By Minneapolis Field Notes · April 15, 2025
Polybutylene in 1980s Eden Prairie and Plymouth
Categories: Leaks & repipe, Twin Cities
1980s–90s Eden Prairie, Plymouth, and older Maple Grove still hide polybutylene. The gray or blue pipe with the PB stamp fails at the fittings first. One pinhole can be a coupling. Three in a year is a repipe.
We do not start a repipe on a handshake. Room-by-room scope. A working bath overnight. PEX-A with expansion fittings is the usual Twin Cities basement-and-joist reroute. Exposed copper stays where it is the right material.
Chanhassen and Chaska tracts of the same vintage show the same stamp. Camera is for sewers. For PB we open the first fitting we can see and write the house. leak detection if you only have a meter spinning and do not know why.
Repipe vs spot repair is the decision page. Minneapolis plumbing permits because a whole-house is not a Saturday DIY.
Galvanized in pre-1970 Minneapolis is the other full-house job. Different material, same honesty. Minneapolis plumbing cost guide.
Eden Prairie, Plymouth, Minneapolis plumber.
Questions from this kind of call
Can you just replace the bad fitting?
Once. The second one is the house telling you the material is done.
PEX or copper?
PEX-A in joists and basements. Copper where it is exposed and correct.