Kitec plumbing in BC: how to spot it and what to do

What is Kitec plumbing?

Kitec is a water pipe system made by or for IPEX. The pipe has layers of plastic and aluminium (sold as PEX-AL-PEX and similar), and it joins with brass fittings. It was installed in homes and buildings across Canada.

It went by more names than just Kitec. The settlement’s FAQ lists Kitec, PlumbBetter, IPEX AQUA, WarmRite, Kitec XPA, XPA, AmbioComfort and KERR Controls.

How do you tell if your home has Kitec?

Look at the pipe where it shows. The settlement administrator suggests looking:

• Near the hot water tank or in the mechanical room.
• Under kitchen sinks and bathroom vanities, where the pipe comes out of the wall.

Kitec pipe is usually orange for hot water and blue for cold, though it was also sold in red, blue, grey and black. The pipe is usually printed with one of the brand names above. On a fitting you can see, look for “Kitec” or “KTC”. The pipe may also carry the standards CSA B137.9 or B137.10.

Colour alone isn’t proof. Other plastic pipe comes in the same colours, so read the printing on the pipe.

What goes wrong with Kitec?

The class action claimed the products were prone to failing early. The administrator describes two warning signs:

• A build-up of white residue on the outside of a brass fitting.
• The pipe going black, or bulging.

It also notes that problems typically show first near the hot water tank. A fitting that fails behind a wall or ceiling can leak for a long time before anyone sees it, so treat either sign as a reason to have it looked at soon.

Can you still claim from the Kitec settlement?

No. A US$125 million settlement was approved in 2011 by courts in Ontario, Quebec and the US, and it paid toward repairing or replacing Kitec in homes and buildings across Canada. The claim deadline was January 9, 2020, and the administrator says claims made after it are rejected. Its July 2025 update says payments have been issued.

If you filed a valid claim before the deadline and were never paid, the administrator’s site says to contact it directly.

Should you replace Kitec?

That depends on what you find and how you feel about the risk. With no settlement left to claim from, any repair or replacement is now the owner’s cost. If you see white residue on a fitting or a blackened or bulging pipe, have it checked before it leaks. If you’re opening walls for a renovation anyway, it’s a sensible time to replace the pipe in those walls.

Replacing Kitec is a repipe: new pipe and fittings run to each fixture. It can be done for the whole home or in sections.

Does Kitec affect insurance or selling a home?

It can. The settlement’s FAQ even covers sellers who were required to replace Kitec by an insurer or an inspector. Ask your insurer or broker how they treat it, and tell them if it has been replaced. If you’re buying, ask the seller and check the places above, and ask the home inspector to note any pipe they can see.

How is Kitec different from Poly-B?

They are different pipes. Poly-B is flexible grey plastic pipe from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Kitec has an aluminium layer inside the plastic and brass fittings, and its warning signs show at the fittings and on the pipe. Some homes have both. Our guide on Poly-B plumbing in BC covers how to spot Poly-B.

When to call a plumber

Call a plumber when:

• You find white residue on a brass fitting, or pipe that is black or bulging.
• There’s water near the hot water tank and you can see orange or blue pipe.
• You’re buying or selling and need to know what pipe is in the walls.
• An insurer has asked you to replace Kitec.

DrainX checks what pipe a home has, repairs leaking fittings, and repipes homes and condos with new pipe. Tell us where you’ve seen the pipe and what’s printed on it.