Lets take a quick look at the exterior and interior systems:

Exterior System:

The polybutylene exterior main water service line is a single pipe usually blue in color (although occasionally it is black or grey). It connects the main line in the street to the home plumbing system. There are warning signs when an exterior system fails and cost estimates on repairs.

When the exterior system fails:

• Lower water pressure
• Soggy area in the yard between the water meter and where the line enters your home
• Visible surface water runoff or higher than expected water bills (although this can also indicate a malfunctioning and continually running toilet)

The replacement cost for an exterior system that has failed for a typical home is between $1000 and $1500 dollars for PVC and $200 more if you replace it with a copper line.

Interior System:

The interior polybutylene plumbing system consists of piping and fittings. The fittings are attached to the piping using two different methods. The most common connection method is crimping a copper or aluminum band around the pipe at the joint. Less common are threaded compression fittings. While the piping is made of polybutylene, the fittings are usually acetate or copper. There are warning signs when an interior system fails and cost estimates on repairs.

When the interior system fails, you may see:

• Water spots on walls, damp ceilings or puddles in the floor, depending on the location of the leak
• Substantial damage to the home if the leak is large and it is not shut off quickly
• Damage and/or loss of personal property if the leak delivers a great deal of water into the interior of the home

It is obvious when this system fails and springs a leak. It is critical to immediately turn off the main water valve any time you see indications of a water leak.

The replacement costs for an interior system can be high, especially if structural and personal property damage is involved as the result of a leak. The replacement of piping inside your walls is a large and messy undertaking. The typical cost to change the polybutylene piping to copper piping in a home with two full baths is $4500 to $5000. Add about $900 per extra bathroom. These cost include the repair and repainting of the walls and sheetrock necessarily damaged to gain access to the plumbing, but does not include water damage to other areas, or replacement of personal property damaged in a leak situation.

Jeff’s Note: Locate the main shut off for all utilities (water, electric, gas, etc.) before you have a situation where you need that information.

Maintenance

Unfortunately, there is no way to maintain and prevent this plumbing from failing. There is no test that can determine how long you may have until the plumbing fails. Polybutylene plumbing is not guaranteed to fail, but it is the least reliable system on the market and does have a significantly higher incidence of problems than other options.

Class Action Lawsuits

As a result of problems with this type of plumbing, there have been two class action lawsuits already settled in this matter which may be of interest to anyone who owns or is considering ownership of a home with this type of plumbing:

Spencer vs. DuPont - Under this settlement, Dupont will pay 10% of the replacement costs and 10% of the damaged caused by leaks. This money is payable for qualified leaks if the replacement is made within 15 years of installation. This settlement is generally for interior plumbing with acetate fittings. Check HERE for updates and more extensive information on this settlement.

Cox vs. Shell Oil - Under this settlement, Shell Oil will pay for 100% of the cost for qualified replacement. Qualifying yard service replacement occurs if there is a leak within ten years from the date of installation. To qualify for interior plumbing replacement, two leaks must occur within 13 years from the date of installation for Acetal insert fittings and 16 years for metal insert fittings. Check HERE for updates and more extensive information on this settlement.