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YOU KILLED MY DEAL "MR INSPECTOR"!!!!

By
Home Inspector with Dream Home Inspections/203K Consultant

Polybutylene is a form of plastic pipe that was used extensively in the manufacture of water supply piping from 1978 until 1995. Due to the low cost of the material and ease of installation, polybutylene piping systems were used as a substitute for traditional copper piping.

The piping systems were used for underground water mains and as interior water distribution piping. Industry experts believe it was installed in at least 6 million homes, and some experts indicate it may have been used in as many as 10 million homes. The piping was installed in about one in every four or five homes built during the years in which the pipe was manufactured.

 

Polybutylene used inside your home can be found near the water heater, running across the ceiling in unfinished basements, and coming out of the walls to feed sinks and toilets. Warning: In some regions of the country plumbers used copper "stub outs" where the pipe exits a wall to feed a fixture, so seeing copper here does not mean that you do not have poly.

It is good for the real estates agents as well as the buyers to be aware of these pipes that have been installed.These pipes have been none to fail because they deteriorate from the inside out. When the pipes are identified there is no way for a plumber or an inspector to determine how long they will last. However, it is our goal to educate the buyer and even the agent of what is present in the home. This should not be looked upon as a "deal killer" but quality information for all parties concerned.

 NAHI

 

 

Comments (1)

Anonymous
John Griffith

For those of you dealing with polybutylene issues it may be worth noting that the class action claims deadlines are fast approaching! As many of you may know a home must have a qualified leak before being considered for relief. The leak deadline is 1/31/2009 and the claim filing deadline is 5/1/2009. For more info you can visit www.pbpipe.com and www.polybutylene.com. I've been in the polybutylene replacement industry for nearly 15 years now and will be glad to help you and your clients in any way I can. You can email me directly at polyresearch@yahoo.com and I'll do my best to answer all of your questions and assist you in getting your polybutylene replaced for free!

Dec 24, 2008 03:56 AM
#1