Is there a class action lawsuit against Kitec piping?

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NHmaster

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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.

IMPORTANT CASE UPDATES

Class Counsel recently reached a tentative settlement with the manufacturer of the Kitec brass fittings, Ipex, Inc. and IPEX USA, LLC, for $90,000,000. This settlement does not resolve the entire In Re Kitec Fitting Litigation case as claims remain against the home builders and the plumbers. Because this is a partial settlement, it will not be enough by itself to re-plumb homes. Therefore, litigation will continue against the home builders and plumbers that have not yet settled. This settlement must still be approved by the Court and by the Class, which will take several months. The settlement may be appealed by other defendants in the case, which may substantially delay Class Counsel’s ability to use these funds for repairs. For more information regarding this settlement and how it may affect your rights, please read the Notice of Preliminary Approval of Settlement and Fairness Hearing and the Fifth Notice of Class Action documents in the Updates section of this website and/or contact our office at the telephone number provided below.

If you wish to support the proposed Ipex Settlement, click on the banner below.
 

trauschu

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Another S. Texas Kitec Home - Water Softener?

Well, another home in S. Texas with Kitec in it. We bought the home new from a small custom builder in July '08. From what I can tell, it was plumbed in mid-'07 during framing, and the water was turned on in May '08.

No fitting leaks, YET....

But, two questions:

1) There was mention of new plastic fittings for use with the Kitec tube. Is there any more info on these? I would like to install a water softener, but getting fittings for this Kitec is next to impossible. If there is an approved plastic fitting, I would like to use it.

2) The documention from the Las Vegas class action suit said that the water there was very hard. Could this excessive mineral content in Las Vegas help cause the aggressive decomposition of the Kitec brass fittings? If so, S. Central Texas is going to be the second big lawsuit if there is as much Kitec down here as was stated in the previous post, as we also have VERY hard aquifer water here.

So then, back to my #2 question. Has there been any research into water softeners in relation to the brass fittings? Will installing a water softener to effectively remove the minerals in these hard water area help prolong the brass Kitec fittings? Is it worth a shot?

Ideas? Suggestions?
 
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Polyresearch

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Well, another home in S. Texas with Kitec in it. We bought the home new from a small custom builder in July '08. From what I can tell, it was plumbed in mid-'07 during framing, and the water was turned on in May '08.

No fitting leaks, YET....

But, two questions:

1) There was mention of new plastic fittings for use with the Kitec tube. Is there any more info on these? I would like to install a water softener, but getting fittings for this Kitec is next to impossible. If there is an approved plastic fitting, I would like to use it.

2) The documention from the Las Vegas class action suit said that the water there was very hard. Could this excessive mineral content in Las Vegas help cause the aggressive decomposition of the Kitec brass fittings? If so, S. Central Texas is going to be the second big lawsuit if there is as much Kitec down here as was stated in the previous post, as we also have VERY hard aquifer water here.

So then, back to my #2 question. Has there been any research into water softeners in relation to the brass fittings? Will installing a water softener to effectively remove the minerals in these hard water area help prolong the brass Kitec fittings? Is it worth a shot?

Ideas? Suggestions?

I assume you're talking about the Edwards Aquifer? A couple of things you'll have to consider regarding the purchase/installation of a water softener. It's my understanding that in some cases these fittings are failing in a little as two years time. If you install a water softener now you may just be prolonging an inevitable leak at some point in the near future. If you'd prefer a softener for other reasons then I'd go ahead an get one. However if you're just buying one to extend the life of the system then you may be better served by starting to budget for a whole house repipe. At a minimum you may want to locate your home's main shutoff valve and turn the water off when you plan to by away for any extended period of time, including for example before you head out to work. The last thing you want is to have a leak while your away from home.
 

Master Plumber Mark

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Its getting ugly out there....

Rugged....didnt we talk about how all these different pexes
would eventually fail someday...

I think it was only two years ago,,

i did not think it would happen this fast...


Lots of Ki-tech around here in indiana too

and our water is the worst in the USA
 

kitec

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laswuit for getting a replumb of Kitec pipe

I talked to a lawyer who's working on this case - very helpful. yes, there is a lawsuit because the kitec fittings are bad. I have them in my house and there has only been 1 leak but i'm not wanting anymore problems. the lawyers number who I talked to is 1-888-935-2929 and I found his website at www.levinclients.com.
 

kitec

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Kitec / Ipex class action lawsuit

Yes there is a bunch of class action lawsuits filed against Ipex, the company that makes Kitec. I talked to one of the law firms involved in the cases that have been filed and they sent me papers to join. Supposably it is the brass fittings that go bad and need to be replaced. Call them yourself if you have Kitec. 1888-935-2929 or website www.law29.com. Good luck.
 

Linda702

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There is a big class action suit in Las Vegas over Kitec Plumbing. Some neighborhoods have settled. (Basically, it covers the cost to replace all the fittings throughout the house. My friend has a small single story. It took several weeks.) A real pain. See: http://www.plumbingdefect.com/index.html
 

biggy

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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

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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...
 

jeffusa

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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.
 
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MikaelJ

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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

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I found this article after I read about your problem, I hope it helps.....

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.
 

donnagvia

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Spammer?

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

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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!
 

Jrednaxela

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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.
 
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