Question: Do Polybutylene Pipes Decrease The Value Of A Residential Home?

[miktay]

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[Dublin ohio]

$5 says the amount of depreciation is significantly larger than cost to cure, and/or, the Seller is a Jerk.

Based on seller's reaction to buyer request to replace. I go with the latter

 

[Mr Rex]

Polybutylene piping in and of itself is not 100% defective and may or may not need replacement. The real down and dirty is that the original gray poly aka Quest is not rigid like copper, pvc, cpvc etc and the turns can be made by turning the piping around a fairly short radius versus having to install a 90 degree elbow in other rigid pipes. Almost all of the failures occur in piping fitted with plastic fittings that are more brittle than the pipe they are installed in and become more brittle over time. Now take this brittle fitting and install it into a section curved at a 90 degree radius and it is under constant tension and over time the tension from the piping cracks the brittle fitting. This is particularly problematic when the piping is installed this way inside the walls of a 2 story house. Fitting fails, 1st story trashed. The copper and brass fittings later used had a lower failure rate, but over time it was found that the chemicals in some water did cause some added rigidity/brittleness to the piping itself that caused some leaks. Also the crimping process of poly and the newer Pex which is cross linked poly leaves some room for human error if not tested under pressure for 24 hours etc. IMHO the newer Pex, cross linked poly is superior to copper or cpvc. Copper is prone to pin holes due to reaction with minerals and chemicals in municipal water. CVPC is rigid and chemically welded together and is more susceptible to damage from minor contact, freezing etc than Pex which is forgiving and can tolerate minor freezing etc. MHO.

 

[Riick]

Copper is prone to pin holes due to reaction with minerals and chemicals in municipal water.

I remember doing some plumbing in a property my Dad rented out, back in the 1980's;
Copper pipes had been there since the 1920's or '30's, and in mid-'80's, only 50 - 60 years
later, there were 1/2 dozen soldered elbows & couplings that would be leaking, except
mineral deposits from long-term mickey-mouse leaks had sealed them up.
(I dropped the water from the system & resoldered those joints)
Pin-holes??, maybe in cheapest thin-wall pipe available, and then in unusual water conditions,
but when I sold Dad's house around 2000, the pipes were easily age 70-80, and no pin-holes,
ditto for my own house, built 1962, all-copper, no pin-holes.

 

[Restrain]

Down here with the minerals, it is not unusual to have to replumb the homes, especially well water. Replacing the copper with modern plastics, same stuff used in new homes.

 

[Mr Rex]

I remember doing some plumbing in a property my Dad rented out, back in the 1980's;
Copper pipes had been there since the 1920's or '30's, and in mid-'80's, only 50 - 60 years
later, there were 1/2 dozen soldered elbows & couplings that would be leaking, except
mineral deposits from long-term mickey-mouse leaks had sealed them up.
(I dropped the water from the system & resoldered those joints)
Pin-holes??, maybe in cheapest thin-wall pipe available, and then in unusual water conditions,
but when I sold Dad's house around 2000, the pipes were easily age 70-80, and no pin-holes,
ditto for my own house, built 1962, all-copper, no pin-holes.

I have seen more pin hole leaks in copper piping than leaks in polybutylene including plastic fittings. Of course I've only been belly crawling the last 15 -20 years.

 

[Howard Klahr]

Polybutylene piping in and of itself is not 100% defective and may or may not need replacement.

But it is difficult to obtain insurance and what is available is at a higher cost.

 

[Riick]

I have seen more pin hole leaks in copper piping than leaks in polybutylene including plastic fittings. Of course I've only been belly crawling the last 15 -20 years.

Maybe *that's* the difference.
I've only lived-in and/or owned properties with full (& dry) basements.
No water inside pipes, and water/dew/damp on the outside as well.
??????????

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Just trying to get a handle on how this affects property value.

Cost to cure adjustment

 

[Mr Rex]

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=copper+pipe+pinholes