Polybutylene Plumbing

Polybutylene Plumbing (PB or PolyB) is a flexible, easy-to-cut, gray, plastic pipe with joints secured with either epoxy or insert fittings and metal crimp rings. PB was introduced in the late 1970s for use in residential plumbing. Less expensive in material cost and easier to install than traditional copper plumbing, PB has been used to pipe approximately six million homes in the U.S. However, there is considerable concern surrounding PB's potential to leak. Though there is no specific data to indicate an inherent problem with the pipe itself, a number of homeowners have encountered minor to severe leaks, which has led to various lawsuits against PB manufacturers in the U.S.