Is there another kind of gray plastic piping out there other than Polybutylene pipe (PB)? I heard of a class action lawsuit a few years ago over PB. I knew it as a gray flexible plastic pipe.
I was asked to add a branch water line for a store. The existing piping is gray pipe but it was installed about 3yrs ago. I don’t know if it is PB or not. If so, then are fittings still being made for it or with the class action settlement did it pretty much go away not to be used ever again? Since I need to put in a T fitting into this gray pipe to make the branch are there fittings available that allows me to T off of PB?
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I think polybute was pretty much replaced by pex - so the fittings are interchangable...I also think it was the early polybute fittings that failed, causing the problems...
The fittings used with Polybu will not work with Pex only the rings are interchangable.
They make couplings to go from Poly to Pex. To insert a tee you need two of these and a pex tee then go with Pex.
Lowes has these in my area as do plumbing suppliers.
You could also use one of the grey compression type tees which will work with Pex or Poly since the outside diam is the same. ( I don't know why this edit is blue)
Edited 6/4/2005 8:29 am ET by ARROWSHOOTER
yes, I was referring to the compression type fittings - that's all I've used...hope they're ok in the long run....
Polybutylene pipe comes in blue, grey and black. The label on the pipe will read PB2110 about every 3 or 4 feet.
PB is still allowed by code. However, in practice, it is not installed due to the many leak problems encountered. The chlorine in the drinking water oxidizes the material from the inside out. Problems usually begin after about 10 years of use.
Other problems arose from installers improperly setting the torque on the installation tool for the clamps on the fittings.
The product is under a class action law suit. Go to http://www.pbpipe.com for more info.