Plastic Water Piping Leak Causes & Symptoms
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Causes of well or municipal water service piping leak
Characteristics of a leak in the pipe between well or municipal water supply & the building
Effects of well or municipal water service piping leaks, diagnosis, effects, remedy
Defective PVC polyvinyl chloride piping lawsuit, leaks, explosions, whistleblower; Kitek plastic piping leaks, class action settlement;
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe properties, installation, leaks & failures

This article describes the causes of damaged or leaky buried plastic water pipe & resulting poor water pressure, poor water flow, or water leaks in water piping between a well or municipal water service main & the building. Knowing just what kind of leak is occurring in a building helps pinpoint the problem and also helps specify the necessary plumbing repair. The articles at this website will answer most questions about diagnosing and repairing pumps, wells, water supply systems, and building piping.

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What Causes Leaks in Buried Water Piping?

See PLASTIC PIPING for details about plastic drain and supply piping in buildings, including its history, failures, warranty claims, class actions, and present usage in construction. Also see WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR and PIPING IN buildings, Clogs Leaks Types.

If your building water supply is provided by a private well see WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS. Also see Water Supply/Drain Pipe Leak Types and see Thawing Frozen Pipes which addresses how to find frozen and burst pipe leaks in buildings, and see Repairing Burst Leaky Pipes.

A variety of installation errors can cause a later leak in plastic well piping. We list some of these below, starting with an update on WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS from reader Dan Babb.

Leaks in Municipal Water Service Piping

As Carson Dunlop's Home Reference Book points out,

Plastic water service piping may be polybutylene (PB), polyethylene (PE), cross-linked and Tubing Tubing Tubing Tubing Tubing Tubing Tubing polyethylene (PEX), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC). Most plastic piping is buried at least 18 inches deep. [In freezing climates water piping is buried below the frost line, a depth that can exceed 8 feet in some areas.] Exposed piping may be subject to mechanical damage and deterioration from sunlight.

Since the supply line from the street cannot be seen, no comment is offered during a home inspection. If there is a leak, it may go undetected for some time. In some cases, water can be heard running outside the basement wall. Water accumulating in the basement or a wet spot on the lawn is often the first indication. Leaks may be caused by building settlement, excavation, poor connections, faulty valves or a flaw in the pipe itself.

The underground water service line from the property line to the house is owned by the homeowner. Beyond the property line, the pipe is the responsibility of the city. A leak in the pipe requires excavation, and it is often difficult to know whether the leak is on the city’s or the homeowner’s side. The city is usually contacted and they excavate their section of the pipe, correcting the problem if they discover it. If no problem is found, the homeowner is left to correct the problem on his or her own. In some cases, the homeowner must pay for the city’s work if the city pipe is not at fault. Some municipalities use sophisticated leak detection equipment.

While the comments below originally described the cause of a leak in plastic well piping, the same conditions can cause a leak in buried municipal water supply piping between the building and the street. As Carson Dunlop's Home Reference Book points out,

Poor water pressure in the house may be the result of a partially closed or obstructed valve in the street. It may also be because of blockage, such as a stone or other foreign body in the pipe. New piping may be crimped during installation or become pinched under a rock during back-filling operations. This can also cause low water pressure.

List of Causes of Damage, Leaks, or Crimps in Buried Plastic Water Piping

Leaky plastic water pipe (C) Daniel Friedman

Plastic well (or water main) piping damage during installation: What caused the well piping leak that we describe above? My soil is 18"-24" black topsoil, then sandy, silty clay soil. No rocks or sharp objects were found. We were careful digging around the line. We checked about 10 foot of line, but only found leaks near the fitting at the casing.

After removing the leaking section, I cleaned it up for further investigation. It appears to me the pinholes were a result of careless installation work. The pipe exterior surface had cuts and nicks where the pinholes were. What people may not know is that HDPE pipe needs to be slightly heated to fit over the fitting.

If it's overheated it could change the integrity of the pipe. The previous installer may have overheated and nicked the pipe with the clamps or a screwdriver. Maybe they didn't know the pipe needed heat and used brute force with pliers or channel locks to slip it over the fitting.
Overheating plastic piping during joint fitting can chemically change the plastic, making it brittle and crack prone near the connector
Under heating plastic piping during joint fitting can cause the pipe to crack when it is forced over a fitting or connector
Under-tightening metal connector parts such as hose clamps often leads to immediate or near-term leaks in the well piping connector. That was the problem that caused the leak in our photograph just above.
Over tightening metal connector parts such as hose clamps can (rarely) crack or crimp a pipe or fittings
Burying plastic piping with soil containing sharp rocks can lead to later puncture and leaks
Driving over piping that is not properly bedded in sand or not buried at a safe depth can cause leaks or crimps in piping. Even if the buried water pipe is not leaking, if it has been crimped or crushed water pressure and flow into the building will be reduced.
CONTACT us to suggest other leak causes in plastic well piping

Inspect your connections carefully with the well piping under full pressure before burying the water piping.

Defective PVC Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe Production, Leaks, Explosions, & Whistle Blower Lawsuit

Early in 2010 New York Times reported that John Hendrix has accused PVC piping manufacturer JM Eagle of falsifying PVC pipe quality testing results, covering up the discovery that pipes that should last 50 years are failing as early as in one year, risking costly leaks and dangerous explosions. Hendrix, former overseer of certification of a manufacturing process that tested PVC piping produced by JM Eagle said that the company had been selling substandard polyvinyl chloride or PVC piping since 1996 and that the company had manipulated pipe testing results. Hendrix said, according to the Times report, that less than half of JM Eagle's PVC pipe production met the required quality standards.

JM Eagle produces roughly 60 percent of plastic water piping sold in the U.S. and also distributes its products in Canada and Mexico.

Indeed the same Times article reported that some U.S. municipalities have already found leaking, cracking, and exploding PVC pipes made by JM Eagle, and some are joining the "whistle blower" lawsuit as a result. Litigation has been filed in the U.S. District Court for Central District of California, and has been joined by California, Delaware, Nevada, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Nevada state attorney general cited JM Eagle pipe that had been rupturing several times a year.

The article reports that Hendrix asserts having been trained to look for ways to blame PVC polyvinyl chloride piping leaks and breaks on the installing or maintaining contractors, but after being assigned to oversee pipe testing Hendrix found that the company was using lower grade raw materials (from Formosa) and had sped up pipe production without reporting these changes to pipe certifying agencies as required. He was fired.

JM Eagle disputed the allegations and said that tests were properly conducted and that the company stands 100% behind its products. JM Eagle Corporation is successor to Johns Manville Corp. and was created in 1982 after Johns Manville Corp. filed for bankruptcy to seek protection from asbestos claims. In 1982 Johns Manville Corp's pipe division was bought by Formosa Plastics Group, a Taiwanese industrial group owned by Wang Yung-Ching, and at that time renamed JM Manufacturing, later renamed again to JM Eagle in 2007.

In April 2010, again reported in the NY Times, JM Eagle promised to guarantee its products for 50 years, including pipe that is already in the ground. "The warranty covers the pipe based on standards that were in effect at the time of the installation," the times reported. Links to and excepts from the JM Eagle pipe warranty are provided below.

Watch out: the same April 2010 Times article points out that municipalities had already reported pipe failures that "... may not qualify for a claim against the new guarantee..."

Kitec Plastic Pipe Class Action Settlement

Kitec plastic pipe and fittings has agreed to settle class-action suits in the United States and Canada for $125 million. The piping system that is the subject of this action was used in rougly 292,000 U.S. and Canadian homes beginning in 1995. Quoting

The lawsuits arise from allegedly defective Kitec Systems manufactured or distributed by or on behalf of the IPEX Defendants, and installed within buildings, residences, homes, and other structures in various places in the United States and Canada. Plaintiffs who brought the lawsuits and who seek to represent the Class are property owners in the United States and Canada with buildings, residences, homes, or other structures that contain or contained the Kitec System. Plaintiffs who originally brought the lawsuits allege that the Kitec System is or may be defective because it could prematurely fail resulting in leaks or damage to the structure. The Class Actions seek money damages together with attorneys' fees and costs of suit from the IPEX Defendants on behalf of all Class Members. The Class Actions do not seek any damages for personal injury, and the Settlement does not affect claims for such damages. Proceeds from the Settlement, after attorneys' fees and costs have been paid, will be used for the benefit of Class Members under Court supervision.[3]

The settlement covers properties where Kitec plumbing (typically blue plastic for cold water lines and orange for hot water lines) was used in both the U.S. and Canada (excluding Clark County NV, the subject and area of a previous Kitec pipe plumbing failure case in the mid-1990s.). There are also distictive brass connecting fittings (photos at the Kitec website). After attorneys fees, administrative costs and payments to the class representatives in the suit, more than $93 million is expected to be available for claims.

The distribution plan anticipates two payment steps, starting with an eight-year period for initial claims based simply on the cost of repairing or replacing the broken pipe or failed fitting. If there’s money left over after the first phase, a second, pro-rated, payment would be sent out to offset the costs of having the plumbing replaced or cover other uncompensated damages. People must decide if they’re in or out of the settlement by Sept, 30, 2011 and if they opt out, must notify the judge and attorneys for both sides in writing. Judges in Dallas, and in two Canadian provinces will hold fairness hearings on the proposed settlement between Nov. 17 and Dec. 1, 2011. A website has been set up to administer the settlement, as we detail just below. Quoting:

ALL PERSONS THAT OWN, HAVE OWNED, LEASE, OR HAVE LEASED, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE OR MAY PURSUE CLAIMS THROUGH OR IN THE NAME OR RIGHT OF THEM, buildings, HOMES, RESIDENCES, OR ANY OTHER STRUCTURES IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA THAT CONTAIN, OR AT ANY TIME CONTAINED, KITEC PLUMBING SYSTEMS AND/OR COMPONENTS. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS ARE AFFECTED WHETHER YOU ACT OR CHOOSE NOT TO ACT. PLEASE READ THIS WEBSITE CAREFULLY. [3]

More information on Kitec plumbing: call 1-877-337-1293;
Kitec Settlement Website: http://www.kitecsettlement.com/contactus.cfm

For deliveries via courier:
	Kitec Claims Administrator 3301 Kerner Blvd San Rafael, CA 94901	OR	Canadian Kitec Claims Administrator 633 Colbourne Street, Suite 300 London ON N6B 2V3

For deliveries via postal service:
	Kitec Claims Administrator PO Box 6001 Larkspur, CA 94977-6001	OR	Canadian Kitec Claims Administrator PO Box 3355 London ON N6A 4K3

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    PLASTIC PIPING
      ABS Plastic Pipes
      Polybutylene Plumbing Plastic Pipes
      Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX) Pipe
      Polybutylene (PB) Pipes
      CPVC Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe
      PB Polybutylene Pipe Failure Claims
    PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES
      PLASTIC PIPE INSTALLATION ERRORS

"New Electric Heat Tapes Help Prevent Fires," US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) #00936
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education including the ASHI-adopted Home Inspection Training Program (home study course), publications such as the Home Reference Book, report writing materials including the Horizon report writer, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
"Freezeproof Your House," Mike McClintock, Rodale's New Shelter, p. 30, October 1985 (approximate date)
"How to Winterize Your Pipes," Mike McClintock, Homeowners How-To Magazine, p. 59-62, Nov-Dec 1979.
"PVC pipe extruder JM Eagle hit with whistleblower lawsuit", Plastics News, 11 Feb 2010, web search 11/19/2010, original source: http://plasticsnews.com/headlines2.html?id=17829
"A Trail of Broken Pipes, In Lawsuit, Fired Worker Cites Defective Plastic", Mary williams Walsh, The New York Times, 12 Feb 2010, pp. B1, B5
"Facing Suit, Pipe Maker Extends Guarantee", Mary Williams Walsh, The The New York Times, 5 April 2010.
"JM Eagle PVC Pipe Lawsuit Information", law suit and class action information sponsored by law firm of audet & Partners, LLP. - web search 11/19/2010, original source: http://jm-eagle-lawsuit.com/jm-eagle-pvc-pipe-lawsuit/tag/lawsuit/
JM Eagle Corporation, Global Headquarters, 5200 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90045, Phone: (800) 621-4404
Quoting
JM Eagle is the complete manufacturer of PVC and PE plastic pipe. With greater strength, capacity and geographic reach than ever before, our resources provide an unmatched capability for new products, new materials, new applications and new processes. We consistently produce the highest quality plastic pipe in the industry and are committed to ensuring ongoing product excellence.
JM Eagle 50-Year warranty - web search 11/19/2010, original source: http://www.jmeagle.com/warranty/ Quoting from that source:
April 5, 2010, Dear Valued Customer:
At JM Eagle, we have always stood behind the quality of our plastic pipe as our commitment to serving you. Now we are taking that commitment a step further with the introduction of our 50-year warranty on the design of our innovative engineered thermal plastic-pipe products.* This means you can trust JM Eagle pipe to maintain its performance for the next 50 years or we will replace it.** No other manufacturer makes this claim.
The warranty covers issues associated with new verifiable manufacturing defects on pipe. The warranty also covers plastic-pipe products sold and installed since JM Manufacturing’s inception, manufactured by JM Eagle or JMM. It does not cover products made by other manufacturers acquired by JM Eagle at later date or products manufactured by PW Eagle prior to the 2007 merger.
Plastic pipe is the safe, long-lasting and stable solution for a modern infrastructure. Millions of miles of plastic pipe have been installed throughout the country. It outlasts any other material. It complies to strict industry standards that confirm its strength, durability and longevity. And it keeps the water flowing without bursts, flooding or disruptions.
Plastic pipe from JM Eagle is of the highest quality. It has always met—and will continue to meet—the standards of the American Water Works Association, and it has always been—and will continue to be—certified by NSF International and Underwriters Laboratories.
We are excited to bring this warranty to you, for the betterment of your business and the industry as a whole. We hope that you will continue to choose plastic pipe, and choose it from the only plastic-pipe manufacturer that stands behind its quality with a 50-year warranty, JM Eagle.
Information on this Web site tells you more about our warranty, our products and our commitment to serving you with quality plastic pipe. We hope you find it helpful as we continue our long and fruitful partnership.
Sincerely,
Neal Gordon Vice President of Marketing, JM Eagle
* Plastic pipe certified to AWWA for water distribution and transmission and force sewer mains.
** See warranty for full details
[3] Kitec Plumbing System Settlement Website, web search 08/05/2011, original source: www.kitecsettlement.com.
Thanks to reader Dan Babb for discussing well piping leaks, July 2010

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What Causes Leaks in Buried Water Piping?

Leaks in Municipal Water Service Piping

List of Causes of Damage, Leaks, or Crimps in Buried Plastic Water Piping

Defective PVC Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe Production, Leaks, Explosions, & Whistle Blower Lawsuit

Kitec Plastic Pipe Class Action Settlement

Questions & Answers regarding this article

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Technical Reviewers & References

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair