Handmade with & in Ontario by
Got, Orange and Blue? No worries, we are here for you. If you have Orange and Blue pipes with the marking "KITEC" on them you might want to get them changed, as soon as possible. But rest assured there is some Financial Aid, there is some paperwork attached but never-less a penny here and a penny there has never heard anyone, especially if you can save money.
But what's the big deal with Kitec and why is everyone so crazy about it? Well Kitec was a flexible plastic pipe with a twist, it was made up of 3 layers (think of a sandwich) this layers where made of Crosslinked Polyethylene (PEX) and Aluminium, sometimes Kitec could also be referred to as Pex-Al-Pex or Pe-Al-Pe, this pipes came in either Orange or Blue colour, and were rather popular back in 1995 till 2007.
At the time Kitec was hailed as a alternative to Copper, which has been used in plumbing for centuries. However Kitec fame was short lived as it was discovered that Kitec piping had a bad tendency of corroding in a rather rapid/accelerated pace. As such a massive recall began around 2005. Later in 2011 leading to a Class Action lawsuit against IPEX the maker of Kitec.
The problem with the Kitec is that there is Aluminum in there, over time when you mix head in the mixture and constant expanding that's one big recipe for a failure on the joins which are held in place solely on the principal of being "clamped / cringed", and as previously mentioned the water and the city added chemicals to treat water from harmful bacteria also reduce Kitec's lifespan, leading too a nasty leak or a burst pipe.
Not only does Kitec create a one big ticking time bomb, where you never know when and where it will strike in your home, and you will be lucky if you are home to catch the leak, otherwise it's a wet nightmare from that point on. Dealing with aftermath of flood and taking this to insurance is massive stress. Not to mention having Kitec piping will also reflect negatively on your Homes / Properties value, don't believe it? Well here is what OREA (Ontario Real Estate Association) hot to say about Kitec and Home Value and here is another great article from The Star.
So how do you check for Kitec? Go down to your basement or anywhere you have exposed pipes and check if you have Orange pipe, if so chances are you got a Kitec pipe. Please do note that Kitec piping also go by few other brand names:
The fittings on Kitec piping may be also marked with Kitec or KT which would also indicate that the pipes that you have are Kitec even if you can't locate marking on the pipes themselves.
Give us a call and we will help you out with staying safe and to keep your home dry. We provide Kitec pipe replacement services for Homeowners and Condominiums Owners.
Handmade with & in Ontario by
