ORLANDO,Fla. — Homeowners face a new threat tonight from some insurance companies now refusing to cover a very popular kind of plumbing. An Orange County man said the insurer canceled his policy just a month after he installed the new plumbing.
Rickie Hammette spent a couple thousand dollars for new plumbing in his Orange County home. He replaced copper pipes that had frequent leaks. But now his insurance company was refusing to renew his policy anyway.
"I feel they betrayed me,. I paid my money to them. I had a problem; they dropped me like a hot coal," said Hammette.
He says Tower Hill Insurance won't renew his coverage because he installed PEX pipes. It's a popular plastic, flexible product sold by big home improvement stores that passes building codes. But now some insurers won't cover homes with PEX pipes.
"They have not given me a valid explanation why they will not accept it," said Hammette.
In the past, PEX had a problem. Not with the flexible pipe but the brass fittings -- some failed and caused leaks, similar to leaks with polybutylene plumbing, those rigid grey pipes, in the 1990s.
But PEX manufacturers have changed how the fittings are made, and many engineers say there's no reason now to question PEX.
"As far as I know since 2010 there are no more of these fittings sold in the state of Florida," said mechanical engineer Kerei Alexander, owner of KA Inspections.
Action9 found several insurance companies are denying coverage or increasing premiums to cover PEX homes. But even when you pay extra, you may not be covered.
"If you have a failure of this pipe that they expect, then you are not insured," said Alexander.
Rickie Hammette said he had to find another insurance company and pay a higher premium just because he used PEX plumbing.
"It passes inspection. You can go to Home Depot now and buy a truckload," he said.
Tower Hill insurance told Action9, the company does not have a blanket policy to deny PEX plumbing, and it will review why his policy was not renewed