# Check Your Pipes! Kitec Plumbing Class Action Lawsuit



## MeanJean (25 Apr 2012)

A Canadian manufacturer of plumbing supplies, notably for their flexible water pipes and brass compression fittings, has a class action lawsuit on their hands.  The brass fittings react with the aluminum coated interiors of the plastic piping and eventually the brass corrodes and deteriorates until it breaks and home owners are faced with the bill.  The company is Ipex but they made products under other names like Kitec.    

I just found out from my neighbor who sold his house.  The inspector picked it up.  Looks like hot water baseboard wasn't such hot idea.  Time to upgrade to a heat pump.  Good thing I didn't paint my walls yet, like I was planning to do this spring.


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## Occam (25 Apr 2012)

Not to throw water on your story (I know, bad pun), but the class action was settled last year, and only deals with the Kitec line.  Kitec got used a lot for heating systems, as your post suggests.  Also look for IPEX AQUA or "PEX-Al-PEX" printed on your blue or orange PEX pipes.  This stuff had a layer of aluminum sandwiched between two layers of PEX.  The problem didn't result from brass fittings reacting with aluminum lining of the pipe because the aluminum wasn't exposed.  The problem resulted from water reacting with the zinc in the fittings.

If you have *white* PEX plumbing made by IPEX (which is the most common type for potable cold and hot water distribution), the fittings aren't affected.  Standard PEX uses different fittings than Kitec and they don't have a corrosion problem.


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## WhereYouTo (1 Dec 2014)

Sorry to resurrect this thread - but myself and a friend got dinged with this year as we go posted out of the HRM.  It's a mixed bag whether you need to get it replaced it or not - but it is big bucks if you do.  Given what the market is like this year, we felt that it was the least bad option.

Check your pipes!


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## Remius (1 Dec 2014)

WhereYouTo said:
			
		

> Sorry to resurrect this thread - but myself and a friend got dinged with this year as we go posted out of the HRM.  It's a mixed bag whether you need to get it replaced it or not - but it is big bucks if you do.  Given what the market is like this year, we felt that it was the least bad option.
> 
> Check your pipes!



You do realise that you've sent a bunch of Highlanders into a panic...


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## GAP (1 Dec 2014)

Crantor said:
			
		

> You do realise that you've sent a bunch of Highlanders into a panic...



Just get them to put some antifreeze in their pipes......


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## cupper (1 Dec 2014)

Just tell them to give their bag a squeeze. >


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