It's every homeowner's nightmare: a water leak. Beatrice Dockery's water leak stemmed from a broken CPVC pipe in the ceiling.
[WEB EXTRA: Spears pipe info ]
Local 6 News has heard from local veteran plumbers who worked with this product and claim this type of pipe cracks, breaks and glue joints deteriorate. Alan Lunt of Spears has been manufacturing CPVC pipes for 20 years and disagrees.
"I don't know anything that could cause it unless it was done improperly at the beginning," Lunt said.
What many consumers don't know and wouldn't think of is to send the pipe back.
Lunt also recommends finding a lab that can identify what caused the fracture.
Inside Spears, lab technicians analyze each fractured pipe and find out why it split. Is it because the pipe is brittle and cracked?
Spears conduct a "crush test" to test for brittleness.
"The only way you can get CPVC to become brittle is to leave it outdoors in the sunlight for a long period of time," Lunt said.
But before you have to deal with a leak or a break, here are some things you can check:
Lunt said that could mean trouble.
"A lot of new cables have plastercides in them, which will attack pipe and fittings and cause them to crack," Lunt said.
And one more step you can check before re-piping your home is to check the manufacturer's warranty.
Spears provides a lifetime warranty, a move they made three years ago to protect the plumber and the homeowner.
"We said, 'OK, let's give them a complete warranty. They finish the job, they walk away, they are not responsible anymore, we are 100 percent responsible for that system the rest of its life,'" Lunt said.
So how do you know if you have Spears pipes in your home? On every single pipe and fitting, Spears has its name on it.