Is there a class action lawsuit against Kitec piping?

[biggy]

ok this is my first post and after reading threw some other posts here, im not sure this is the right place to ask this but....

i live in canada, i have ipex piping in my home, the blue and orange stuff, any way, my cold water pipe to the outside tap, the pipe inside my house just short of the shut off valve, has split, and causeing a leak, is there anyway to fix this? my home is 4yrs old and this is the first ive heard and read about the problems with this type of piping?

anhy advice or suggestions?

[Redwood]

ok this is my first post and after reading threw some other posts here, im not sure this is the right place to ask this but....

i live in canada, i have ipex piping in my home, the blue and orange stuff, any way, my cold water pipe to the outside tap, the pipe inside my house just short of the shut off valve, has split, and causeing a leak, is there anyway to fix this? my home is 4yrs old and this is the first ive heard and read about the problems with this type of piping?

anhy advice or suggestions?

It has been withdrawn from the market even in Canada I believe about a year ago.

I'm not sure what is being done to redress this problem in Canada but I'll bet there is something going on there too...

[kingsotall]

*Nuzzles closer to his Uponor expander tool... *

[jeffusa]

It looks like I have been dragged into this Kitec nightmare.

I'm one unlucky person that bought a foreclosure late last year and have since found out about this Kitec piping. I can't believe I could get through the whole process of buying a home and nobody mentioned anything about this Kitec stuff. From what I have heard there are over 40,000 homes in the Las Vegas valley here that have this piping.

The house I own was built in 2000. There is a big orange sticker on the electrical box that the house has Kitec plumbing. Kitec plumbing has been verified in this house by a lawyer's team that is working on class action lawsuits for this issue. They cut a little hole in the wall underneath one of my sinks to verify Kitec was inside the wall and then they took pictures of it with a miniature camera on a flexible hose.

Since day one, my plumbing system appears to show the advanced issues of Kitec. All the shower and bathtub fixtures have reduced waterflow. At first, I thought maybe I just needed new showerheads. Now after finding out about the Kitec problems it confirms the issues in the Bathrooms.

I certainly did not sign up for these problems when I bought the house. If I would have known about this issue I would have never made an offer on this house. I just can't believe that the inspector, real estate agent or anybody else did not say anything about this.

It could be years before the class action lawsuit comes through and has the plumbing system redone in this house. In the meantime, I could be dealing with serious problems which already appear to be developing based on the reduced waterflow.

So, to get out this mess, I'm gonna try to see if I can find a lawyer who will help me (with my meager funds) to sue the real estate agent, inspector, the FHA, and the bank to take this house back. Or I will just have to let this place foreclose and declare bankruptcy. What a nightmare.

[MikaelJ]

I agree. My home warranty that came with my house was more of a problem than the issues I had with my air conditioning system. I dont recomend them at all. It was the worst customer service I have ever had in my entire life.

[donnagvia]

Kitec Brass Pipe and Fittings Lawsuits

Class action lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of "Pex" pipe and "brass fittings" used in residential construction: Zurn-Pex has been sued, as has Kitec.

Kitec Pex Pipe and Fittings:

Kitec pipes and fittings may fail prematurely causing leaks and water damage to your property. At least one expert evaluation has found that Kitec pipes have a manufacturing defect that can cause corrosion in the pipes. Corrosion can result in leaks and other problems with your plumbing system.

Kitec consists of flexible aluminum pipe sandwiched between an inner and outer layer of plastic pipe (PEX Pipe). Kitec generally comes in two colors: blue (for cold water use) and orange (for hot water use). The pipes are manufactured by IPEX USA LLC and have been used in houses as far back as 10 to 15 years ago.

Kitec pipe and fittings fail when they are exposed to water because of a chemical reaction known as dezincification, which results in reduced water flow and leaks. Dezincified Kitec pipe and fittings cause damage not only when they burst and leak, but also impair the ability of a home's plumbing system to effectively provide water to appliances and fixtures.

If you or someone you know have incurred property damage or economic losses due to failed Kitec pipes, or if you believe Kitec pipes may have been used in your home, contact Audet & Partners at 800.965.1461 and ask to speak with attorney Michael McShane.

[Redwood]

Anybody want to believe Donna is a spammer now?

[donnagvia]

No Redwood, sorry I really just thought it might be useful information for someone with this problem.

Not everyone in this world has ulterior motives.

Donna

[aoreo]

I just found this thread even though it's a bit dated, as I'm running into a similar scenario and wanted to see if anyone had input?

I have Kitec piping, but my failure is from the piping itself. Apparantley bubbles/bulges are forming in the pipe and leaks are starting. My house is 7 years old, so I think a bit premature for this. The last plumber has told me I need to re-pipe the whole house, as he sees other pipes deteriorating. I've already had to do 3 repairs.

I called IPEX and they said they have to take a look at my home first and collect samples of the bad pipe and go from there to see if it is really a pipe defect. Apparantley a few homes in my area have the same issue.

So what I am wondering is, do I repipe or just install a new heating system all together. My neighbor is looking into minisplit ductless system. If I repipe, what piping should I use? My worst fear is repiping only to have leaks again in a few years.

Should I wait for IPEX to come back with an answer (could be months) before repiping? The drawback is that I have tenants in there.

Any help/suggestions appreciated!

[Mikey]

Kitec pipe and fittings fail when they are exposed to water...

Am I the only one who thinks this is pretty funny?

[Doherty Plumbing]

Not everyone in this world has ulterior motives.

Or spell check.

[Jrednaxela]

Found this on the web, maybe it will help http://www.plumbingdefect.com/index.html
This website has been established by Class Counsel to provide information to class members of the class action lawsuit involving brass KITEC® plumbing fittings ("Kitec® Fittings") that was certified by the Nevada District Court on October 16, 2006, which alleges that KITEC® Fittings are defective because they dezincify and fail when exposed to water.


This class action includes all owners of residences in Clark County, Nevada that contain, or at any time contained, a Kitec and/or PlumBetter piping system and/or components, although it is now believed this product was not used extensively in Clark County beyond 2004.

[millerrob]

I'm looking for a sample of kitec pipe and/or fittings and hope someone here can help me. Let me explain a bit.

I'm a home inspector by trade but am going to be teaching a continuing education class in the evening for first time home buyers. Just kind of the basics of obvious things to look for when walking through homes. I do run into a fair amount of kitec plumbing on home inspections but I write my report and move on. I'm never around for the repipe. I'd like to get a sample of the blue or orange pipe and maybe some fittings that I could pass around in class as visual aids. So if anyone on here is getting their kitec system replaced or does repipes for a living and could save a foot or two of pipe before it goes in the trash I can paypal you for your trouble and shipping, just shoot me a pm. Thanks in advance. -Rob

[ShawnaG]

Is anyone still paying attention to this thread? I just discovered a water leak (36,000 gallons in one month...) and my plumber friend told me to look up the class action lawsuit with Kitec. I did and it said to find out if you have that type of pipe, there should be a sticker in the electrical panel. I looked at the electrical panel and it says Aquapex. As far as I can tell, there is no evidence of a lawsuit or complaints of defective piping with Aquapex. The leak, however, is right in the fitting, (which is in my plumber's hands as we speak). Is it possible that the fitting is the brass fitting made by Kitec? If so, my home would not qualify for the lawsuit.....anyone know anything about this? My house was built in 2001 on the southern end of Las Vegas. Luckily, so far in the game, I think this is a fairly easy and somewhat inexpensive fix. I am hoping it doesn't get worse. My fear is that they used the Kitec fittings throughout, but I'm not sure how to find out. Any suggestions or input for me? Thanks!!

[ShawnaG]

Rob, I have a blue pipe with the fitting attached that I need to use to try and get mine replaced, but once I'm finished with it, you're welcome to it if you still need it. you can email me @ silvermist52875@gmail.com