Why would NIBCO/CPI Durapex PEX split (lengthwise) and leak?

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whatzwheremike

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Mark,
Back in 2009 you followed the recommendations for repair. Did it take care of your problem or did you have subsequent leaks?
Thanks,
Mike
 

UnhappyonHighRock

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We live in lexington and have had 2 leaks within the past year. We are having a plumber come on Monday and replace all of the plex pipe in our house, at least all he can get to without major destruction of walls. We also know of several other people in our area with the same problem. We would all be happy to be included in a class action law suit. If anyone has plans to start one we will sign up too. After talking with other people in our area with the same problem we may try to start one here, if we do we will post a link to it.
 

UnhappyonHighRock

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We live in lexington and have had 2 leaks within the past year. We are having a plumber come on Monday and replace all of the pex pipe in our house, at least all he can get to without major destruction of walls. We also know of several other people in our area with the same problem. We would all be happy to be included in a class action law suit. If anyone has plans to start one we will sign up too. After talking with other people in our area with the same problem we may try to start one here, if we do we will post a link to it.



We are having a plumber come on Monday and replace all of the OCPI pex (I should have done a better job of proof reading my previous post)
 

blaughlin

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I noticed a few other posters are from the Charlotte area like me. I wonder if our problems are related.


Charlotte NC - 2003 home - Builder is John Wieland - Plumbing Sub was Pikes Plumbing - I just discovered my second pin-hole leak in my crawl-space in 8 months. This one has been misting my crawl-space for who knows how long. The insurance company just removed most of the insulation and did a thorough mold remediation. The house was built in 2003 in South Charlotte, NC. The pipe is white 3/4" CPI Dura Pex. Both leaks were within 10 feet of the hot-water heater; however, one leak was in the hot line, the other in the cold line. There have been issues with excessive water pressure in the neighborhood over the years. The pipe exhibited a longitudinal "failure/weakening".

Thanks,
Bill Laughlin
blaughlinspam@gmail.com
 

reirizt

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NIBCO Dura Pex Piping – Investigation

Chimicles & Tikellis LLP > 2013
Chimicles & Tikellis is investigating a class action on behalf of homeowners who have incurred damages as a result of premature failure of NIBCO Dura Pex Piping. If you have incurred damage as a result of NIBCO Dura Pex Pipes failing and causing water damage in your home or property please use the “Email us about this Case†button to contact the attorneys below. http://www.chimicles.com/nibco-dura-pex-piping-investigation
 

NJMLaw

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Legal Action

Many of the posts ask if there is a local attorney who has been working on this. I am located in Mooresville, North Carolina. After successfully settling one case, I have decided to investigate a potential class action suit. One of my challenges is to determine how many people have been effected and to what extent they are damaged. If you are located in North Carolina and are interested in pursuing this further, please contact me at nmiller@njmillerlaw.com. Thank you.
 

nwpent

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I believe NIBCO purchased CPI around the same time you built your home but not sure.

I hope someone can help me or at least point me in the right direction.

We built our house in 1999 (completed) and the house is plumbed with PEX. In the last six months, the PEX line coming from our water heater has split three times (hot water side). Each time we have had it replaced and each split has been farther down the run each time. The entire affected length appears to be approximately 4 feet. The water heater is in the attic, we are on county (treated) water and live in central NC. We have a PRV and expansion tank. The splits are not near a joint, fitting or bend and are lengthwise (almost like a seam "split" ) at about 1-2 inches in length. I am not sure who the manufacturer is ( there is a logo I am still trying to ID for contact info), but my plumber says it looks like CPI (NIBCO) pex. The manufacture date on the PEX says October 1998 (we started building in September 1998). We have not had any problems anywhere else in the house...

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I thought this stuff was supposed to last a lot longer. I know that if PEX is exposed to sunlight it can be affected, but I am pretty sure this was not the case when our home was built...
I have tried to include as much info as I can...
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
THANKS!!!


I'm a large plumbing contractor and began using NIBCO PEX in 2006 as a replacement to failing Flowgaurd Gold CPVC which is also junk. Since 2006 I've started seeing failures in the area of the water heater and throughout the home. PEX is identified and graded in various ways. First you have different types of PEX A, B, and C which is not a rating system. This defines a specific manufacturing process that is used to make PEX.

PEX-A tubing is produced using Peroxide (or, “Engelâ€) method, named after the inventor Tomas Engel. During the manufacturing process, free radicals are created when HDPE polymer is melted and cross-links between molecules occur at temperatures that exceed the decomposition temperature of the polymer. Some of the manufacturers who make this type of PEX are: Uponor (former Wirsbo), Rehau and Mr. PEX.

PEX-B is made using a "Silane" or "Moisture Cure" method of cross-linking, where links between the molecules of the HDPE form after the extrusion process using a catalyst and exposing PEX tubing to water. This type of PEX is the most common and is manufactured by a large number of companies, such as: Viega, Watts, Bow, Everhot, Zurn and many others.

PEX-C is manufactured using “Electronic Irradiation†method of cross-linking, also known as "Cold" cross-linking. Here, cross-linking of the molecules is done after the process of extrusion by exposing the pipe to an electron radiation beam. The radiation emitted allows to break the existing links between molecules of the polymer and initiate cross-linking process. Some of the manufacturers are: Nibco, Roth, Cash-Acme.

Beyond this there is another way to distinguish different "grades" of PEX. A four digit number ie. 1006 or 3306, etc. Generally I believe you will find the Nibco PEX in your home will have 1006 somewhere in the print line of the pipe. It's on there with NSF or ANSI #, etc. Regardless, These numbers all mean something individually and you can probably find information related to this on the web. Each of the four numbers represent testing for Water pressure, Water Temperature, Chlorine resistance and UV (sun) resistance. I don't remember the order but I have docs somewhere to back this up. Bottom line: If you contact the manufacturer to investigate, they may visit your home and will send back a report that says your water pressure is too high, the chlorine content in your water is too high, thermal expansion is an issue in your home and God help you if you have a hot water circulating system that is not controlled with a timer. All this said, the NIBCO pipe is probably defective and if you have the energy or means, fight their claims with the threat of a Class Action Law Suit. I'm going down the same road because I have approximately 10,000 homes with this pipe installed and failures are beginning to be more frequent. I installed piping that I was told would do the job by a company I thought was reputable and I'm in a bad situation now. I wish you luck!!
 

lawmanracing

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RED CPI DURA PEX LEAK (hot water side)

This month, on two occasions I have had the red CPI DURA PEX tubing split within 10 feet of the hot water heater (hot water side). Only added up to $300 for plumber call as the hot water heater is in attic space and we heard water running shortly after leak began. We only had minor discoloring of the sheet rock, so I am not spending any money to repaint. I am concerned, naturally, that we will not be as lucky in the future with this piping. I will be contacting my insurance company and will be turning off the water on any lengthy trips we make over the upcoming holidays. Our house was built in 2004 and we are near Charlotte, NC.
 

lawmanracing

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Well, the third time is the charm. I had a plumber replace most of the CPI DURA PEX tubing, but he did not replace about a two inch section coming off of the copper connector on the hot water side. Naturally, it split and water poured to the walls below. I have made a claim with my insurance company (Nationwide) and they estimated damages at $1,800 and wrote me a check for that (less my $1,000 deductable). I am putting in a tankless water heater that will go on the outside of my house and will have new water lines which will allow me to leave the bad pipe in the walls. Nationwide will be sending the bad section of pipe to the manufacturer and try to recover some of my deductable. My agent said that the pipe manufacturer warrants the pipe for 12 years. He also said the engineers he contracts to make the submital to the pipe manufacturer say that the pipe typically splits up to about 20 feet away from the hot water heater on the hot water side. I feel very sorry for anyone that has had a worse experience than I have had with this poor product. I feel quite fortunate that our hardwood floors were not damaged.
 

Brendan Thompson

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I am a consumer protection attorney working in Washington, DC and Maryland. My firm is investigating Dura-Pex and Nibco plumbing systems. It would be helpful to our investigation if we could speak to anyone who has the systems (PEX and/ or fittings) installed in their home or business. If you are willing to have a brief conversation, I can be reached at 202-789-3960 or by e-mail at brendant@cuneolaw.com. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Brendan Thompson
 

S. Thompson

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We're about to replace all the red PEX piping in our house - already replaced everything in the crawl space, but that just seemed to drive the problem upward. We've had too many leaks to count under the house, and are on our 4th since the crawlspace pipes were replaced, last 2 in past 2 weeks. We've been incredibly lucky in that we discovered the leaks pretty quickly and so damage was limited. But we feel like we're living in a time bomb, and to replace the upper pipes will cost $4000 before we even begin to fix the ceilings/walls, etc. We know of 3 other houses in our neighborhood that have had same issue, and have replaced the plumbing already, and our plumber knows of several other cases in the area. All houses were built around 2000 give or take a few years. If class action suit occurs, please put us on the list!
 

Kasey bakker

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Hi my name is kasey Bakker my house was built in 2003. Me and my family moved in at 2015 January and we have had 3 leaked with this cpi 3"4 pex piping all from the hot water lines in less than a month. I live in lake Wylie SC which is York county. Can anyone help me on what to do!
 

Boboian

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I have had to replace all nibco pex in house because of splits and holes on hot water side. I have been plumbing with pex for 6 years and only leaks have been with this pipe
 

Dan Patterson

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Snish, very interested in your actions on fixing your issues. I am in the same situation you were, 3 pin hole leaks since we moved in 2012. Getting estimates now to replace all pipes. Would like to discuss with you!
 

Dan Patterson

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I have had to replace all nibco pex in house because of splits and holes on hot water side. I have been plumbing with pex for 6 years and only leaks have been with this pipe
Do you feel it would be best to replace all (hot and cold) pipes? If defective, I would rather all pipes be replaced.
 

Dan Patterson

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Hi my name is kasey Bakker my house was built in 2003. Me and my family moved in at 2015 January and we have had 3 leaked with this cpi 3"4 pex piping all from the hot water lines in less than a month. I live in lake Wylie SC which is York county. Can anyone help me on what to do!
I am in your same situation now. Looks like replacing is the only option? I have had 3 leaks (pin hole) in 5 years.
 

TLS San Antonio

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We just experienced our 3rd leak this year. Home was built in late 2012 in Texas by Imagine Homes. I have no knowledge of plumbing, so I’m relying on info from my plumber. Was informed by the plumber that we have Nibco pipes that are known to fail. I’ve been told this product is in DR Horton homes across the country, too. Home warranty company (American Home Shield) no longer covers any Nibco products. FWIW, the section we just had replaced is blue (cold?). There is a class action lawsuit, but that is likely fruitless for homeowners. My insurance company (USAA) is investigating recourse as well. Will update as events unfold.
 

spepin

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Extremely similar experience here -- with some differences. I know this is an old thread, but thought I'd add my two cents. My symptoms are identical to the OP -- pinhole leak within a few inches of the copper to PEX transition on the hot water side of the water heater. What's different is the location -- I'm located in Southern California; my leak was inside a wall; and it wasn't the red PEX, but rather the white PEX. It's cold expansion tubing, so no metal rings or clamps to fail. Like the OP, my tubing has developed lengthwise cracks that are worse nearest the water heater. My plumber had to cut it back quite a bit to even be able to expand the tubing without it cracking and splitting during the expansion process. None of the exposed tubing had any brand markings on it, but I'll be meeting with my the owner of the plumbing company that came to do the repair this afternoon to discuss options. I think I'll be replacing the roughly 20' piece between the water heater and the first manifold where it splits off to the various fixtures and such.

I was hoping to get some info from the builder, but that was a dead end -- the builder (US Homes) was bought by Lennar just prior to my home being built (2001), but a call to Lennar confirmed that they have no records dating back that far (I was just hoping to get info on the plumbing contractor or the brand of PEX used). Anyway, here's to the continuing saga...
 
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