Safe Luxury

Are Copper Water Pipes In Your Home Safe?

the realtor said its safe for a home but the house is 38 yrs old and im wondering is it still safe?

Public Comments

1. copper pipes are safe usually, its what kind of solder there is, some of it has lead and 38 year old pipes very well might have lead
2. Copper itself is safe, it is the solder (that they put the pipes together with) that may be bad. 38 years ago they used lead solder, and some of that my leach into your water. You can have a water sample tested for lead and other things. Call your hardware store and see if they can tell you how to do that. You may also call your county extension agent for instructions.
3. Hi, There are very old homes that still have some lead piping from the street to the meter, i don't think there's a major source of lead from either those or soldered connections that contain lead.
4. Water test for safety. The solder used on the fittings that are pressed onto another fitting to seal it should not be a problem since its not really in the flow.I have never seen lead pipes.....but galvanized was used years ago before pvc. Copper is usually used inside and maybe under the house because it was easy to work with and solder together. Copper is fine!
5. My house was built in 1972. It has copper drain lines as well as water supply lines. That was the biggest selling point for me. I don't have any problem with them being in place and I've lived here for 18 years.
6. it's safe- the amount of lead in the solder is insignificant, as well as the amount of surface area of solder that actually comes into contact with the water. besides, its not water soluble. there is a lot of hype where lead is concerned.