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A Misleading Message

I recently received a call from a lady who was understandably confused. I had written one thing about the unavailability of a suitable transition fitting to the copper stub outs and her chosen contractor, Interstate Plumbing, was telling her that he would be using a low zinc DZR rated fitting on her upcoming job. She didn't know what to think.

The problem with Interstate's claim at the time it was made was that it was not true. That was very distressing for me to hear. This and other plumbing companies in the area simply did not and do not have access to a 1/2" low zinc DZR fitting to transition from Pex to the copper stub outs.

Copper stub outs are connected to our plumbing fixtures. Pictured at left are Wirsbo Pex pipe (blue and red) connected to the copper sub outs for the shower in new construction.

Interstate's claim may have been designed to sooth an anxious customer who was attempting to do her own version of due diligence. In this instance, regrettably, she was mislead into believing something that was not true.

What Homeowners Need to Understand.

Interstate Plumbing's customer would be getting Uponor's standard Wirsbo brass fittings, pictured at left, and not the low zinc DZR fitting that our inquiring lady had been promised.

If there is any message to be learned when connecting from Pex to copper with a brass fitting, whether you use Vanguard, Zurn or Wirsbo, do not permit the contractor to use the company's standard brass fittings. As I have repeatedly written, we have no reason to believe that those standard brass fittings are any different from the brass fittings that are failing in Phase 1 (KITEC) and Phase 2 (REHAU) homes due to dezincification. If at all possible, homeowners should insist that their contractor use only very low zinc DZR rated fittings to transition from Pex to the copper stub outs.

Some homeowners have raised a question of whether the aluminum core in Kitec's XPA pipe could be a contributing factor in the corrosion issue. The answer to that is unclear, but in reality, it's beside the point. Whether or not the aluminum core, a feature of IPEX' XPA pipe, contributes in any way to this corrosion issue should be evaluated together with the knowledge that 1) dezincification of brass fittings is a real and very serious problem of known dimensions, apart from the issue of galvanic corrosion, and 2) the very same dezincification problem is now occurring in a completely different plumbing system that contains no aluminum in the Pex pipe's core.

That plumbing system, called REHAU and pictured at left, was installed in up to 1,000 homes in Phase 2 homes in Sun City in the 2003-2005 period. In fact, and for reasons that are not clear, the REHAU brass fittings are showing signs of dezincification at a much faster rate than are the brass fittings in the Kitec plumbing system.

Where's the Board of Directors?

As one neighbor recently mention to me, "Where is the Board of Directors on this plumbing matter?" His not so lay opinion, not mine, was that as managers of our corporation, their apparent decisions not to be proactive in attempting to help protect the interests of the Association's members in this Community-wide plumbing matter constitutes gross malfeasance and a dereliction of their fiduciary duty.

Pulte left homeowners with the responsibility for making a key decision of major importance affecting their home plumbing system. That homeowners were ill prepared to make that important decision has been made quite clear by the constant outcry, utter confusion, a rush to judgment and the absence of information that continues today.

While some homeowners likely benefit from our attempt to keep the Community informed about this plumbing matter, the Board, with access to an incredible array of media vehicles, should think about what they might do differently to bring relevant and needed plumbing information to the Community. It's hard for me to understand that the Board has been essentially willing to deny the majority of Sun City's homeowners with relevant and continuing information about addressing our plumbing concerns, concerns, as Favil West once wrote, that amount to one if not "the" most important issue facing homeowners since inception of the Community.

My Advice: What did Ron Johnson Advise a Homeowner?

In a recent posting, I responded to a lady who was faced with what seemed to her to be a number of confusing plumbing alternatives and an equal number of contractors seeking her job, with some well wishers on the blog advising her to follow the lead of her friends and neighbors. I disagreed with that advice while offering her some advice of my own.

My advice would be to be patient and do nothing. Do not have any work done until there is some assurance that the work will not replicate the same problem that you are attempting to eliminate by taking out those defective Kitec brass fittings. Do not listen to your friends or neighbors about this or that plumbing company for the simple reason that the quality of the work performed has absolutely nothing to do with the defective brass fittings that created the problem in the first place, through a process that eats away at the zinc in the brass alloy, called dezincification. If you are inclined to listen to your friends, neighbors or contractors about the benefits of one system over another, or their claim to use a low zinc DZR fitting that is designed to address the dezincification issue, demand proof or verification before entering into any contract or agreement. Above all, do not be influenced by claims such as, “We’ve been doing this for 15 years without any problems,” and similar messages. The only issue here is the zinc content of the fittings that are used to transition from PEX pipe to the copper stub outs for your plumbing fixtures, like the sinks, showers, etc., assuming that all of the attic fittings are plastic couplings. What you do not want to happen is to have any plumber cut out 30 defective brass fittings in the process of re-plumbing your home and then install 30 “new” brass fittings that are no better than the fittings that were just taken out. I understand there is a team of experts working on this problem with a view to finding an acceptable solution. Until more information is available, do nothing unless you are willing to take a chance of a second failure with one of the most valuable systems in your home—your plumbing system.  

An Announcement From Wirsbo.

The Nevada manufacturer's representative for Uponor (Wirsbo) told me this week that Uponor will be supplying Nevada with thousands of low zinc DZR fittings by the end of March. According to Keith Hubbard, this low zinc fitting, with less than 10% zinc, will be based on the bronze standard C31400. Standard brass fittings have a relatively high zinc content of more than 35% zinc.

According to a leading manufacturer of brass, bronze and copper alloys, the "Leaded Commercial Bronze C31400 combines the natural corrosion resistance of C22000 with the machinability typical of leaded brasses. Like C22000, it is an alpha brass nominally composed of 89% copper and 9% zinc, but it also contains approximately 2% lead to impart free-cutting characteristics. The relatively low zinc content of C31400 provides excellent corrosion resistance in potable water along with a pleasing golden color that matches C22000 hardware." http://www.nbmmetals.com/c314.html

Click here to see the C31400 Spec. sheet. Spec. sheet for C31400.

Decision Time.

If you are contemplating a re-plumb using Wirsbo and can wait until March when a low-zinc fitting will be available, you should seriously consider putting off any decision until those fittings are available. To not wait will put your plumbing system unnecessarily at risk of premature failure due to dezincification. As a homeowner, you have to decide whether to accept that risk.

The availability of a low zinc fitting does not mean there will not be other more innovative solutions to recommend. Such potential solutions may be the use of copper or plastic to transition from Pex to the copper stub outs. These options are currently being explored by a group of experts.

Ron Johnson, 21 February 2007