It is a material problem, not one bad joint
Kitec and polybutylene failures come from the material and fittings themselves, so fixing one leak rarely means the next joint is sound. A repair stops the damage; replacement removes the cause.
Replace problem pipe before it fails
Kitec and Polybutylene Pipe Replacement in Mesa and Phoenix
Identify Kitec and polybutylene water piping, explain what it means for your home, and replace it with a planned repipe instead of a string of emergency repairs.
Watch for these signs
Signs you may have Kitec or polybutylene pipe
- Orange or blue flexible pipe at the water heater or under sinks
- Gray, flexible plastic water pipe in a home built between 1978 and the mid-1990s
- Brass fittings with green or white crust on them
- A home inspection report that names Kitec or polybutylene
- Repeated fitting leaks in a home built or replumbed from 1995 on
Our services
What we handle
- Identifying the pipe and fittings in the home
- Repairing an active leak to stop the damage
- Whole-home repiping with PEX or copper
- Planning the route to limit wall and ceiling openings
- Reconnecting fixtures, the water heater, and shutoffs
- Pressure testing the new piping
Your options
Repair the leak or replace the pipe
We look at the cause, the condition of the existing system, and what will work best for your property.
Selling or insuring the home
Buyers' inspectors call out both materials, and some insurers ask about them. Replacing the pipe before listing takes the question off the table.
How the house is plumbed
Attic, wall, and slab routes all affect how much drywall has to be opened. A planned repipe chooses the route with the least repair work afterward.
Planning the work
What affects the price
- Size of the home and number of fixtures
- Single-story, two-story, attic, or slab routing
- PEX or copper for the new lines
- Drywall and finish repair after the pipe is run
- Water heater, manifold, and shutoff changes
What Kitec and polybutylene are, and why they fail
Kitec is aluminum tubing laminated between two layers of polyethylene or PEX, joined with brass fittings marked KITEC. It was installed in about 292,000 homes beginning in 1995, and its manufacturer, IPEX, recalled it in 2005. The class-action settlement for Kitec owners has closed: its claims deadline was January 9, 2020, and payments have been issued, so replacing the pipe now is the owner's cost.
Polybutylene is a gray plastic pipe manufactured between 1978 and the mid-1990s and installed in up to 10 million homes. Some disinfectants in treated water can react with polybutylene and make it flake apart from the inside, which is why it fails without warning.
What happens next
How a Kitec or polybutylene repipe works
- 1
We confirm what pipe and fittings the home has and where they run.
- 2
You get the route, the material, and the price before work begins.
- 3
New lines are run and fixtures are moved over, usually with water restored at the end of each day.
- 4
The system is pressure-tested and the old pipe is abandoned or removed.
Common questions
Before you schedule
How do I know if my house has Kitec?
Look at the pipes at the water heater and under sinks. Kitec is usually orange for hot and blue for cold, often with the name printed on it, and it uses brass fittings. A plumber can confirm it during a visit.
Is polybutylene the same as Kitec?
No. Polybutylene is a gray plastic pipe used in earlier homes. Kitec is a layered plastic and aluminum pipe with brass fittings. Both have a history of failures, for different reasons.
Can I still file a Kitec claim?
No. The Kitec settlement's claims deadline was January 9, 2020, and the settlement administrator says payments have been issued.
Do I have to replace all of the Kitec at once?
Not always, but because the problem is the material, partial repairs tend to lead to more of them. We explain what a full and a partial replacement involve so you can decide.
Can you repipe while we live in the house?
Usually, yes. The work is planned room by room so water can be restored at the end of each day where possible.
Related services
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