DIYbanter - View Single Post - Lead in 50 year-old plumbing solder?

wrote:
In removing a gate value for the hose in my garage this morning I had
to heat one of the copper joints to remove it and I noticed how easily
the solder melted and flowed. So I wonder if there is some amount of
lead in it.

My house was built in 1953 and my guess is that this pipe joint is
original, so...

1) Did plumbing solder in 1953 contain lead?

Yes.

2) Can I test some of the solder blobs easily?

Don't bother see below.

3) Should I consider replacing all of the pipes in my house?

Absolutely not. Doing so is likely to cause more problems than it
fixes. The lead in the pipes is likely adding only extremely little.
Disturbing it and maybe exposing fresh lead would allow more lead into your
water.

If you are worried, have your water tested. Remember to let the water
run some before catching it. Likely the faucets have lead parts in them
and they will likely be greater sources of lead than the pipes.

(Note: I
have a small ranch house with easy access to all of the plumbing; this
would not be a difficult job for me.)

Mike

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit