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Kitec doesn’t leak slowly. It bursts. And when you’re not there to catch it, the damage spreads fast.
If your Tahoe property was built between 1995 and 2007, there’s a real chance you have orange and blue Kitec pipes running through your walls. These systems were recalled for a reason. The brass fittings corrode from the inside out, and the pipes can’t handle normal water heater temperatures. Most Kitec systems were only rated for a 10-year lifespan, which means every one still in service is living on borrowed time.
Replacing Kitec plumbing in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA isn’t just about avoiding a mess. It’s about protecting your property value, keeping your insurance valid, and making sure your guests or tenants don’t wake up to a flooded unit. Buyers won’t touch a home with Kitec. Lenders get nervous. Insurers either deny coverage or charge you more. And all of that goes away when you swap it out for modern PEX or copper.
You’re not overreacting. You’re being smart.
We’ve been serving El Dorado County since the late ’90s. We’ve seen what happens when Kitec fails in vacation homes, and we’ve helped dozens of property owners replace it before disaster strikes.
We’re not the cheapest option in the basin, and we’re fine with that. You’re paying for transparency, speed, and work that actually lasts. Our pricing is upfront. Our crews show up when we say they will. And we’re available 24/7 if something goes wrong while you’re two hours away.
Most of our clients in Sunnyside-Tahoe City own second homes or vacation rentals. They need a plumber who understands that every day of downtime costs them money and every failure risks their reputation. That’s exactly what we’re built for.
First, we confirm whether you actually have Kitec. We check your water heater connections, under sinks, and anywhere supply lines run. If we find orange or blue piping with brass fittings, that’s Kitec. If we don’t, you’re in the clear.
If it is Kitec, we walk you through what replacement looks like. That means pulling out the old pipes and installing new PEX or copper throughout your home. Depending on your layout, we may need to open walls in a few spots, but we keep demo work to a minimum and coordinate any drywall patching you’ll need after.
The job usually takes one to three days depending on the size of your property and how accessible your plumbing is. We give you a clear timeline upfront so you can plan around it. Once it’s done, your system is code-compliant, insurable, and built to last decades instead of months.
You’ll get documentation of the work for your records, your insurer, and any future buyer. And if anything comes up down the road, we’re a phone call away.
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This isn’t a patch job. Kitec repair in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA means removing every inch of Kitec from your property and replacing it with modern materials that won’t fail in five years.
We handle the entire water supply system: hot and cold lines, connections to your water heater, under-sink supply lines, and anywhere else Kitec was installed. You’re left with PEX or copper piping that meets current California code and won’t give your insurance company a reason to drop you.
Because so many properties here are vacation rentals or second homes, we also coordinate timing around your bookings or seasonal schedule. We know you can’t afford to shut down during peak summer weeks, so we work with you to find a window that makes sense. And if something urgent comes up, we’re available around the clock to prevent a small leak from turning into a major loss.
Tahoe properties deal with temperature swings, hard water, and long stretches without anyone home. Your plumbing system has to handle all of that without you babysitting it. That’s what this replacement gives you.
Look for orange and blue plastic pipes near your water heater, under sinks, or in your basement or crawl space. Kitec pipes are color-coded: orange for hot water, blue for cold. The fittings are brass and often stamped with “Kitec” or the manufacturer name.
If your home was built or remodeled between 1995 and 2007, there’s a decent chance Kitec was used. It was popular in new construction and vacation properties during that window because it was cheap and easy to install. But it wasn’t built to last.
If you’re not sure, call us. We can identify Kitec in about 10 minutes, and there’s no charge just to take a look. It’s worth knowing either way.
Eventually, they’ll fail. Kitec pipes corrode from the inside due to a process called dezincification, where the zinc in the brass fittings breaks down and creates blockages. When pressure builds up, the pipes burst without warning.
That’s not a small drip you can catch with a bucket. It’s a full rupture that floods rooms in minutes. If you’re not home when it happens, the damage spreads to floors, walls, furniture, and anything else in the path. We’ve seen repair bills climb into the tens of thousands.
Even if your Kitec hasn’t failed yet, it’s already affecting you. Insurance companies either won’t cover homes with Kitec or charge higher premiums. Buyers won’t make offers. Lenders won’t approve mortgages. You’re stuck with a property you can’t sell and coverage you can’t rely on. Replacing it fixes all of that.
It depends on the size of your home, how much Kitec is installed, and how accessible your plumbing is. A full replacement typically runs several thousand dollars, but that’s a fraction of what you’d pay to repair water damage after a burst pipe.
We give you an upfront estimate before any work starts. No diagnostic fees. No surprise charges. You’ll know exactly what you’re paying and what’s included.
Most of our clients find that the cost is less than they expected, especially compared to what their insurance deductible would be after a flood. And once it’s done, your property value goes back up, your insurance rates drop, and you’re not sitting on a ticking time bomb anymore. That peace of mind is worth a lot when you’re managing a property remotely.
No. The problem isn’t just the fittings. The pipes themselves are also rated for lower temperatures than what most water heaters produce, which causes them to degrade over time. Replacing only the brass fittings doesn’t solve the underlying issue.
Kitec was part of a class-action lawsuit that resulted in a $125 million settlement because the entire system was defective. The only real fix is complete removal and replacement with modern materials like PEX or copper.
Trying to patch Kitec is like putting a band-aid on a broken bone. It might hold for a little while, but it’s not going to last, and you’ll end up paying twice: once for the temporary fix and again when it fails anyway. We’d rather do it right the first time so you don’t have to think about it again.
Most jobs take one to three days depending on the size of your property and how your plumbing is laid out. Smaller homes or condos are usually faster. Larger properties with multiple bathrooms and complex layouts take a bit longer.
We’ll give you a clear timeline during the estimate so you know what to expect. If you’re managing a vacation rental, we can work around your booking calendar to minimize downtime. And if you need the work done quickly because of an insurance deadline or a pending sale, we’ll prioritize your schedule.
The actual work involves removing old pipes, installing new ones, pressure testing the system, and making sure everything is up to code. We keep the disruption as minimal as possible, and we clean up after ourselves. You’re not left with a mess to deal with once we’re done.
Probably not. Most insurance policies won’t pay for preventive replacement because the pipes haven’t failed yet. They’ll cover damage after a burst, but by then you’re dealing with a much bigger problem and a deductible that might be higher than the replacement cost anyway.
Some insurers will drop your coverage entirely if they find out you have Kitec and haven’t replaced it. Others will raise your premiums or add exclusions that leave you unprotected if the pipes do fail. Either way, keeping Kitec in your home puts you in a bad spot with your insurance company.
The good news is that once you replace it, those issues go away. Your insurer will be happy, your premiums may drop, and you’ll have full coverage again. It’s one of those situations where paying out of pocket now saves you a lot more down the road.
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