plumbing pipes made from CPVC

Pinpointing the Cause of Loss
Should you encounter a water loss because of a failed CPVC pipe or fitting, proper preservation of the failed part(s) is crucial. An analysis of the entire CPVC system at issue may also be necessary. Proper forensic techniques should be employed to determine the root cause. The CPVC, and the chemicals on it and/or in it, are a treasure trove of information to be discovered, literally at a molecular level. Do not tape labels on the failed part, and do not handle the failed part extensively if it can be avoided. The tape’s adhesive may hamper discovery of the true cause of failure. Skin oils may cover up other more important aggressive materials that may be on the surface. If you cannot leave the failed parts in their installed position, then wrap them in sheets of aluminum foil before placing them in any plastic evidence storage bag. Materials in plastic bags can leach out and contaminate oils, or aggressive agents on the surfaces of the failed CPVC parts. Also, do not break open cracked CPVC pipes and fittings to see what is inside. A skilled forensic scientist should do that, and only under controlled conditions after notifying all interested parties to avoid allegations of spoliation of evidence.

With respect to a CPVC failure, forensics is not a mechanical/metals evaluation (black iron, copper, and so on) but rather it is a chemical/materials evaluation, which requires unique skills and specialized examination methods. Looking at CPVC at the microscopic and molecular level, using various chemical examination techniques (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and so on) may be needed to determine the cause of a failure.

CPVC and Subrogation
Determining the cause of a CPVC failure is complicated, and determining which party is responsible is even more difficult. However, a properly manufactured, designed, installed, and maintained CPVC piping system should not fail. So, when a failure does occur, there is likely some party that made a mistake along the way. Navigating the course between cause analysis and recovery dollars can be filled with pitfalls, from product liability defenses, contractual defenses and spoliation of evidence issues.

With a multitude of causes comes a myriad of potential subrogation targets. Developing the relevant list of interested parties, and placing targets on notice, is crucial before finalizing your subrogation evaluation. The critical point, however is recognizing that when CPVC fails, there are numerous potential avenues for subrogation to be explored.

..... fire transmission (which should have been addresses by fire collars anyway). .....