Advisory Issued Regarding Required Industry Standards, Third-Party Certification of PEX Tubing

The Plastics Pipe Institute has issued an advisory regarding certain crosslinked polyethylene tubing products being sold in Canada and the U.S. Based on PPI’s review, these PEX tubing products may not comply with and are not third-party certified to mandatory industry standards, despite implied claims regarding the suitability of these products for plumbing and mechanical applications.

“Major model codes require that PEX tubing products for plumbing and mechanical applications shall be marked with industry standards such as ASTM F876 or CSA B137.5 and shall be third-party certified,” stated Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division.  He emphasized “the use of non-compliant, non-certified tubing in demanding plumbing and mechanical applications can lead to premature failure, property damage and potential legal liability throughout the supply chain.”

Non-compliant and non-certified PEX tubing being sold for applications such as potable water and hydronic heating systems, where the highest levels of compliance and performance are expected by specifiers, engineers, insurers and building owners, provides no assurance of product quality and may not perform for the intended application.

The sale, installation or specification of non-listed materials can expose installers, retailers, distributors and specifiers to potential legal liability if a product failure occurs. In such cases, responsibility may extend across multiple parties in the supply chain, particularly when due diligence regarding certification and compliance cannot be demonstrated. More information can be found at plasticpipe.org/bcd.