The Kitec Fitting Litigation Class Action concerned brass plumbing fittings (Kitec Fittings) that had been used within homes in Clark County, Nevada. Kitec Fittings were used to connect composite pipe manufactured by IPEX, Inc., a Canadian company.
IPEX’s composite pipe, which is known as Kitec, consisted of flexible aluminum pipe sandwiched between and inner and outer layer of plastic pipe. Kitec generally came in two colors: blue (for cold water use) and orange (for hot water use). Kitec Fittings were used extensively in the construction of residential homes throughout Clark County, Nevada between 1995 and 2005.
The lawsuit was filed on February 15, 2006, was certified as a class action on October 16, 2006 and was captioned “IN RE KITEC FITTING LITIGATION”. The case number assigned in District Court, Clark County, Nevada (Dept # XVI) was A493302. The class alleged that Kitec Fittings fail when they are exposed to water because of a chemical reaction known as dezincification, which resulted in reduced water flow and leaks. Dezincified Kitec Fittings therefore cause damage not only when they burst and leak, but also impair the ability of a home’s plumbing system to effectively provide water to appliances and fixtures. The Class action was limited to the potable water system after the transition point in the house (usually in the garage) and did not cover the yard service line from the water meter to the transition point even if it was Kitec pipe.
Between June 2008 and March 2014, approximately 60 individual cases were litigated and close to 36,500 unique claims were included in the Class Action.
The Class Action involved three distinct phases; Kitec Phase One that involved 58 cases, and Kitec Phase 1.5 and Two that involved one case each. When Kitec Phase Two was approved on February 26, 2014, the Court extended all deadlines for owners of Clark County homes that contained Kitec plumbing systems to file claims requesting the available settlement relief. The Court extended the deadlines by three (3) years or until the limited funds were exhausted. The Court set a deadline of March 17, 2017 for all Kitec Class Members to file claims.
The Class is therefore now closed.
The purpose of this website is to be (i) an informational website on replumbs performed under the umbrella of the Class Action – see Property Search, and (ii) to make available to Homeowners information on Warranties given at the time of the replumb. If individuals are not satisfied with the information available on this website, they can contact TCS – the Court Appointed Claims Administrator.
For more information watch this video: