A GROWING NUMBER of products are entering the New Zealand market that are non-compliant with local standards, and these are currently a focus of Building Industry Federation action.
Evidence is accumulating of products entering the country from Asia that are not fit for purpose. Some even contain counterfeit or misrepresented test or certification markings. This is causing considerable anger among reputable suppliers of both overseas and locally made products that operate within the consumer protection rules of the Building Code, CodeMark certification and BRANZ Appraisals.
Plumbing products just one example
Drain waste and vent PVC pipes and fittings is the latest example. These are turning up in stores in display boxes from a long-standing market supplier. However, in some cases, they are a different colour to those required by New Zealand plumbing industry standards and may have misleading quality and certification markings.
Specific aspects that need to be checked to determine fitness for purpose include sweep bend dimensions, wall thickness, stabiliser content and stress relief, as well as the ability to fit standard New Zealand plumbing fittings. The fact that these appear to be turning up in Canterbury as the rebuild begins to gain momentum is concerning.
We also heard of a consignment of low price heated towel rails entering the country from China. When unpacked, 40% of the shipment had the wrong type of electrical connections.
False certification
The BRANZ product Appraisal mark has also been counterfeited on a range of imported goods, the Australian Watermark has been duplicated on plumbing supplies and misleading information has been supplied in respect of glass wool insulation.
We do not want non-genuine and non-tested building materials and components making their way into residential buildings. We believe that, regardless of where something is manufactured, it should meet New Zealand standards and the Building Code.
Our intention is to work on this issue with the Building and Housing Group of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Be aware
It is especially important that we keep a close eye on this situation as imports rise in response to the surge in building work in the country.
If a product is cheap or its markings look unusual, be suspicious. Ask the supplier about its heritage and verification.
To reduce your risk of getting caught out, buy from reputable suppliers and check the documentation and batch numbers. Cheap products can end up being very expensive when they aren’t fit for purpose.
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Articles are correct at the time of publication but may have since become outdated.
