Kitec Pipe Replacement
If your Reno-area home was built between 1995 and 2007, you may have Kitec — a recalled plumbing system that can fail without warning. I replace it, and I can tell you if you have it.
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What Is Kitec, and Why Does It Matter?
Kitec is a plumbing system installed in homes and condos between 1995 and 2007. It was marketed as a cheaper, easier alternative to copper — flexible pipe (usually orange for hot, blue for cold) joined with brass fittings. The problem is the fittings. They contain high levels of zinc, and over time that zinc corrodes in a process called dezincification, leaving a white, chalky buildup that restricts flow and weakens the joints. Kitec doesn't just leak slowly — it can burst without warning and flood a home. It was recalled starting in 2005 and pulled from the market by 2007.
How to Know If You Have Kitec
Also sold under other names — including Kitec, PlumBetter, WarmRite, IPEX, AQUA, and XPA — and sometimes misspelled 'Kytec' or 'Kitech.' If you're not sure, send me a photo of your fittings and I can usually tell you over the phone.
Why It Can't Be Patched
There's no spot fix for Kitec. Because it's the fittings themselves that fail — and they're throughout the system — patching one leak just means you'll be dealing with the next one soon. The only real solution is to replace the system with modern pipe. I do full repipes in copper or PEX, and I do them cleanly, with as little disruption to your home as possible.
Kitec in the Reno & Sparks Area
A lot of the attention on Kitec has focused on Las Vegas, where tens of thousands of homes were affected and a class-action settlement was reached. But here's what a lot of Northern Nevada homeowners don't realize: that settlement money is long gone, and homes up here in the Reno, Sparks, and Spanish Springs area built in that 1995–2007 window can have Kitec too — with no settlement to fall back on. If you're buying or selling a home from that era, Kitec has to be disclosed, and it can affect your insurance. I help homeowners and realtors deal with it fast so it doesn't hold up a sale.
I've dealt with Kitec in homes around the Reno and Sparks area, and the pattern is almost always the same — a home built in that 1995 to 2007 window, an owner or buyer who just found out during an inspection, and a decision that needs to happen fast. If you think you might have it, don't wait for it to fail on its own. Send me a few photos of your fittings and I'll tell you honestly what you're looking at and what it takes to fix it right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Think You Might Have Kitec?
Send me a photo and I'll tell you what you're dealing with.