Polybutylene Pipes: What to Know & How to Identify (2024)

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Nov 23, 2021

Polybutylene pipe was manufactured from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s by Shell Oil. It was a plastic, flexible pipe that was used for building new homes, mostly in the southern United States. The pipes began to have issues with leaks in the ’90s, leading Shell to cease production in 1995. A class-action lawsuit filed in 1996 awarded over $1 billion to plaintiffs to cover the cost to re-pipe more than 320,000 homes.

There are still homes with polybutylene piping systems in them, so homebuyers and homeowners alike should know about the existence of this pipe given its tendency to cause leaks and water damage. Read on to learn how to identify polybutylene and how to replace it.

Plumbing Basics: Cutting, Joining, and Forming Pipe $225.00 USD | 4H 30M Preview Course

What is polybutylene pipe?

Polybutylene, or PB, is a plastic resin manufactured by Shell Oil between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s. It was touted as innovative piping material thanks to its flexibility, heat and freeze resistance, and the fact it was cheaper than copper. However, as more homeowners experienced leakage issues with polybutylene pipes, a chemical reaction was found to degrade the plastic. Chlorine in drinking water reacted with the plastic, causing cracks that led to pipe or fitting failure. These leaks also led to water damage and mold growth in homes across the US.

Around this time, the University of Illinois at Chicago published a study on polybutylene plastic showing that certain chemicals in water react with PB piping, leading the fittings to become brittle, flake apart, and erode. According to the study, these small cracks can deepen with time, eventually causing the pipe to fail.

There are still homes with PB piping installed, so homebuyers and homeowners alike should be aware of potential issues with the material.

How to identify PB piping

Polybutylene piping can be identified by the following characteristics:

  • ½ inch to 1 inch in diameter.
  • Water supply piping only, not used for drains or vents.
  • May be stamped “PB2110”.
  • Generally gray or white in color, but may also be blue, black, or silver.
  • Found mainly in the southern US.
  • May be used as supply lines to plumbing fixtures or a water heater.
  • May be used as the main water supply line, underground.
  • Typically installed in basements, crawl spaces, and other unfinished areas.

Replacement options for PB pipe

If you believe you have PB pipe in your home, the first thing you need to do is call a licensed plumber. They will confirm the existence of the PB pipe, drain your plumbing system, and inspect the inside of the pipe with a camera to check its condition.

Replacing all water pipes is the best option for dealing with a home that has PB pipe, and replacing them before you have an issue may spare you having to deal with water damage and mold growth later. PB pipe can be replaced with either copper piping or PEX pipe.

Polybutylene pipe was manufactured from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s by Shell Oil. It was a plastic, flexible pipe that was used for building new homes, mostly in the southern United States. The pipes began to have issues with leaks in the ’90s, leading Shell to cease production in 1995. A class-action lawsuit filed in 1996 awarded over $1 billion to plaintiffs to cover the cost to re-pipe more than 320,000 homes.

There are still homes with polybutylene piping systems in them, so homebuyers and homeowners alike should know about the existence of this pipe given its tendency to cause leaks and water damage. Read on to learn how to identify polybutylene and how to replace it.

Plumbing Basics: Cutting, Joining, and Forming Pipe$225.00 USD | 4H 30MPreview Course

What is polybutylene pipe?

Polybutylene, or PB, is a plastic resin manufactured by Shell Oil between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s. It was touted as innovative piping material thanks to its flexibility, heat and freeze resistance, and the fact it was cheaper than copper. However, as more homeowners experienced leakage issues with polybutylene pipes, a chemical reaction was found to degrade the plastic. Chlorine in drinking water reacted with the plastic, causing cracks that led to pipe or fitting failure. These leaks also led to water damage and mold growth in homes across the US.

Around this time, the University of Illinois at Chicago published a study on polybutylene plastic showing that certain chemicals in water react with PB piping, leading the fittings to become brittle, flake apart, and erode. According to the study, these small cracks can deepen with time, eventually causing the pipe to fail.

There are still homes with PB piping installed, so homebuyers and homeowners alike should be aware of potential issues with the material.

How to identify PB piping

Polybutylene piping can be identified by the following characteristics:

  • ½ inch to 1 inch in diameter.
  • Water supply piping only, not used for drains or vents.
  • May be stamped “PB2110”.
  • Generally gray or white in color, but may also be blue, black, or silver.
  • Found mainly in the southern US.
  • May be used as supply lines to plumbing fixtures or a water heater.
  • May be used as the main water supply line, underground.
  • Typically installed in basements, crawl spaces, and other unfinished areas.

Replacement options for PB pipe

If you believe you have PB pipe in your home, the first thing you need to do is call a licensed plumber. They will confirm the existence of the PB pipe, drain your plumbing system, and inspect the inside of the pipe with a camera to check its condition.

Replacing all water pipes is the best option for dealing with a home that has PB pipe, and replacing them before you have an issue may spare you having to deal with water damage and mold growth later. PB pipe can be replaced with either copper piping or PEX pipe.

Most home insurance policies won’t cover homes with PB pipes, or may charge more due to the potential damage of not replacing them. If you’re planning to buy a home that has PB piping, these policies may require you to get the pipe replaced before the sale is finalized.

If replacement isn’t an option due to cost, you can cut out the bad section of the pipe and replace it with PEX. Special fittings are required since PB pipe is no longer on the market. Your plumber can advise you on these repairs until you can afford to replace all PB pipes in your home.

The bottom line

Shell ceased manufacturing PB pipe in the mid-1990s, but there are still many homes in the US that have it installed. Homebuyers need to know about PB pipe and what to do if it’s found in their home or one they’d like to purchase, as it can lead to significant leaking issues.

Plumbers recommend replacing all water piping in the home to ensure that no leaks occur. Most homeowners’ insurance won’t cover homes with PB pipe, or they’ll charge a premium to cover the cost of potential repairs. Replacing the pipe before the sale is final is likely the best course of action.

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Polybutylene Pipes: What to Know & How to Identify (4)

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Mary-Anne Bowcott is a residential and commercial plumber, certified gas fitter, and owner of Westcom Plumbing and Gas Ltd. She received the 2016 and 2018 Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce Trades and Skilled Labour Excellence Award and the British Columbia Construction Industry Leadership Award in 2018. She was named Canadian Construction Association’s Person of the Year in 2019. A champion of women in the building trades, Mary-Anne mentors tradeswomen to help promote positive change within the industry. When she’s not running her business or tackling plumbing and roofing projects, you can find her rock climbing, exploring the outdoors, surfing, or crushing a CrossFit workout.

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Polybutylene Pipes: What to Know & How to Identify (2024)

FAQs

Polybutylene Pipes: What to Know & How to Identify? ›

Identifying Polybutylene

How to identify polybutylene piping? ›

Polybutylene piping can be identified by the following characteristics:
  1. ½ inch to 1 inch in diameter.
  2. Water supply piping only, not used for drains or vents.
  3. May be stamped “PB2110”.
  4. Generally gray or white in color, but may also be blue, black, or silver.
  5. Found mainly in the southern US.
Nov 23, 2021

What does poly b pipe look like? ›

Poly-b piping is generally a light grey plastic pipe with copper fittings and elbows. You can easily identify if your home's plumbing has poly-b fittings by removing a few ceiling tiles in your basement, such as in your utility room, and viewing the grey pipes in the ceiling of your basement.

What color was polybutylene plumbing pipe? ›

Polybutylene pipes can be the trademark blue color, but they can also be black or gray. If your water main pipe is blue, black, or gray plastic, you may have polybutylene. These pipes were often paired with copper connectors. Look for the letters “PB” or “QEST” printed on the pipes.

How can you tell the difference between PEX and polybutylene? ›

Polybutylene pipe was commonly used from 1978 – 1995 and is a gray flexible pipe. PEX is a plastic flexible pipe that comes in white, blue, orange, red and a translucent milky white clear. This piping came about to replace polybutylene plumbing.

Is all grey pipe polybutylene? ›

Beware of gray pipes: Polybutylene is a gray tube that carries potable water through many homes. PB is pretty much the only gray water pipe ever installed in homes. PB tubing found in homes will have a dimeter of 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, or 1 inch.

Do polybutylene pipes need to be disclosed? ›

What to Know When Selling a Home That Has Polybutylene? If you are a seller, you should disclose all known conditions that the buyers need to know about the property including the likelihood of leaky pipes.

How to identify polyethylene pipe? ›

National and International standards require that the PE pipe and fittings are clearly marked with the grade of PE from which they are manufactured on the outer surface together with other information including: manufacturer's name or trade mark; code for the compound used; diameter and pressure rating; and date, or a ...

How do you identify PEX-B? ›

PEX-A will clearly say PEX-A, while PEX-B will say — you guessed it — PEX-B. Easy peasy. The second way is to identify the style of fittings. PEX-B will have metal rings — either cramp or clamp — whereas the PEX-A uses an expansion ring made out of PEX or a similar material.

Do insurance companies cover polybutylene pipe? ›

In general, insurance companies do not provide coverage within homeowners insurance policies for polybutylene pipes. They are simply too much of a liability as they are easily damaged and will break down, burst, and damage the home.

What is the code for polybutylene pipe? ›

It is also generally marked with the code “PB2110.” Throughout the late 70s through the late 90s, PB became a very popular alternative material for many plumbers in the US and Canada, and it was said to have been installed in around 10 million homes during its prominence.

What are the characteristics of polybutylene pipes? ›

Polybutylene pipe has good resistance to freezing temperatures, maintaining long-term durability in heating and water applications. This, combined with the pipe's elasticity, means that if water is subjected to freezing temperatures, a burst pipe is less likely.

Will a regular SharkBite work on polybutylene pipe? ›

Fittings with a gray collar work with polybutylene pipe. If it has a white collar, the fitting works with PVC pipe and is compatible with schedule 40, 80 and 120 PVC. SharkBite couplings with a tan collar are designed to work with CTS pipes like PEX, copper, CPVC, PE-RT or (CTS SDR-9) SDR-9 HDPE tubing.

How to identify polybutylene pipe? ›

Identifying Polybutylene

usually stamped with the code “PB2110”; flexible and sometimes curved, unlike rigid piping materials such as copper; not used for waste, drain or vent piping; most commonly grey in color, but they can also be white, silver, black or blue.

What are the markings for polybutylene? ›

Most polybutylene pipes are stamped with PB2110. Interior polybutylene pipes are most often gray, but they can be black. If they are outside the home, they may even be blue. The pipes are usually a half-inch to 1 inch in diameter.

Does polybutylene pipe need to be replaced? ›

Polybutylene pipes should be replaced because they can't be repaired. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years. If you have polybutylene pipes in your home, then you should replace them before they break. PB pipes and their fittings are prone to breaking, leaking and causing extensive water damage.

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