds of plastic pipes, if the home was built between 1978 and 1995 and you see plastic pipes or pipe fittings, they may be made of polybutylene. If this is the case you should consider consulting an expert who can give you more information about the pipes in your home.
Additionally, if you find plastic pipes in a home you are looking at, check for cracks and discoloration of the pipes. These can mean big problems down the road.
