Used in plumbing almost everywhere in North America including the Montreal area in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Kitec pipes could be harming you without you even knowing it.
With their prominent colors: royal blue for the main and cold water inlets, red for the hot water ducts, Kitec’s ducts had everything to please both professionals and consumers when they arrived on the market. Their flexibility and light weight made them easy to install for contractors and certified plumbers, while their cost was an attractive factor for the owner’s wallet.
Kitec pipes or an accident that could occur at any time
Over the years, Kitec piping systems have been marketed under various brand names including: Improved Plumbing, IPEX, IPEX AQUA, KERR controls, Kitec, PlumbBetter and XP. While copper conduit has been in use for nearly a hundred years, the lifespan of Kitec conduit and the euphoria it promised was short-lived for both parties: Kitec conduit was discontinued in 2007. The reason: premature wear, failed welds and joints, major damage and in some rare cases, the presence of plastic in the drinking water.
Dans la région de Montréal, quelques projets résidentiel situés dans les quartiers suivants ont (malheureusement) été développés avec une tuyauterie de kitec. On en retrouve notamment dans les arrondissements de Pierrefonds (quartier Beaubois), St-Laurent (quartier Bois-Francs), sur l’île Bizard ainsi qu’à Laval.
How do you know if your home or property has Kitec pipes work?
Request an on-site evaluation by a certified plumber.
Recalls on Kitec equipment began around 2004-2005 due to premature breakage, corroded and broken joints (see photos), cracked pipes, and several damages causing significant harm to homeowners who were victims of this failing product including mold… In addition, class action lawsuits in Canada and the U.S. and a $125 million settlement have provided some hope for recovering compensation for victims from IPEX.
An overview of its class actions can be found here.
Some entrepreneurs with a good conscience have been proactive and have withdrawn the product themselves, they are a minority so for most consumers, kitec is nothing more or less than a sword of Damocles that could fall (on the pipes) at any moment.
To obtain an evaluation by a master plumber, click here.
