If you are experiencing problems with leaky Qest (often called Quest) plumbing in your home, you should consult with a plumbing contractor with experience in polybutylene pipe replacement before spending any money repairing your old Qest pipe. Qest was a brand name for a type of polybutylene pipe that was taken off the market in the mid 1990’s. Until then it was used in millions of American homes and manufactured homes for the hot and cold water lines and the water supply line from the meter to the home.
Qest hot and cold polybutylene pipes are usually grey although you may find some silver or black polybutylene pipes. The water supply line is usually blue but can be gray or black. If you suspect that you have Qest or any other type of polybutylene pipe, have it inspected by a professional plumber. It is easy for a homeowner to confuse defective polybutylene pipe with modern PEX pipe.
Polybutylene pipe is no longer on the market because it tended to fail at a very high rate. Early failures were experienced at the fittings, but later the pipes themselves began to fail. It was discovered that chlorine in the water reacted with the pipe and caused it to break down.
Several class action lawsuits over the defective pipes were settled years ago. Unfortunately, if you have not already filed a claim it is probably too late to join the settlement.
Repairing polybutylene pipe is a short term solution because it will soon fail again. The only permanent solution is to have all of the piping replaced by a plumbing contractor that specializes in residential repiping. Most plumbers can probably handle the job, but a specialist will have learned techniques for replacing the pipes with minimal damage to your home.
