Polybutylene was introduced to the European market for pressure piping applications in the mid 1960s. The legacy of 40 years of successful application in pressurized hot and cold water systems has resulted in Polybutylene being widely recognized today as technically the material of choice for these systems.

In contrast to this success story, Polybutylene suffered a poor reputation in the United States market in the early-mid 90s, with many claims alleging defects in Polybutylene plumbing systems. It became clear that these complaints, to the extent that they were valid at all, centred almost entirely on products made from plastics other than Polybutylene, produced for the manufacture of pipe fittings.

In the European and Asian markets, the combination of pipe and fittings to produce a sustainable linkage is considered of paramount importance, to the extent that performance standards include systems testing criteria to ensure long-term sustainability.

It appears that in the United States the same emphasis was not placed on the combined compatibility and performance of pipe and fittings.

Here are some examples of the types of fittings, made from materials other than Polybutylene, used in the US which were subject to many of the complaints lodged against so-called Polybutylene piping systems.

In contrast to these US examples are illustrations of the types of fittings developed over many years and which are an integral part of the success of today’s Polybutylene piping systems in the European and Asian markets.

Piping systems made from polybutylene demonstrate exceptional performance in a variety of demanding long-term applications and have become a vital part of modern energy-efficient and ecologically acceptable building technology resulting in a booming growth rate for the product in recent years.

As an example of their success the following series of photographs represent reference projects in which polybutylene pressure piping systems have been selected for the installation of plumbing, heating and climate control systems.

By clicking on each of these images, an enlargement of the photograph plus a descriptive caption will provide information on the installation.

Elite Towers

Ministry of Defence

British Museum

Freedom of the Seas

Wimpey Homes

Schoenbrunn Zoo

Tywyn Station

Building Research Establishment

Eden Project

Emirates Palace Hotel

Thermal Spa Rogner-Bad Blumau

Royal Albert Hall

Internationally acclaimed companies market and guarantee their Polybutylene piping systems under their own brand names throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia but have chosen not to enter the North American market for the time being.

These companies:

together with Basell, the raw material supplier, joined together to form the Polybutene Piping Systems Association whose objectives are to uphold the highest standards of product stewardship in the design, performance and installation of Polybutene-1 piping systems, and to provide a source of technical and applicational information for the use of Polybutene-1 piping systems via all appropriate media channels.

For more information about Polybutene piping systems, visit www.pbpsa.com