Did you purchase a home in Seattle that was made during the years of 1995 to 2007? If so, there is a good chance your home was made with Kitec plumbing. You could be facing big problems in the near future from leaking pipes and fittings causing extensive water damage to your home. Kitec plumbing is a flexible aluminum pipe between an inner and outer layer of plastic pipe with brass fittings. Originally, this was supposed to be a cheaper alternative and easy-to-install alternative to copper piping, for potable water, in-floor, and hot-water baseboard heating systems.
These are some of the common problems Kitec Plumbing Causes:
- This heats water inefficiently
- Poorer efficiency means greater cost
- Bacterial growth in the pipes can cause possible health issues, including illness caused by Legionella
Northwest Mechanical Has a Solution
The good news is that if you are one of the 10,000 homes in the Northwest affected, there is a class action settlement against Kitec. This settlement gives families like yours the money to replace their plumbing system with a new reliable piping system. Our plumbing experts at NW Mechanical can help you solve this problem and install an affordable and reliable new system for your home.
Our expert plumbers can install a heat exchanger, or upgrade your home’s plumbing to a boiler system to separate the potable water from the heating water. We have professionally replaced over 150 failing Kitec systems in the Seattle area with new PEX tubing, a system that solves the issue of bacterial growth and water contamination.
The only reliable way to solve the risk of water damage in your home is to re-pipe the Kitec with new piping. This is an extensive re-piping, which includes sheetrock repair, but in the end, will save you from major damage and cost. Our staff will coordinate the whole job for a guaranteed, “better than new”, worry-free replacement.
We want to help you avoid imminent water damage caused by a faulty Kitec system and help you take advantage of money due to you to replace and upgrade your heating system. Northwest Mechanical is an expert in solving this problem and is offering excellent pricing on Kitec replacement as well as coordinating every aspect of the job including sheetrock repair, painting and Kitec settlement documentation.
Let us help you solve this problem and give you some peace of mind. Contact us for more information or to schedule a free appointment.
Kitec plumbing was a type of plumbing used in a lot of homes built in the early 1990s and 2000s. Many people in our area have contacted our office with questions about Kitec plumbing and what they can do. Here are answers to some of our most common questions.
What is Kitec plumbing?
Kitec plumbing is a plumbing system that consists of flexible aluminum pipe between an inner and outer layer of plastic pipe (PEX pipe) with brass fittings. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s it was marketed as a cheaper and easy-to-install alternative to copper piping. Kitec was used for residential plumbing systems for potable water, in-floor, and hot-water baseboard heating systems.
What’s the problem with Kitec plumbing?
The biggest issue with Kitec plumbing is that the brass fittings dezincify (zinc leaches from the brass) causing a powdery build up to form on the inside of the fitting and a weakening of the brass fitting. This leads to restricted water flow through the affected pipes and a higher likelihood of the brass fitting to leak or break.
Why replace Kitec plumbing?
Even if you haven’t had a leak or burst pipes yet, it is important to replace any Kitec in order to prevent leaking pipes or water damage caused by burst pipes in your home. Other reasons to replace Kitec pipes is this type of system heats water inefficiently which means a higher cost to the homeowner, potential bacterial growth in the pipes which can sometimes cause health issues, and decreased the resale value of your home.
How do I know if I have Kitec pipes?
Often, the best places to look for the Kitec system is near the hot water tank or in the mechanical room where the pipe is connected to or exits the walls. Also try looking under kitchen sinks or bathroom vanities, where the pipe and/or fitting exits the wall. The pipes are blue and orange - blue for cold, orange for hot, and they may be marked with the following brand names; Kitec, PlumbBetter, IPEX AQUA, WarmRite, Kitec XPA, AmbioComfort, XPA, KERR Controls or Plomberie Améliorée.
What can I do if my home has Kitec plumbing?
If your home has a Kitec plumbing system, give us a call and one of our technicians will schedule an appointment to assess the situation and discuss your options that best suit your home and your needs. There are several solutions including installing a heat exchanger, upgrading your plumbing to a boiler system, or the most definitive solution, re-pipe your home. Our highly trained staff at NW Mechanical has the experience in dealing with Kitec plumbing and can help you find a solution to this problem.