Alert CPVC Water Line Failure

After the failure of Kitec water lines we have to report that the Genova CPVC water pipes failed  AGAIN.

This is not just another horror story and I’m telling this to make other homeowners aware of the possible failure of Genova CPVC water pipes.

For the 2nd time a Genova CPVC water pipe that is installed in our residential failed and we ended up with water damage in the ceiling and walls. We discovered that the line had a pinhole, which lead to the water damage. Unfortunately the pipe was installed inside the ceiling, and the water leak occurred approximately 6 years after the installation. The damage was not caused by frost, wrong installation, handling or other physical damage like nails or screws. It is clearly visible that serious production issues caused it.

Even a non-expert can detect this by looking at the inside of the Genova CPVC water pipe.

After reporting it to the manufacturer Genova, the company tried to convince us to file a claim with our home insurance company and not with their insurance carrier, even though it was clear that the problem was on their side and in their responsibility.

We refused to do so (although this was never appreciated by our insurance), and Genova’s insurance carrier, Zurich Insurance, finally sent a claim inspector after we pushed it for quite a while.

Unfortunately he was not able to confirm the manufacturer because the name was stamped on the back of the pipe and not easily visible from the front. At least he inspected and documented the faulty part and the water damage; most likely because I’m a home inspector and I did oversee the procedure.

This was not good enough for Genova, the US manufacturer of the faulty products, they requested and still insist that we have to submit the evidence (the faulty water pipe) to them. They refuse to inspect the faulty part at our place or guarantee that the evidence will be returned to us.

Ask yourself, how successful is a claim after the evidence is lost or destroyed? What kind of responsibility or strategy is behind the manufacturer’s request?

Not very hard to figure this out - really!

Our suggestion to have the faulty part inspected and documented by an independent 3rd party was not successful either. A lab charges close to $1,000 for just looking at the pipe without determining the cause of the failure.

Looking at our incidents we believe that the Genova CPVC pipe is not a reliable product.

In all future home inspections we are going to perform we will keep a close eye at all CPVC products and will recommend that the home owner regularly inspects any installed CPVC water lines for leaks. We also will not recommend the usage of Genova CPVC water pipes for new constructions because of the unreliability we have experienced and the lack of responsibility from the manufacturer.

Copper water lines are more expensive than CPVC, but just think about the hassle if you have to open ceilings or walls just after a few years.

Failure of the plumbing system, especially in walls or ceilings, can go on unnoticed for a long time. We saw water damage that started with a pinhole in a water line, it created huge mold problems and the costs for the remediation and remodeling where way over $100,000.

What is CPVC?

CPVC is a yellow plastic water line. CPVC stands for Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride. All major building and/or plumbing supplies sell it and it is ASTM listed.

What should I do if I discover a leaking water line?

Shut off the effected section, call a plumber and if you expect or see mold, call a mold inspector immediately, and get legal advice.

We hope you will never have a faulty water line.