Replacement available for polybutylene pipes

REVIEW-JOURNAL

Homeowners with polybutylene plumbing in their homes could qualify for free replacement of their plumbing system under the terms of a class-action lawsuit settlement.

Those who purchased homes after Sept. 12, 1999, may be eligible to participate in the program, according to the Consumer Plumbing Recover Center of Plano, Texas.

Homes that qualify must have been built between Jan. 1, 1978, and July 31, 1995.

Homeowners who've purchased homes within the past 36 months should inspect their plumbing system for leaks, said Tim Taylor, general manager of the center.

Polybutylene systems are distinguished by flexible, gray plastic pipes joined by plastic or metal insert fittings. These pipes are found in the attic, crawl space or water heater closet, often beneath insulation material.

The Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center has a Web site, www.pbpipe.com, with information about eligibility and filing a claim.

The piping was installed in millions of U.S. residential properties beginning in the late 1970s, but was never used for drains, waste or vent piping, yard sprinkler systems, irrigation systems, fire sprinkler systems, sewer lines, faucets or fixtures. PB pipe should not be confused with PVC products that are rigid and white or off-white plastic.

Since the conclusion of the class-action suit in Union City, Tenn., in November 1995, the CPRC has received more than 1.5 million inquiries and 600,000 have filed claims. In seven years, the center has spent more than $500 million replumbing affect houses, mobile homes and multifamily homes.

Sherry Hernandez, executive director of the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association of Nevada, said PB piping is not a problem in Las Vegas, and that most of the plumbing in houses built here between 1978 and 1995 is copper.

"We occasionally have a leak here and there with the copper fittings, but it's easily fixed," she said.

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