Acceptable drain and vent material? - InspectionNews

dan orourke · #1 (**permalink**) 11-06-2007, 07:08 PM

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Jon Randolph · #2 (**permalink**) 11-06-2007, 08:51 PM

That is ABS. It was mainly used in modular homes and trailers, but was also used in many conventional homes.

There have been class action lawsuits over ABS as it is fragile and prone to break at the connections. Did you see any cracks?

With the absence of anything requiring repairs, I would at least document and notify the client of the problems associated with this pipe. Evaluation by a plumber to determine if it was manufactured during the period of problems and replacement consideration would not be a bad idea.

Gunnar Alquist · #3 (**permalink**) 11-06-2007, 10:27 PM

ABS is the drain/waste/vent pipe of choice in the west. I rarely see PVC in anything out here. Jon is correct to some degree. I know of some defective pipe from the late 1970s, but not since. As far as I know, it is not any more problematic than PVC.

Jon Randolph · #4 (**permalink**) 11-07-2007, 01:26 AM

I think that I remember it being from the early/mid 80's to the early/mid 90's. There should be a date stamp on the longer pieces in the attic or crawl.

Jim Robinson · #5 (**permalink**) 11-07-2007, 07:26 AM

I also see it all the time, and haven't seen any problems yet. I looked at some web sites last night, and it was five manufacturer's in the mid 1980's that had some serious problems. Phoenix is the quick one to ID, because all of it was defective. Centaur and some other brands had batches that were defective. Most of it was sold in California.