When Congress banned lead plumbing in 1986, they did not require all existing lead service lines to be removed. Consequently, Five Star Plumbing advises that the service line leading to your home could be lead piping. There is a way that you can tell if the plumbing service line has led in it. Head outside to the plumbing shut-off valve and work with the pipe that is attached to it that heads underground. This should be your main plumbing service line. Call us if you need any help.
Grab a Quarter and a Magnet
Before you head outside, grab a quarter from your wallet and a strong magnet. If you have a larger coin such as a $0.50 piece, use that. You want to use a coin that is strong and durable. You also want to use a magnet that has plenty of sticking surface for this test. This ensures that you can scrape the pipe’s surface easily and test the material properly with the magnet.
Scrape the Pipe’s Surface Carefully
Using the quarter or other coin, scrape the pipe’s surface to see how easily it scratches. You are checking to see how hard the pipe is and if it is easily scraped. If the pipe seems soft and scraping it with the quarter was a piece of cake, it is most likely lead. Also, take a good look at the color of the pipe to see if it is silver. Lead pipes are silver. If the pipe is copper in color, it is a copper service line.
Put the Magnet on the Pipe
For the next part of the test, place the magnet on the pipe on the area that you scraped. You want to see if the magnet is going to stick to the pipe. Magnets do not stick to lead, so if your plumbing service line is lead, the magnet is going to fall off of the pipe. You can stick the magnet on many different areas of the pipe to confirm that it does not stay on the pipe.
Look for a Bulb in the Pipe
Finally, if your plumbing pipe has a bulb located in the pipe that is close to the shut-off valve, this is a sign that the service line is lead. This bulb looks like an egg inside of a snake if the snake had swallowed it. This bulb is also a sign of a lead plumbing service line.
Call Five Star Plumbing in San Antonio, TX, today if you find that the service line to your home is made of lead.
