Angie's List

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― A final class-action deadline is nearing for homeowners with faulty plumbing. In today's Angie's List report, Jim Donovan tells you may qualify for a free plumbing replacement.

This all involves Polybuteylene. Experts say Polybutylene can last anywhere from six months to 20 years before springing a leak. A leak can end up costing hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage.

According to Angie's List founder Angie Hicks, "Polybutylene is a piping that's used in plumbing whether it be connecting your kitchen sink or water heater. The important thing is it was installed in houses between 1978 and 1995 and it's no longer produced because they discovered that it was defective because of the number or leaks it caused."

Typically it's a thin gray interior plastic plumbing pipe or blue outdoor pipe. It is the subject of a $1 billion class action lawsuit settlement affecting 6 million homeowners nationwide.

Angie says, "Consumers should check now to see if they have polybutylene piping in their house because if they had a leak and they can submit proof that they had a leak by January 31st they may have rights in a class-action lawsuit."

What is polybutylene?

Installed in an estimated 6 million homes between January 1978 and July 1995, polybutylene pipes - its resin manufactured by Shell Oil Co. - are joined by plastic or metal fittings and were deemed defective as a result of the Cox vs. Shell class-action suit in 1995. It has been sold under various names - including Qest, Bow, Safeguard and Flex-temp. Stockpiles of the pipe were still known to be available up to 1999, but new installations for the most part had stopped by 1995.

Why should homeowners check to see if they have it?

Homeowners who have incurred leaks because of polybutylene have only a few weeks to a few months to still qualify for free plumbing replacement. That's because the leaks must have occurred by Jan. 31 and May 1 is the final deadline to file a claim with the Consumer Plumbing Recovery Center in Plano, Texas - the court-established administrator of the class action lawsuit settlement.

It can leak due to a number of factors, oftentimes because of interaction with chlorine found in most city water supplies.

46 percent of Angie's List members who have or had polybutylene piping in their home said it either ruptured or leaked. According to the CPRC, the states that have filed the most homeowner claims include Florida, Georgia and Arizona.

How can I tell if my home has polybutylene?

If your house was built between 1978 and 1995, you might have it. Examine the plumbing system anywhere there is accessible plumbing in the home such as under kitchen and bathroom sinks, at the water heater, in a crawl space or attic. If you're still not sure, a reputable plumber can help determine what type of pipes you have.


What should I do if I have polybutylene?

To verify a leak, a homeowner needs to provide photos, plumbing repair receipts, work orders or the actual failed part. The CPRC says tens of thousands of homeowners may still be eligible - but they must act by the May 1 deadline. Homeowners with leaking PB pipe should call the CPRC or access the website as soon as possible. (CPRC: 800-392-7591 or visit www.pbpipe.com <http://www.pbpipe.com>) Plumbers recommend that homeowners compare the cost of replacement with repairs. For example, if a polybutylene leak happens at a home with a crawl space, the majority of the time the leak will happen under the home and not damage the actual home, so a simple repair rather than a full replacement might be more practical. However, it's a different story if a home built on a concrete slab gets a leak under the slab. Replace it because it's too costly to repair.


RELATED LINK:

http://www.pbpipe.com/

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