Some cast iron fittings were also sealed with lead. A strip of fabric was tucked into the void and melted lead was poured over to complete the seal.

Copper actually has inherent antimicrobial properties that kills some viruses, bacteria and harmful microbes when they come in contact with the metal.


Also fire codes for public buildings used to specify copper piping because when full of water they withstood heat longer and would provide water flow to fire control systems where plastic types of pipe would melt.

I have been doing residential remodeling for forty-plus years and have not come across any actual lead pipes. That doesn't mean they weren't present but most of my remodels, especially new kitchens, involved plumbing of some sort. The majority of the homes I work on were built prior to the 70's and many were built in the 1800's. Most have copper plumbing.

I think lead pipes were more often used as service lines off the water mains in cities and towns as opposed to whole-house plumbing.

I think the gray polybutylene was sold under the brand name Quest?

I know the service line coming into my house is galvanized I believe from the 1960?? Pryor to that the home had its own well. I know I still have galvanized inside in few places I haven't replaced with copper. City had some people here earlier this year to look at my system. They were more concerned with back flow and I had to add one on my dog washing faucet in basement shower.
Back in the late 1970s-80s when I pounded nails for a living. Did a couple remodels in some buildings down town. Probably built late 1800 early 1900s.
Don't recall any water lines being lead. But there were several waste drains that were completely lead. I even salvaged what I could for sinker and jig making.

Mac

"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

if you got water after 1980 it would be extremely unlikely you have any lead pipe

really you will seldom see lead water pipe in a house newer than 1960

my 1873 house had a lead pipe from the street everything inside was copper

this house it is a copper line into the house, it got indoor plumbing in 1939 the house was 1909

about 10 years ago I got some lead water pipe from a 4-H father who worked for one of the companies pulling lead water lines out of Janesville , they were all 100+ year old buildings

man that makes some nice round balls

The "officials" are afraid of everything or just use the "protection" argument to gain more control, although I'll pass from drinking out of a lead cup everyday...

The Biden administration made three-billion dollars available to states for lead pipe replacement earlier this year.

I figured there was tax $ going to be involved with a probably loaded test ,if they could get a bunch of people to scratch a pipe and no the magnet doesn't stick , but just like yours is copper they take the half info and say nope no magnet stuck , we need more money to do more tests or just as likely start replacing lines.


unless your city water utility people all were replaced in the last year , they know exactly where the lead pipes are within a block or two.

this smells of a company or buricrat angling for tax dollars

they probably took $ already to send questioners that aren't hardly worth anything and they collect $ for every one that comes back

As I said, the web site we're supposed to submit our answers actually ends in .com so the survey results aren't going back to my local government, although my local government might (will) be the "muscle" to enforce "testing" compliance.

I have been and now work with government contractors. Its a neat way to (sort of) avoid responsibility as the government and contract companies will point fingers at each other and say, "well, that's not my responsibility!" if there are issues. And unless a situation is really big and serious, that generally works and the people on the outside who are being affected by what's happening usually get the short end of the stick. Then throw in a little actual corruption with both the unelected and elected folks, and things get even messier.

One last question about piping. Was there any use of zinc pipes in plumping...? Because they wouldn't have magnets stick to them BUT they're not lead. Perhaps if any zinc is involved, its in the "galvanization" or other anti-corrosion aspects of steel piping. Zinc scrap is always more money than most straight steel scrap, per pound.

funny that they are so worried about water and its possible bad side effects depending upon what kind of pipes it come thru.
But on the other hand they allow food manufactures to put all sorts of chemicals in our food that are banned in other countries.


I guess there isn't enough money coming from pipe makers as there is big ag.

And big ag commodity processors.

I've never seen a solid zinc pipe, just galvanized.