I think I have lead piping in my bathroom. Wanted to know if I could used a compression fitting to do a lead to copper joint. And does anyone know if I could use normal copmression fittings on the lead pipe because I want to add a valve.

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Originally Posted by nm_coolj

I think i have lead piping in my bathroom. wanted to know if i could used a compression fitting to do a lead to copper joint. And does anyone know if i could use normal copmression fittings on the lead pipe because i want to add a valve.

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You still have lead water pipes in your home? Does the term "lead poisoning " have any meaning to you? Read on:
This paper considers a largely unknown public-health practice in the United States: the use of lead pipes to distribute household tap water. Municipalities first installed lead pipes during the late nineteenth century. In 1897, about half of all American municipalities used lead water pipes. Using data from 1900 Massachusetts, this paper compares infant death rates and stillbirth rates in cities that used lead water pipes to rates in cities that used non-lead pipes. In the average town in 1900, the use of lead pipes increased infant mortality and stillbirth rates by 25 to 50 percent. However, the effects of lead water lines varied across cities, and depended on the age of the pipe and the corrosiveness of the associated water supplies. Age of pipe influenced lead content because, over time, oxidation formed a protective coating on the interior of pipes. As for corrosiveness, acidic water removed more lead from the interior of pipes than did non-acidic water. Consequently, infant death rates and stillbirth rates in Massachusetts towns employing old lead lines, and non-acidic water supplies, were no higher than in towns employing non-lead pipes. But in cities using new pipes and distributing acidic water, lead pipes increased infant mortality rates and stillbirth rates three- to fourfold.

My advice? Start getting estimates on a repipe job. And no, lead pipes will not accept compression fittings. Good luck, tom

Then again, if you have galvanized, they do sell conversion nipples to get from that to compression. How have you arrived at the "lead pipe" decision?

If your water pipes are made of galvanize pipe instead of lead. As I suspect, they do make connectors called "Dresser couplings" that will do what you need to do.

Perhaps your pipes are galvanized steel rater than lead, and you just don't know the difference? I hope for your sake that it's actually galvanized steel...

In any case, here's a simple test: try to nick the pipe with a penknife (or similar sharp tool). If the pipe nicks easily, it is lead; if it's "tough as steel", then it's, well, steel. :)

Thanks Shunned, Letmetellu and Palm MP3,
I goofed and you guys caught it. I sure am glad you guys are on board to pick up on what I miss. Also if the pipes were found to be galvanized they should have threads that will accept a threaded valve. Thanks again, Tom

You didn't goof at all. They could be lead pipes, we are assuming they aren't.