Polybutylene is a polymer that is often confused with polybutene, which has a different repeating unit. Polybutylene is created using the chemical formula (C4H8)n and is often used as a pure resin to replace other materials such as metal, rubber, and other engineering polymers. Polybutylene was widely used in the construction of houses and water pipes between 1978 and 1995, throughout the United States and Canada. However, its use was banned in 1995 in both countries, and here we will see why it was used and why it was banned.
Polybutylene was created to be the “pipe of the future” and was used as a substitute for copper pipes. It was very cheap to create, cheap to install, and was believed to be extremely resistant to traditional wear and tear, unaffected by corrosion, and easy to maintain and replace. However, throughout the 1980s reports of faulty manufacturing and engineering began to surface, which was causing pipes to fail across the country. This eventually caused millions of dollars in property damage due to leaks in homes and groundwater supplies. While the manufacturers of the pipes have never openly admitted that they are defective, they have settled class action lawsuits to the tune of nearly a billion dollars.
Oxidizers in water supplies are believed to react with pipes and fittings, causing them to flake and flake, eventually becoming brittle. This results in small fractures along the length of the pipe and, over time, reduces the overall integrity of the entire piping system. After a certain period of time, pipes can fail without warning, causing extensive property damage if the problem is not located and contained immediately.
Today, the use of polybutylene has been banned, but it is still estimated that there are several million homes that still have this type of pipe. If you think your home might have polybutylene pipes, you can verify this quite easily by examining the pipes around sinks, toilets, and other water fixtures. Compare the pipes you have with photos of polybutylene pipes online. If you have polybutylene in your home, you probably want to replace it or at least have it inspected as soon as possible to prevent failure. Calling your local plumber can help you determine what steps will be necessary to repair or replace your polybutylene pipe.