Do you know what kind of pipes your builder used in the walls of your home? If your home was recently built or you helped with the construction, you may have answered yes to this question. But if your home in several years old, then you may have answered quite differently.
The reason we’re raising this question in today’s post is because of a specific type of pipe that has been in use for nearly 40 years and is common in households all over the nation, not just here in Florida. Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, or more commonly referred to as CPVC, is a plastic pipe that is used in exchange for more costlier metal pipes. Unfortunately, as many plumbers warn, this type of pipe is prone to failure, which can cost homeowners down the road.
According to an article on Property Casualty 360, from manufacturing defects to improper installation, CPVC can fail for a number of reasons. But because these pipes are found all over the home — in the ceiling, floors and walls — the outcome of a failure is almost always the same: considerable water damage to a person’s property.
As Property Casualty 360 explains, not all CPVC is the same. That’s because different manufacturers use different compositions of raw chemicals to create the pipes, meaning some may be more prone to failure than others. But as a recent posting for a Texas news outlet points out, some manufacturers are aware of this increased risk of failure over time. One manufacturer of CPVC pipes has even significantly decreased the warranty it provides on its pipes from 25 years to 10 for this very reason, some plumbers believe.
Whether a CPVC pipe fails because of a manufacturing defect or because it was not properly installed during construction, homeowners across Florida deserve to know if they can seek compensation for the damage the faulty pipes cause to their home. In some cases, a warranty might cover the damage. In other cases, homeowner’s insurance will pick up the bill. But if negligence is the underlying cause of the pipe’s failure, then some owners may seek the help of an experienced attorney who can tell them if civil litigation may be necessary course for compensation.