is this polybutylene?

[zixxer]

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/cheesy/IMG_0857.JPG


Looking at a house.. it's $148k in a $160k neighborhood and 240+k area.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/cheesy/IM_A0003.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/cheesy/IM_A0012.JPG


add or subtract from the nums in the filenames to see the rest. goes from 03 to 34

 

[zixxer]

^ for help

 

[J0hnny]

Looks like poly to me:

http://www.polybutylene.com/poly.html

 

[SCSIRAID]

Yup.... Thats polybutylene. At least its with copper fittings which was allegedly less problematic. My previous house had PB plumbing with copper fittings and I didnt have any problems. A neighbor had PB with plastic fittings and DID have problems. My house had a double curse... PB plumbing AND Louisiana Pacific Inner Seal siding....

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: SCSIRAID
Yup.... Thats polybutylene. At least its with copper fittings which was allegedly less problematic. My previous house had PB plumbing with copper fittings and I didnt have any problems. A neighbor had PB with plastic fittings and DID have problems. My house had a double curse... PB plumbing AND Louisiana Pacific Inner Seal siding....

I had no idea that PB plumbing stuff was a problem - my parents added onto our house a good number of years ago and my Dad and I did all the interior wiring/plumbing/drywall/etc (paid a contractor to build the shell since they could do it faster than we could). At the time, the contractor suggested we go with QUEST plumbing since it was so easy.

This was a while ago, but I seem to remember only the main water line heading to the addition was QUEST, all the sink/bathtub/toilet fittings were conventional plumbing. We have well-water too, so maybe it won't ever be a problem.

 

[mcvickj]

Looks like a nice house. How close is that pool and tennis court?

 

[brxndxn]

Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

 

[zixxer]

arg...


should I request they take the cost of replacement off the cost of the house?

 

[nwfsnake]

As a former poly pipe homeowner, I can advise you to:

Run Away! Quickly!

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

So what's wrong with PEX? I've only heard good things about it.

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

 

[nwfsnake]

BTW, I never had any of the PB pipe fail, it was ALWAYS the PB elbows and connectors.
They become brittle over time and crack. Of course, this would only happend when no one was home! After replacement with copper connectors, no more problems.

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: nwfsnake
BTW, I never had any of the PB pipe fail, it was ALWAYS the PB elbows and connectors.
They become brittle over time and crack. Of course, this would only happend when no one was home! After replacement with copper connectors, no more problems.

Hmm... I wonder if these are 'the good' connectors

 

[Jack Ryan]

I also have PB with copper connectors, no problems here. I was also told that research has shown that the problem was the connectors, but I have no facts to back that up.

 

[nwfsnake]

Originally posted by: KMDupont64
I was also told that research has shown that the problem was the connectors, but I have no facts to back that up.

You mean my sample space of 1 doesn't make it a fact!

 

[Medicine Bear]

When did they start using all this plastic crap for plumbing? My house was built in 76 and a few months back I had a plumber out to do some work as part of a remodel I was doing. He was amazed that all the pipes in my house were copper. He started off in the kitchen and was amazed. He then asked if he could look around the rest of the house just for kick. He just kept going on and on about how he couldn't believe everything wasn't plastic pipe. I thought it was kinda weird....guess it is unusual.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Medicine Bear
When did they start using all this plastic crap for plumbing? My house was built in 76 and a few months back I had a plumber out to do some work as part of a remodel I was doing. He was amazed that all the pipes in my house were copper. He started off in the kitchen and was amazed. He then asked if he could look around the rest of the house just for kick. He just kept going on and on about how he couldn't believe everything wasn't plastic pipe. I thought it was kinda weird....guess it is unusual.

Google on copper pinhole leaks - there's alot of folks out there wishing they had more plastic
Of course, not the folks that have polybutylene.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

PEX is awesome. It's a little harder to install for the do-it-yourselfer, mainly because it requires the use of some slightly specialized tools. For about $200 or so though, you can have the necessary tools to install it in your home.

The stuff is awesome. Resists freezing (swells to 3 times its size without bursting)
It works fine for hot water
If there's a kink in the line (generally caused intentionally), heat it up with a blowtorch until it's clear, then it'll cool back to its original form.

Plus, by the foot, it's pretty cheap. No elbows or anything needed for it; simply run a "home-run" - a single continuous line from the water supply to the faucet or wherever the water is needed. Attach a fitting to the end and connect it. No joints in between to worry about leaking.

If installed by a professional trained installer, you can get a warranty for... forever. Let's see a plumber offer a 50 year warranty on a plumbing job done with copper or any other material.

Simply, PEX avoids virtually every problem associated with other plumbing methods. No more leaking joints.. no more pinhole leaks.. installation is *VERY* fast

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

lmao,
Well, now I know there are TWO Home Depots where the plumbing department is incapable of giving proper advice. My local home depot plumbing specialist insisted that what I wanted to do was impossible. He flatly stated that it couldn't be done. Oddly, what I wanted to do required only 2 fittings, right off the shelf, that I found on my own within a few minutes.

I expected your profile to show California, as they were the last state to allow PEX. It's been used for 20-30 years in Europe with no problems. Cali was weird... their claim was that in the case of a fire, it was going to give off toxic fumes. (unlike the carpetting, furniture, and virtually everything else in the house??)

 

[mercanucaribe]

What's this PEX stuff? Is it good or bad?
When I'm buying a house in like 10 years, will I be like "****** THIS HOUSE HAS PEX!"??

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

PEX is awesome. It's a little harder to install for the do-it-yourselfer, mainly because it requires the use of some slightly specialized tools. For about $200 or so though, you can have the necessary tools to install it in your home.

The stuff is awesome. Resists freezing (swells to 3 times its size without bursting)
It works fine for hot water
If there's a kink in the line (generally caused intentionally), heat it up with a blowtorch until it's clear, then it'll cool back to its original form.

Plus, by the foot, it's pretty cheap. No elbows or anything needed for it; simply run a "home-run" - a single continuous line from the water supply to the faucet or wherever the water is needed. Attach a fitting to the end and connect it. No joints in between to worry about leaking.

If installed by a professional trained installer, you can get a warranty for... forever. Let's see a plumber offer a 50 year warranty on a plumbing job done with copper or any other material.

Simply, PEX avoids virtually every problem associated with other plumbing methods. No more leaking joints.. no more pinhole leaks.. installation is *VERY* fast

They install PEX pipe in mobile homes here. In houses, they install CPVC or copper. I had customer after customer come in because their PEX pipe fittings were broken or leaking. I stand by my original statement... PEX sucks.

The real reason contractors like PEX is cause' it's cheap in materials and cheap in laber to install..

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

PEX is awesome. It's a little harder to install for the do-it-yourselfer, mainly because it requires the use of some slightly specialized tools. For about $200 or so though, you can have the necessary tools to install it in your home.

The stuff is awesome. Resists freezing (swells to 3 times its size without bursting)
It works fine for hot water
If there's a kink in the line (generally caused intentionally), heat it up with a blowtorch until it's clear, then it'll cool back to its original form.

Plus, by the foot, it's pretty cheap. No elbows or anything needed for it; simply run a "home-run" - a single continuous line from the water supply to the faucet or wherever the water is needed. Attach a fitting to the end and connect it. No joints in between to worry about leaking.

If installed by a professional trained installer, you can get a warranty for... forever. Let's see a plumber offer a 50 year warranty on a plumbing job done with copper or any other material.

Simply, PEX avoids virtually every problem associated with other plumbing methods. No more leaking joints.. no more pinhole leaks.. installation is *VERY* fast

Alot of folks are gunshy after the polybutylene fiasco. It looks like great stuff to me - I'm using a PEX manifold/home-run approach for potable water and PEX/AL/PEX for the heating in the addition I'm building and I did alot of homework first. But even at 30 years (when they started using it in Europe) it still doesn't have the history of copper. So alot of folks will dismiss it.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

PEX is awesome. It's a little harder to install for the do-it-yourselfer, mainly because it requires the use of some slightly specialized tools. For about $200 or so though, you can have the necessary tools to install it in your home.

The stuff is awesome. Resists freezing (swells to 3 times its size without bursting)
It works fine for hot water
If there's a kink in the line (generally caused intentionally), heat it up with a blowtorch until it's clear, then it'll cool back to its original form.

Plus, by the foot, it's pretty cheap. No elbows or anything needed for it; simply run a "home-run" - a single continuous line from the water supply to the faucet or wherever the water is needed. Attach a fitting to the end and connect it. No joints in between to worry about leaking.

If installed by a professional trained installer, you can get a warranty for... forever. Let's see a plumber offer a 50 year warranty on a plumbing job done with copper or any other material.

Simply, PEX avoids virtually every problem associated with other plumbing methods. No more leaking joints.. no more pinhole leaks.. installation is *VERY* fast

They install PEX pipe in mobile homes here. In houses, they install CPVC or copper. I had customer after customer come in because their PEX pipe fittings were broken or leaking. I stand by my original statement... PEX sucks.

The real reason contractors like PEX is cause' it's cheap in materials and cheap in laber to install..

What kind of fittings?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
What's this PEX stuff? Is it good or bad?
When I'm buying a house in like 10 years, will I be like "****** THIS HOUSE HAS PEX!"??

i know a plumber, i have some quest piping and one of the crimped rings came undone and he let me borrow a tool to re-crimp it.

he said that a newer type of piping was availalbe now thats much better, i dont recall the name but it fits dr pizza's description so id assume its PEX, and by the sound of it, its great stuff.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Ouch.. I didn't realize there was a worse pipe material for plumbing than PEX pipe.. And I worked in plumbing at Home Depot for a year..

Plumbing is a HUGE issue in a new house, imo... any time you want anything changed, it's not just plumbing but also carpentry involved.. And, you normally don't find out about a plumbing issue until you come home and find your carpet soaked or wood floor ruined.. And, water damage all over the place..

I would avoid a 2-story home with bad plumbing like the plague.. If it was a single-floor, then bad plumbing would still be bad - but not AS bad..

PEX is awesome. It's a little harder to install for the do-it-yourselfer, mainly because it requires the use of some slightly specialized tools. For about $200 or so though, you can have the necessary tools to install it in your home.

The stuff is awesome. Resists freezing (swells to 3 times its size without bursting)
It works fine for hot water
If there's a kink in the line (generally caused intentionally), heat it up with a blowtorch until it's clear, then it'll cool back to its original form.

Plus, by the foot, it's pretty cheap. No elbows or anything needed for it; simply run a "home-run" - a single continuous line from the water supply to the faucet or wherever the water is needed. Attach a fitting to the end and connect it. No joints in between to worry about leaking.

If installed by a professional trained installer, you can get a warranty for... forever. Let's see a plumber offer a 50 year warranty on a plumbing job done with copper or any other material.

Simply, PEX avoids virtually every problem associated with other plumbing methods. No more leaking joints.. no more pinhole leaks.. installation is *VERY* fast

They install PEX pipe in mobile homes here. In houses, they install CPVC or copper. I had customer after customer come in because their PEX pipe fittings were broken or leaking. I stand by my original statement... PEX sucks.

The real reason contractors like PEX is cause' it's cheap in materials and cheap in laber to install..

If PEX is installed by someone trained correctly to install it, the fittings do NOT break or leak. (20 or 30 year warranty is standard, can be upgraded to a LIFETIME warranty - I believe for no extra cost) I've done CPVC myself on an emergency job (time was an issue) - 12 years later, the CPVC is brittle. I've had 3 lines break in half while replacing my hot water tank and a bad valve.

If you re-read your statement, the PEX isn't the problem, it's the fittings at the end. If they're leaking, it's because they were installed incorrectly. There are *no* elbows, etc., although to save additional money, contractors may end up using t's. However, the inexpensive nature of PEX leads to positive benefits such as running separate lines for each use of water. Thus, someone could flush the toilet AND wash their hands while you're taking a shower, without drastically affecting the water pressure or temperature in the shower.

Any leaking fitting is a result of incompetent installation. Then again, since the installation is relatively easy, and you're in Florida, I'm going to guess that the contractors attempt to save money by hiring immigrants or someone else off the street who are willing to work for less money than a professional plumber. The real problem facing homeowners after incompetent installation is that while repairs are very easy, it requires a special tool for clamps, and/or a special tool for expanding the tubing.

I stand by my statement. Europe has been using it for 20-30 years. Search for problems reported there.