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- over 445,000 plumbing related posts
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Author:
Fixitangel (NC)
I read thru the post "What would you do" by Woberkrom. Other issues aside, I wonder how many times have you all found lead piping on the supply line? I've seen lots of rusty old galvi, but never any lead. How often did they use that stuff (on water supply) 80-100 years ago?
Just curious. Thanks.
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Author:
waukeshaplumbing (WI)
I see lead water service all the time in the Milwaukee area.
Never seen lead water pipe used after the meter
seen lead drains only a few times
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Author:
PlumberManDan (IA)
A LOT, I still find a few from time to time, generally when they rebuild a city street they run new water and sewer so they are getting fewer and fewer, I now see more lead drain piping than water piping, However, 2 years ago I did a fire rehab in a house built in 1903, It was almost completely lead water piping all in workable condition to the second floor bath the main floor had been re-piped earlier, Now it is all home run pex to a manifold in the bsmt.
 PlumbCat TM 2003
Plumbermandan
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Author:
Rick Laser (CA)
A lot of plumbing used to be made of lead. In fact, the word "plumbing" is derived from the Latin word for lead - plumbum. The symbol for lead on the Periodic Table of elements is Pb. Probably more than you wanted to know about this topic! 
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Author:
Fixitangel (NC)
Thanks. Sure, I've seen lead used on drains and vent connectors in old houses built in the 1920's. Back then they didn't have PVC. They did the best with what they had. I'm just curious if anybody has seen lead used anywhere after the meter to the faucets?
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Author:
dlh (TX)
never seen a lead line other than lead bends
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
Vern H
Lead services are very common here in Chicago. My house was built in the late 40's and has a 1" lead line from the street.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
stevengould46 (NY)
I grew up in a victorian house built in the 1880s and we had lead supply lines throughout the house. And now and again one would burst.
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Author:
hj
We were still using it exclusively, in the Chicago area, for the main water line to the meter during the 60's, which was a lot less than 100 years ago.
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Author:
hj
For that you have to get into old tenament houses. Installing lead water lines was an art because you had to wipe every tee branch.
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Author:
hj
Unlike TEAM, there is an "I" in Plumbium.
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Author:
woberkrom (MO)
Here there is still a lot of lead.
I am sure the people's republic of California would not care for this.
I am probably in a house every other week that still has a lead water service. Often, the lead service is in pretty good shape. It is really thick walled compared to contemporary pipe. The transition to the interior pipe is usually a brass nipple that is soldered into the end of the pipe.
You have to be careful with the lead, because it is so malleable, but once you have done what you need, it seems to hold up well.
Also, you have to make sure not to close valves quickly upstream of lead water lines... I typically use ball valves for isolation stops and for branch lines that supply fixtures groups. As an apprentice, I ended up watering a customer's front lawn one time, because there was a leak on a solder joint in the rear of the house and I turned a 3/4" ball valve rather quickly.
As far as drain lines go, we are still replacing lead lines with some frequency, but depending on how people treat their plumbing, cast iron and lead lines can last a long, long time. I have been in homes with extra heavy duty cast iron, lead arms, galvanized cold water lines, and brass hot water lines, and the plumbing was in still very good shape even at 90 years old.
--Will
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Author:
Mr Boffo (--)
Lots of lead tailpieces on gas meters still in use in the Boston area.
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Author:
hj
ANYWHERE in a gas system is one place where I have NEVER seen lead used.
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Author:
woberkrom (MO)
I've never seen lead on gas either.
--Will
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Author:
Mr Boffo (--)
Hard to believe but true, the gas piping itself is steel pipe, but lead tailpieces for the meter connection. Obviously they are getting replaced, but there are many still in service.
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Author:
hj
SEnd a picture the next time you find one.
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Author:
joe plumber (NE)
The transition from lead to brass was called a wiped joint ,not a soldered joint..There was also a lot of different sizes of lead,A 3/4" pipe could be Standard,extra strong,double extra strong.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
ev607797 (VA)
My first experience with lead was a main in a 1920's house in NJ. As a helper at the time, you can imagine how I felt about being told to sweat a 1" copper ell onto it. I only had about 3" of pipe coming through the wall to work with, so too much heat and I was a dead (or unemployed) helper. I lucked out and it held.
Looking back at that experience, what would have actually been the proper way to make such a transition?
---Ed---
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Author:
packy
i too have seen lead tailpieces used for gas meter connections.
lead water pipes from the basement all the way to the third floor were used around the boston area years ago.
each floor had a lead pipe cinch.
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Author:
dlh (TX)
any thing lead under ground in my area has been replaced years ago. if not it isnt letting much through it by now especially with our ground movement
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
hj
Some vertical joints WERE soldered joints. The lead was flared with a wooden "top", the "adapter" set into the socket, and then the gap was filled with bar solder.
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Author:
hj
WE would have used a lead to iron flanged union. There was not enough lead to make a wiped joint, and I cannot imagine how you ever got a proper solder joint.
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Author:
hj
quote; each floor had a lead pipe cinch
How many years have you been waiting so you could use that phrase?
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Author:
dlh (TX)
who said it was proper? h just said he got it to hold
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
hj
I know and that was why I made the statement. I have seen many solder joints "just go it to hold" that decided not to hold on anymore after a few years.
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Author:
dlh (TX)
yep. i have seen many also
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
Doug E. (CA)
Any of the homeowners who have lead water pipes freakin nuts? or have other "issues"? just curious..have heard some weird things about homes with lead pipes where everyone goes insane.
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Author:
hj
quote: have heard some weird things about homes with lead pipes where everyone goes insane.
Those are apocryphal stories spread by the manufacturers of PEX tubing. If it were true, Chicago would be a center of raving maniacs. But then again, it might be.
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Author:
RRW (IL)
Enough lead makes you vote for crooks!
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Author:
hj
In that case, EVERY state and city has been eating lead, because the ethical politician only lasts for about a week, until he becomes corrupted like the rest of them.
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Author:
Shoemaker2 (MA)
I know of a building in Cambridge MA that has a big open cistern in the attic and every apartment in the building had a lead line running down to the bathroom to supply their water. Each apt. also had a wire that ran to a manual flapper type valve that you had to open by pulling on the wire, to get the water to flow.
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