Published Updated
If your home was built or substantially renovated in Western Australia between mid-2017 and mid-2022, it is worth knowing whether your walls contain Iplex Pro-fit pipe made with Typlex 1050 resin. Somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 WA homes are estimated to have it.
This is not a scare campaign. There is a Federal Court class action on foot, a State Government response agreement with the manufacturer and builders, and published guidance from Consumer Protection WA. Here is what the situation is, how to work out whether it affects you, and what to do next.
What the problem is
Iplex Pro-fit is a polybutylene plumbing pipe. A batch manufactured using a resin known as Typlex 1050 has shown a failure rate regulators consider unacceptable. The reported failure mode is crazing and cracking in the pipe wall, which leads to rupture and leaks.
The difficulty is where the pipe sits. Most of it runs inside wall cavities, under slabs and beneath paving. A crack does not announce itself. It seeps, and the first sign is often a damp wall, a warm patch of floor or a water bill that has quietly doubled. These are among the common signs of a hidden leak.
Is your home likely to be affected?
Three questions narrow it down quickly.
- When was it built? The window is roughly mid-2017 to mid-2022. Homes outside that window are far less likely to be involved.
- Who built it? Several volume builders operating in Perth during that period used the pipe. Your build contract, plumbing certificate or handover documents may name the products used.
- What can you actually see? Exposed pipework in the meter box, under a sink, in the roof space or at the hot water unit sometimes carries printed branding along the pipe wall.
If the pipe is branded and visible, you may be able to answer this yourself for nothing. Look for the manufacturer name and resin designation printed along the length of the pipe.
Start with the official channels
This matters, so we will say it plainly: before you pay anyone to investigate, check what you are already entitled to.
The WA State Government negotiated an Industry Response Agreement with the manufacturer and participating builders. It provides a staged remediation program that replaces affected pipe at no cost to the homeowner when a leak occurs, and it has included the offer of a free leak detection unit for eligible homes.
- Consumer Protection WA publishes factsheets covering owners, tenants, landlords and property managers, including where you sit if you are renting or letting.
- Your builder is the first point of contact if your home is inside the affected window and still within its warranty arrangements.
- The class action was commenced in the Federal Court in August 2024. Registration and eligibility are handled through the law firm running it, not through us.
We are a leak detection business. We are not part of the remediation program, we are not connected to the class action, and nothing here is legal advice.
Where independent detection helps
The remediation program is generally triggered by a leak occurring. That creates a practical problem for homeowners: you need to know that a leak has started, and you need to know where it is, before anything else moves.
That is the gap we fill. Situations where an independent detection visit earns its keep:
- Your bill has risen and you suspect a leak but cannot see one
- You have damp or a warm floor zone and need the source pinpointed before anything is opened up
- You want the location and evidence documented in writing, independently, before a claim or a repair
- You are buying a home inside the affected build window and want to know what you are taking on
We use acoustic correlation, FLIR thermal imaging and hydrogen-nitrogen tracer gas to locate a leak to within 10mm, without cutting into walls or breaking up flooring to go looking. You get a written report with the location documented.
An Iplex Pro-fit investigation is a fixed $495. We do not carry out the repair. Once the leak is located, repair work is done by a licensed plumber we coordinate, often our parent company Plumbed Right, or by whoever the remediation program appoints.
What to do this week
- Check your build or renovation date against the mid-2017 to mid-2022 window.
- Look at any exposed pipework for printed branding.
- Read the Consumer Protection WA factsheet that matches your situation as owner, tenant or landlord.
- Do a meter test. Turn everything off, then watch the meter. If it moves, water is escaping.
- If the meter moves and you cannot find the source, get it located before anyone starts opening walls.
Questions about a suspected leak in a Perth home? Call 0482 096 044 and we will tell you honestly whether you need us or whether the program covers you.
