Can anyone tell me please if asbestos was ever used for indoor plumbing? i.e. waste water pipes? Thanks

Nope, pretty much wood, lead, copper galvanized iron, PVC, CPVC, ABS and PEX. Asbestos was used quite a bit in insulation, floor tile and adhesive but not recently.

Hi Vickey,

can anyone tell me please if asbestos was ever used for indoor plumbing? ie, waste water pipes? thanks
Bob's not quite as old as I. I remember the men in my fathers plumbing and heating shop covering steam heating pipes for schools, factories and larger steam heated homes with asbestos covering. When our shop installed hot air furnaces all of the hot air ducts were covered with asbestos. So yes asbestos was indeed used indoors. As Bob says, "but not recently". Hope this answered your question. Tom

Actually Tom, I may be older than you think. Vickey was asking about indoor waste water pipes so that's how I tailored my answer, just added wood too. I recall working in many schools that not only had asbestos on the pipes and boiler but on the ceiling too. Until a few years ago we were all touching asbestos in a daily basis with apparently not much ill effects, as far as we can tell. The asbestos miners and folks in the insulation industry weren't so lucky due to their daily heavy exposer. Your dads crew would probably fit in that group. It is clearly not safe but its not a death notice to everyone ever exposed.

Actually Tom, I may be older than you think. Not as old as me Bob! I'm older then sex but not quite as old as dirt! Cheers, Tom

You got me there bud. I used to cut asbestos sheets with a circular saw when we were building early versions of prefab fireplaces. Still kicking but wishing I had a Hazmat dust mask.

You got me there bud. I used to cut asbestos sheets with a circular saw when we were building early versions of prefab fireplaces. Still kicking but wishing I had a Hazmat dust mask.
And I worked out in my Dads tin shop where the tinners were pasting asbestos sheets on to hot air ducts and scared my lungs with Muriatic Acid fumes from boiling out lime deposits from toilet bowls out in the back alley. Had we only known back then what we know now. But I seem to recall a thread that the OP still had a lead water service. That can't be good. Regards Tom

They say the lead water pipes contributed to the fail of the Roman empire. People started thinking a little different.

They say the lead water pipes contributed to the fail of the Roman empire. Peolpe started thinking a little different.
They stored wine in lead jars because it sweetened the wine. Some say that was the downfall of the Roman Empire.

There was asbestos cement water pipes used for water distribution. We made furnaces out of a few sections. I've seen 12-15" diameter.

Can't say anything about waste water, but it's probably possible.

Tom, you are funny..! :D

No, I've never heard of asbestos water lines either. Only in A/C ducts... also, in some wall/ceiling insulation, pipe insulation, roofing tiles and floor tiles...

can anyone tell me please if asbestos was ever used for indoor plumbing? ie, waste water pipes? thanks
Vicky,

I found this link most useful: Asbestos in Your Home | Asbestos | US EPA (http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html)

I found this most relevant to you: "Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape"

Here are some other resources:

Plumbers & Asbestos Exposure / Mesothelioma - Asbestos.net (http://www.asbestos.net/occupations/plumbers.html)

Asbestos uses and applications (http://www.voelckerconsultants.co.uk/Asbestos/asbestos%20uses.htm)

Sex? What's that ? Was that something the Romans put in their water?

Vicky:

The answer is yes, for asbestos being used in sanitary sewer drain piping. The reference: Transite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transite)

Thank you all so far for your answers. My original question was asked because behind my bath there is a long bending pipe from the plastic waste water pipe from the hand basin. It is silvery grey in colour and isn't quite smooth. I live in a 1915's house but the date bathroom installed I do not know. Have had to live with a peach suite up there for nine years! Anyway the pipe is not covered with any insulation or rope etc. So because I've had several yes and no answers I felt I should give some background on original question. Were water waste pipes ever used for indoor plumbing?

I think most of us are going to say no for your application but can you tell us what is you exact concern? Are you concerned about asbestos just being in your home, it can be encapsulated.

Have done a lot of "internet looking up" on the uses of asbestos as my home is so old. It worried me as I share my home with my nine year old daughter. As I described the pipe is behind the bath panel and is curved to the outlet. From looking at pictures on the net I haven't seen anything similar. Do understand the asbestos was used for underground water pipes previously. But wondered if anyone knew of indoor usage of asbestos pipes such as bathroom plumbing pipes. And I was looking for the no answers, as I'm such a worrier. So thank you ballengerb1.

[QUOTE][My original question was asked because behind my bath there is a long bending pipe from the plastic waste water pipe from the hand basin. It is silvery grey in colour and isn't quite smooth./QUOTE]
Your pipe isn't asbestos. Sounds more like galvanized or lead. My bet's on galvanized but if you take a sharp knife and scrap off some of the finish you can find out.
Galvanized is hard while lead is soft and you can gut into the outside of the pipe. You can't do that with galvanized. Good luck Vicky, Tom