Older homes have a charm and character that is often appealing to would-be buyers. In Florida, homes built in the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s may contain polybutylene piping behind drywall, floors, and ceilings. The material was used during this timeframe because of its flexibility and relatively low cost compared with other piping solutions at the time.
Polybutylene systems can develop problems, but their condition and risk vary from home to home. This guide shows you how to identify possible polybutylene pipes, where to look, and how to seek a professional assessment without assuming that failure is guaranteed.
What is Polybutylene and Why Is It a Risk?
Often shortened to just “Poly”, Polybutylene is a form of resinous plastic that developers and plumbers used extensively in the form of water supply piping from the late 1970s right up until the mid-1990s. Initially, the pipe was hailed as a solution for the future since it was so cost-effective, flexible, lightweight, and much easier to install than any other available solution for plumbers at the time.
The Sunbelt states saw a significant boom during this time, and there were millions of homes being built across the United States, most of them using poly piping. Unfortunately, the poly dream was, if you’ll excuse us, a pipe dream. The late 1980s ushered in new reports of failed plumbing systems at alarming rates, and the culprit was poly. The failures were so widespread that a massive class-action lawsuit was launched, and poly was removed from the building code in the mid-90s.
Why Poly Pipes Fail in Florida
Polybutylene can deteriorate over time, but the condition and risk vary from home to home. Age, installation details, fittings, exposure, water chemistry, and the condition of the visible piping can all affect what an inspection finds. Chlorinated water has been associated with deterioration in some polybutylene systems, but a general description cannot determine the condition of a particular home’s piping.
Damage may develop inside the pipe and may not be visible from the outside. That does not mean every system will fail on the same timeline or that failure is guaranteed. If you find possible polybutylene, have a licensed plumbing professional inspect accessible piping and fittings so you can understand the condition of your system and the options that may fit your home.
The Threat to Florida Homes
The Sunshine State has many wonderful attributes that make it such a popular destination. Still, there are a few reasons why homes in Florida, especially South Florida, face such a risk with poly pipes.
High Ambient Temperatures
The high ambient temperatures in Florida are wonderful for a day at the beach, but they can cause significant issues for poly pipes. The increased temperatures in attics and crawl spaces accelerate chemical reactions, increasing the rate of plastic degradation.
Water Chemistry
Water chemistry and other system conditions can affect how plumbing materials age. Local water conditions do not provide a reliable timetable for a particular home’s polybutylene piping, so do not use a general statement about Florida water to predict when a pipe will fail. An inspection of accessible piping and fittings is the best way to assess the system’s condition.
How to Identify Polybutylene Pipes in Your Home
There is no need to embark on a full-scale demolition just to identify if and where you have poly pipes installed. You just need to know what to look for and where to look for it, and we’re going to tell you!
What Do Poly Pipes Look Like?
The easiest way to identify a potential poly pipe is to look at its color and flexibility. We’ve put the key things to identify the pipes in this useful table:
| Color | In the vast majority of cases, poly pipes are a light gray color, although there are cases where they have been used as the main water supply from a municipal source, where they are usually blue. |
| Material | Polybutylene is a flexible, smooth plastic that should not be confused with modern PEX piping, which is also a smooth plastic but far more rigid. PEX is usually red, bright blue, or opaque white in color. PVC piping is also extremely rigid and a smooth plastic, but is used almost exclusively for drain pipes |
| Fittings | By looking at where any pipe connects to a fitting or joins another pipe, you will notice a copper, brass, or gray plastic ring that crimps the connections together. |
| Stamping | The definitive test for identifying the pipes is the manufacturing stamping on the side of the pipe. This is printed along the entire length of the piping at regular intervals. If you see the stamp PB2110, it’s poly piping. |
Where to Look for Polybutylene Pipes
Seeing through walls is unfortunately not an option, but you can get into the areas where you may find these pipes hiding pretty easily.
Under Sinks
For all sinks, whether in the kitchen, laundry, or bathroom, see if you can identify the pipes that feed the faucets. Sometimes a copper pipe or some other flexible pipe is attached to the faucet itself to install a shut-off valve. This can be a false negative. Follow the pipe into the wall and see if you can see the tell-tale gray plastic pipe there.
The Water Heater
Find out where the water heater is and have a look at the inlet and outlet lines that come off the top of your water heater installation.
The Washer Box
Some laundries have a recessed valve box where the washer hoses connect to the water lines. Look inside that box to find the gray pipes.
Attics and Crawlspaces
If your home has an accessible attic or crawlspace, look for exposed gray lines with that signature stamping, running to your bathroom and kitchen areas.
Water Meter Box
Locate your water meter box, usually near the street. Look at the pipe that goes towards the house. If it’s a flexible grey or blue plastic pipe, then it’s likely that your main supply line is polybutylene.
What To Do If You Find Poly Pipes
If your inspection reveals gray or blue plastic lines with the PB2110 stamp, do not panic, but don’t ignore it either. Take the following concrete steps to protect your property.
Locate the Main Shut-off Valve
Ensure every adult in the home knows exactly where the main water shut-off valve is located and how to close it. If a pipe bursts, shutting the water off within seconds can mean the difference between a damp floor and tens of thousands of dollars in structural damage.
Schedule a Professional Plumbing Inspection
Have a licensed plumbing professional inspect the system. The inspection can document the condition of accessible piping and fittings and help explain whether monitoring, repairs, or repiping should be considered. Hardenburgh Plumbing offers a free pipe-type and repipe-needs inspection. Call (561) 968-0000 or use the contact form to ask about your home. Inspection findings, along with your insurer’s requirements, should guide the next step.
Discuss Repair or Repiping Options
A finding of polybutylene does not, by itself, establish that every pipe must be replaced immediately. The right recommendation depends on an inspection of accessible piping, fittings, condition, and the home’s needs. If repiping is recommended, PEX or copper may be options to discuss with a licensed plumbing professional. Before making decisions about insurance, ask your insurer what your policy requires and what documentation it may need. Read more about repiping and polybutylene pipe replacement.
Polybutylene Pipe Replacement in Boca Raton
Need help identifying possible polybutylene pipes? Hardenburgh Plumbing can discuss a free pipe-type and repipe-needs inspection. Call (561) 968-0000 or use the contact form to ask about your home. Your insurer may have its own requirements, so check with them before deciding on repairs or repiping.
