"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
et...
Go to the web sites of the main players of plastic pipe fittings in the
UK.

I hadn't realised that Hep20 was PB. A quick browse shows:

Hep20 = PB
Speedfit = PEX
Marley Equator = PEX
Polyplumb = PB

I wonder if the PB using manufacturers know about the US liability issues?
I'll certainly be keeping to the PEX versions, myself.

Christian.


The problems in the USA with Polybutylene (PB) were generally installation,
not PB related. As the major UK manufacturer of Polybutylene plumbing
systems Hepworth Plumbing Products take a great interest in this matter, and
in over 25 years of manufacturing and selling Hep2O & Acorn, we have not
seen any of the problems experienced in the USA.



Failures in the USA associated with polybutylene were extensively on large
diameter cold-water installations. Independent assessment concluded that
such failures were related to metal fittings and incorrect installations
rather than pipe performance.



Other failures of polybutylene systems were due either to the use of acetal
fittings that degraded rapidly in contact with water, or with crimp type
fittings that failed many months after the installation of the system.



A very small number of Polybutylene system failures were on hot water
services. All failures recorded were in ringmain installations, operating
at a temperature of 70-80 deg C. Such installations are not often
encountered in the UK. Advice on the use of Hep2O in ringmain systems is
given in the Hep2O Installer Guide.



The only common factor between the failures in the USA and Hep2O is
Polybutylene, which has not, however, been identified as the cause of system
failure.



Hep2O is Kitemarked to BS 7291 and guaranteed for 50 years against defects
in materials or manufacturing. Hep2O has a design life expectancy of over
50 years based upon the operating parameters as shown in the following
table: -



Peak Life Cycle Operating Temp/Pressure

Temperature Deg C 20 40 60 80 95

Safe Pressure-Bar 12 11 9 7 6



In addition Hep2O will withstand short malfunction at 114 Deg C at 3 Bar


Hep2O was first sold over twenty-five years ago (then known as Acorn) and
has been successfully used in many hundreds of thousands of central heating
and domestic water distribution installation since then. There have been no
reported failures of Hep2O in the manner seen in the USA in this time.



The Hepworth Plumbing Products Team

--

Tel: +44 (0)1709 856 300 |Hepworth Plumbing Products

Fax: +44 (0)1709 856 301 |Edlington Lane, Edlington

Email: |Doncaster, UK

http://www.hepworthplumbing.co.uk |DN12 1BY