Kitec is a flexible plumbing pipe system that carried hot and cold water in many Canadian homes and condos built from about 1995 to 2007, usually orange for hot water and blue for cold. Kitec's brass fittings can corrode and fail, sometimes with a sudden burst, so many owners replace it, and insurers and condo corporations often ask about it.
| Installed | About 1995 to 2007, when it stopped being sold |
| Looks like | Orange (hot) and blue (cold) flexible pipe with brass fittings |
| Weak point | The brass fittings, and the pipe on hot water lines |
| Made by | IPEX, sold under Kitec and several other names |
| Class action settlement | Closed. The claims deadline was January 9, 2020 |
How to identify Kitec
The quickest place to look for Kitec is beside the water heater or in the mechanical room, where pipes come out of the wall. Kitec is a flexible pipe, usually orange for hot water and blue for cold, joined with brass fittings at each connection. It was also sold in red, blue, grey and black, so colour alone isn't proof.
Check the printing on the side of the pipe. The settlement covered pipe and fittings sold under these names:
- Kitec
- Kitec XPA and XPA
- PlumbBetter
- IPEX AQUA
- WarmRite
- AmbioComfort
- KERR Controls
- Plomberie Améliorée
Most Kitec pipe is a layered pipe with a thin aluminum core between layers of plastic, labelled with names like PEX-AL-PEX. The settlement also covered some plain PEX pipe (a solid plastic pipe) made by IPEX under these names, so read the printing rather than going by the pipe's construction. Copper, and PEX from other makers, isn't Kitec.
You'll often only see a few feet of it. The rest runs inside walls, floors and ceilings, and in some condos inside concrete. A home inspector can flag what's visible, but a licensed plumber can tell you whether the whole system is Kitec or only part of it.
Why Kitec fails
Kitec's brass fittings are the main problem. Dezincification is a process in which the zinc in brass leaches out over time. That leaves the fitting weaker and can build up inside it, restricting water flow, until it leaks or breaks.
The Kitec class action settlement's own guidance lists the early warning signs:
- White, crusty residue on the outside of a fitting is the first sign of fitting failure.
- Blackening or bulging of the pipe is the first sign of pipe failure.
- Problems typically show up first near the hot water tank.
Hot water lines are the most at risk. The Canadian Condominium Institute notes that when Kitec fails, it usually bursts, followed by high-volume flooding, rather than a slow drip. That's why it matters even in a home that has never had a leak: the first failure can be the expensive one.
Not every Kitec system has failed, and some never will. There's no reliable way to predict when a particular fitting will go, which is why buyers, owners and insurers treat it as a known risk rather than waiting for a leak.
Replacement cost and process
There's no standard price for replacing Kitec. The cost depends on the size of the home, how many fixtures and runs there are, whether the pipe is open and accessible, behind drywall, or set in concrete, and how much wall and ceiling has to be opened and repaired. Get written quotes from two or three licensed plumbers for the specific home.
The settlement itself sorted claims the same way, by whether pipe was open, behind drywall or in concrete, because the work and the cost are so different.
What a replacement involves
- Inspection and quote. The plumber confirms where Kitec is and quotes either a full replacement (a "replumb") or replacing only the fittings or sections that have failed.
- New pipe. Usually PEX or copper, run to every fixture. Plumbers often run new lines through new paths rather than pulling the old pipe out.
- Openings and repair. Access holes in drywall and ceilings, then patching and painting, often by a separate trade.
- Water off. The water is shut off for parts of the job, and in a condo, the work may need to be coordinated with the building.
Ask the plumber whether a building permit is needed, and how long the job will take in your home. Keep the invoice and any permit or inspection records: an insurer or a future buyer may ask for proof that the Kitec is gone.
Partial replacement
Some owners have replaced only the fittings, or only the sections that leaked. That can fix the immediate problem, but the rest of the system is still the same age and material. When you're buying, ask what was replaced, when, and by whom, and get the invoice.
Kitec in condos
Kitec was common in condos built in the late 1990s and 2000s, in both the units and the common elements (the parts of the building the corporation owns, such as risers and shared pipes). Who pays to replace it depends on the building.
Generally, the condo corporation is responsible for the common elements, and owners are responsible for what's inside their unit. But each corporation's declaration and by-laws set out exactly which pipes belong to the unit and which to the corporation, and some corporations have replaced Kitec building-wide, either from the reserve fund or by charging owners. Some have done it in stages.
If you're buying a condo built in that window, ask:
- Does the building have Kitec, and in which parts?
- Has it been replaced, in the common elements, in the units, or both?
- If not, is a replacement planned, and how will it be paid for? A large project can mean a special assessment, an extra charge on top of regular condo fees.
- Was this unit done? If the corporation replaced pipes only in the common elements, the unit's own plumbing may still be Kitec.
Have your lawyer review the status certificate before your offer is firm. It covers the reserve fund, known special assessments and the corporation's finances. Ask your lawyer to look at the reserve fund study and recent board minutes too, where Kitec plans are more likely to be discussed.
Buying a home with Kitec
The time to deal with Kitec is before your offer is firm. Talk to your agent and lawyer about how to word the conditions for your situation.
- Inspection. A home inspection condition gives you time to find visible Kitec and bring in a plumber for an assessment and a quote.
- Insurance. Some insurers ask whether a home has Kitec, and may decline, charge more, or set conditions such as replacement. An insurance condition gives you time to get a quote you're satisfied with. Your lender needs proof of insurance before closing.
- Seller's records. If the seller says it was replaced, ask for the plumber's invoice, and for a condo, what the corporation did and when.
The settlement's FAQ notes that disclosure rules vary by province and suggests sellers talk to a real estate lawyer. If you own a home with Kitec, the same applies to you when you sell: talk to your lawyer about what to disclose.
Track what your home is worth →
The Kitec class action settlement
The Kitec class action settlement is closed. According to the settlement website, the deadline to file a claim was January 9, 2020, and claims made after it were rejected. You can't file a new claim today.
What happened:
| Settlement fund | US$125 million, for owners in Canada and the United States |
| Approved | 2011, by courts in Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. (Northern District of Texas) |
| Claims deadline | January 9, 2020 |
| Final plan of allocation | Approved in 2024 by the U.S., Ontario and Quebec courts |
| Final payments | Cheques issued in late December 2024 and early January 2025 |
The settlement paid roughly half the estimated cost to repair each qualifying leak, with final payments depending on the money left in the fund. It didn't cover health claims. As of July 2025, the settlement website said payments had been issued and the stale date for cheques had passed. If you believe you filed a valid claim and weren't paid, the settlement website lists the claims administrator's contact details.
Where these homes are in Waterloo Region
Homes from the Kitec era, the late 1990s and 2000s, are spread across the region's newer subdivisions and many of its condo buildings, in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge especially. Here's a table of the neighbourhoods where the highest share of recent sales were homes built from 1995 to 2007, among sales with a known build year, each linked to its neighbourhood page.
| Neighbourhood | City | Share built 1995 to 2007 | Sales with a known build year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Forest | Waterloo | 100% | 173 |
| Eastbridge | Waterloo | 95% | 669 |
| Cooper | Cambridge | 93% | 191 |
| Laurelwood | Waterloo | 84% | 423 |
| Clair Hills | Waterloo | 80% | 545 |
| Hillcrest | Cambridge | 76% | 857 |
| Conservation Meadows | Waterloo | 71% | 265 |
| Laurentian West | Kitchener | 70% | 2,245 |
| Lincoln Village West | Waterloo | 65% | 115 |
| University Downs | Waterloo | 63% | 234 |
| Laurel Creek | Waterloo | 62% | 438 |
| Pioneer Tower West | Kitchener | 59% | 406 |
The neighbourhoods with the highest share of sales of homes built 1995 to 2007, among sales with a recorded build year, over the 10 years ending October 26, 2026. Neighbourhoods with fewer than 30 such sales aren't shown. Build years come from listings and aren't always recorded.
A 1995 to 2007 build year doesn't mean a home has Kitec, and an older home could have had it put in during a renovation; only an inspection tells you.
See more on each city's market: Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Woolwich, Wilmot, Wellesley and North Dumfries. Buying new instead? New homes come with a Tarion warranty.