Polybutylene Piping – What is it?

About your home from Jameson at Another Level Home Inspection LLC

Polybutylene piping (PB) is plastic piping that was used as a plumbing supply pipe from 1978 to 1995. The supply piping in the home is used to bring water into the house and supply the various fixtures such as water heaters and other appliances that utilize potable water. We still use plastic piping today, most commonly in the form of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) or chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC). So why haven’t you heard about PB? It was used in up to 10 million homes, primarily in the sunbelt area of the country, and manufacturing was ceased in 1996 after numerous claims of failure.

So why would I want to know more about it? Home inspectors rarely come across PB in our area, but we do find it occasionally. PB piping can be identified in a few ways. It is…