Yes. In 1953 50% lead, 50% tin was the typical solder. I wouldn't
panic though. The concern is how much, if any lead is in the water you
draw from your system today and in the future.

Testing the water is the only way to know this and it's not difficult to
do. Most good hardware stores, and many internet sites have test kits
that can be sent off to a lab for quantification. My preference would
be to find a lab that can do AA (atomic absorption spectroscopy).

There are several things to consider though. Over time insoluble salts
of lead will in all likelihood form over the lead containing solder that
serve to passivate the solder and render it inaccessible. Certainly in
53 years this has occurred.

Unless you have acid water, (low pH, or pH values much less than 7) it
is unlikely that much lead is going to dissolve and be in your water.

Remember the chemist's mantra, 'the dose is the poison', or more correctly:

"All things are poison and nothing is without poison. Solely the dose
determines that a thing is without poison."
--Paracelsus

In our politically correct world many are running from things that are
in fact not that dangerous. The problem is that those running don't
understand what the real danger is and what they are running from.

Boden


Lead, in water will form a
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?
2) Can I test some of the solder blobs easily?
3) Should I consider replacing all of the pipes in my house? (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