PEX (AquaPEX) destroyed by Pine Bug ?

[whatizzit]

We had a "weeping" section of PEX that very gradually did much damage in our guest room.

The local Uponor rep (maker of Wirsbo AquaPEX) came up for a look and said he believed it was a defective section of pipe, and that we needn't worry: Uponor will take care of everything.

He evidently sent a section to Uponor. We received a letter from Uponor stating that the warranty would not be honored as the damage is consistent with that caused by the Western Conifer Seed Bug (WCSB).

Uponor commissioned their own study in 2005 that shows the WCSB can (and does) pierce through various types of PEX.

Our house was built in 2007 in Oregon, an area where this insect is native. The insect can now be found in the eastern USA, and has been seen in the UK and Europe.

Not a single one of these insects was found in the demolition, so our house is by no means "infested".

 

[Caduceus]

We've heard of these on the forum before, as you well know. It's a shame that every time man creates a new technology to make our lives easier, nature throws a creature at us to counter it's usefulness.
It's kinda like Godzilla...but with pex, not nukes.

 

[whatizzit]

So true, Caduceus!

It's just odd that the Uponor salesman, the contractor, and the building inspector have never encountered this problem, even though we're all familiar with the insect.

Apparently these pinholes occur often enough to inspire Uponor to fund a study, yet not often enough to become common knowledge.

One of their big press releases is a story about a community wherein the copper pipes were replaced with PEX as the copper that had been installed was developing numerous pinhole leaks, the implication being, of course, that this couldn't happen to PEX.

 

[johnjh2o]

We've heard of these on the forum before, as you well know. It's a shame that every time man creates a new technology to make our lives easier, nature throws a creature at us to counter it's usefulness.
It's kinda like Godzilla...but with pex, not nukes.

Looks like a stink bug to me.

 

[Caduceus]

Looks like a stink bug to me.

Yeah, John. They're in the same family as well as assassin bugs. We have all three in my area, too.