Inspection Issues Update

Kitec is a piping system primarily used in radiant heating systems. The Kitec system used brass fittings as well as blue and orange flexible piping, which was made from a mixture of polyurethane and aluminum. Inman News reported, “It seems that the plumbers who originally installed Kitec have come to believe that if you have Kitec in your home, it will eventually cause a problem — not maybe, but definitely.”  Some Insurance Companies in the US has begun denying coverage for homes with Kitec as well, and awareness by home buyers and sellers have increased because of a recent class action lawsuit.  What to do?  If your seller clients have radiant heating in their houses that is water-heated and was installed between 1995 and 2007, ask them to call a plumber and have him or her certify that no Kitec was used. If they do find Kitec, the best thing to do is replace it right away and join in the $125 million dollar class-action lawsuit at kitecsettlement.com to get money to help the remediation.  Buyer’s should know that some insurance companies won’t insure their home if Kitec is discovered, so determining this during the inspection / insurance contingency time frame is important as well.  You can also get a look at the Kitec plumbing from the kitecsettlement.com  website if you’re curious.  Refer all questions to a professional!