Defective DuraPro Toilet Connectors Can Break, Causing Water Damage to Homes

A defective DuraPro toilet connector has been on the market for years, even though the seller allegedly knew of a design defect that could cause homes to flood.

Starting in 2002, Interline Brands, Inc. purchased plumbing toilet connectors from China and introduced them into the United States.

A class action lawsuit has been filed by consumers who say the toilet connectors failed and resulted in water flowing uncontrollably from the plumbing break, damaging their homes and costing thousands of dollars in damage.

Proof Interline Has Known of Defective DuraPro Toilet Connector

Back in October 2007, Joe Cangelosi, Interline’s quality manager, sent an email to Chinese manufacturers that read, in part, “(i)nvestigate as soon as possible, re-designing the plastic ballcock nuts with a more robust design….”

In November 2007, he sent another email saying, “(Interline) continue(s) to receive complaints about failing plastic ballcock nuts… (C)an you please provide a status for my request to upgrade the plastic ball cock nut design?”

The Chinese supplier responded with “(a)s for the design problem, we corrected in in Jan(uary). Now the problem occurs only from the old inventory. Thanks!”

This correspondence indicates that Interline had knowledge of the part’s defects, but made no attempt to disclose, warn, or recall the defective DuraPro toilet connectors.

By ignoring the issue, Interline exposed the public to a real risk of significant property damage.

How Defective DuraPro Toilet Connectors Caused Damage

Plaintiff Jaquelyn D. Ajose returned to her Pennsylvania home on June 2, 2014 and found a mess.

The defective DuraPro toilet connector in her third floor bathroom cracked, causing water to run throughout her home. Her out-of-pocket expenses include a minimum of $7,600 thus far.

Similarly, plaintiff Kathy Smith of Colorado was gone from her home for only 45 minutes on Aug. 6, 2014.

When she arrived home, she saw the plastic coupling nut had cracked, severing the connector. Her home was flooded and incurred a minimum of $10,000 in damage.

More stories of defective DuraPro toilet connectors are outlined in the lawsuit.

Chinese Manufacturer Used Bad Plastic

Even though Interline is not manufacturing its own products, the company is responsible for distributing the defective DuraPro toilet connectors.

Interline started distributing toilet connectors in the U.S. in 1993. Prior to 2002, the toilet connectors were made in the U.S. To cut costs, Interline began obtaining the parts from a Chinese manufacturer in 2002.

According to the lawsuit, the Chinese manufacturer used a plastic known as “acetal” or “POM” for the coupling, a plastic that is “prone to failure due to stress concentration.”

POM is also known as a “notch sensitive” plastic, which means the material is more sensitive to fracture when there is stress inside the part.

The lawsuit contends “the selection of a ‘notch sensitive’ polymer for the coupling nuts is compounded because the Chinese-designed plastic coupling nuts contain internal sharp transition points – or notches – that concentrate stress following routine installation.”

If your property has been damaged due to a defective DuraPro toilet connector, you may be eligible for compensation through a class action lawsuit.

The Defective DuraPro Toilet Connector Lawsuit is Jacquelyn D. Ajose, Kathy Smith, et. al. v. Interline Brands, Inc., Case No. 14-VC-1707 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

UPDATE: On April 24, 2018, Interline Brands Inc. agreed to pay $16.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company’s DuraPro Toilet Connectors have a defective part that can lead to flooding, causing damage to homes.