Leadfree fittings and valves

Supahhh wrote: ↑ What manufacturers make *true * lead free fittings? is there a specific line of products?

(I realize there is a lot of fittings marked as lead free, but from my understanding they are really low lead products ( 2-8% lead )

You heard wrong the legal allowable limit is a weighted average of 0.25%, 8% was the norm before the more legislation came into effect in 2014.

If you're using copper fittings you have nothing to worry about it is brass that contains that amount of lead.

WMPCOT wrote: ↑ You heard wrong the legal allowable limit is a weighted average of 0.25%, 8% was the norm before the more legislation came into effect in 2014.

If you're using copper fittings you have nothing to worry about it is brass that contains that amount of lead.

yes you are right. Is that applicable everywhere? If I look at Sharkbite site the lead free info page link to California prop 65 info. but it doesnt say if it complies with it? Watts Canada Leadfree page is a 404 ( while the US watts page leads to 0.25% statement )

So does anyone make 0% lead fittings?

lead is needed for brass fittings. Use plastic or stainless steel fitting if you are really worry about the lead content.

sherwoodRFD wrote: ↑ lead is needed for brass fittings. Use plastic or stainless steel fitting if you are really worry about the lead content.

is there plastic valves for hotwater? All i see are for cold water use.

I intent to swap out most of my plumbing for PEX maybe in the spring. Or If I can Lead free fitting prolly swap out to them and keep copper piping.

Supahhh wrote: ↑ yes you are right. Is that applicable everywhere? If I look at Sharkbite site the lead free info page link to California prop 65 info. but it doesnt say if it complies with it? Watts Canada Leadfree page is a 404 ( while the US watts page leads to 0.25% statement )

So does anyone make 0% lead fittings?

When I spoke of the legislation I was speaking of Ontario specifically, but the same applies for all of Canada. All brass fittings sold in Canada is only allowed 0.25% weighted average of lead on fittings, and fixtures and 0.2% in solder. You won't find any brass products with 0%.

Supahhh wrote: ↑ is there plastic valves for hotwater? All i see are for cold water use.

I intent to swap out most of my plumbing for PEX maybe in the spring. Or If I can Lead free fitting prolly swap out to them and keep copper piping.

Just use copper fittings as I suggested.

You should look into the negatives of PEX if you are conscious about lead. I've written about it on the forums many times.

I think I remember seeing WATTS fittings marked as lead-free on the packaging.

bjl

t3359 wrote: ↑ I think I remember seeing WATTS fittings marked as lead-free on the packaging.

bjl

Lead-free is basically a marketing term, or I should say industry standard to note it contains the amount of low lead allowed.

WMPCOT wrote: ↑ Just use copper fittings as I suggested.

You should look into the negatives of PEX if you are conscious about lead. I've written about it on the forums many times.

I think I've settled on CPVC for when I do it. From my understanding Copper is also affected by Chlorine. Our city started using chlorine a few years ago.

The curb cock is made of brass, the corp fittings are made of brass, the water meter is made of brass, most faucets are made of brass.

Supahhh wrote: ↑ I think I've settled on CPVC for when I do it. From my understanding Copper is also affected by Chlorine. Our city started using chlorine a few years ago.

It is true that copper is effected but there are ways to counter act these effects, unfortunately those ways include adding more phosphate and in extact amounts and pH levels, I will however say not everyone in the industry agrees with this.

With that out of the way, you should look into installing a water filter for your drinking water at the kitchen sink and you won't have to worry about ingesting any of these things.

pootza wrote: ↑ The curb cock is made of brass, the corp fittings are made of brass, the water meter is made of brass, most faucets are made of brass.

and Brass = lead Alloy sadly.

WMPCOT wrote: ↑ With that out of the way, you should look into installing a water filter for your drinking water at the kitchen sink and you won't have to worry about ingesting any of these things.

The issue is how are you going to keep kids from drinking a bit every now and then in the shower or when brushing their teeth.

Supahhh wrote: ↑ and Brass = lead Alloy sadly.

The issue is how are you going to keep kids from drinking a bit every now and then in the shower or when brushing their teeth.

You could do a whole home filter but that also leads to bad things, the chemicals added into drinking water like chlorine are also there to help the potable water system keep microorganisms at bay among other things which is why I never tell people to filter all water. With copper microorganism growth is kept at bay but in an all PEX system it is allowed to grow.

And while I understand where you're coming from unfortunately you won't be able to keep them away from this, they'll drink water at friends houses, at school, day care, relatives, etc. The best you can do is mitigate their exposure especially at home, make them understand that drinking water comes from that faucet.

I've never worked for the region if Waterloo but I can almost guarantee some of their infrastructure has lead lines, for certain if a home was built before 1990 it is possible they have lead in their homes. So even if you replace your portable water system there is a chance lead will come into your home, more reason to be proactive and use filtered water. To add to this lead is probably the least worry in drinking water, pesticides, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals are of equal if not more concern as they're not even treated for by the municipality.

Supahhh wrote: ↑ and Brass = lead Alloy sadly.



The issue is how are you going to keep kids from drinking a bit every now and then in the shower or when brushing their teeth.

Did you get your water tested? Lead testing in household water is often free for municipalities, and if it comes back with near-zero lead then your worries may be allayed without doing any plumbing work.

You can install a RO system for drinking water. A RO system filters out lead and other things.

grumble wrote: ↑ Did you get your water tested? Lead testing in household water is often free for municipalities, and if it comes back with near-zero lead then your worries may be allayed without doing any plumbing work.

The way testing works is you take one sample at start and another sample after a few minutes.
If there is Lead pipes in the system, the result should be consistant positive. But if there is few fittings leeching lead , then depending on where they are, the leeching may not show up in the result.

So for lead testing, a positive is firm positive, but a negative is really "inconclusive".

Here let me add a scare for ya ll.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/201 ... years.html