How to Identify Lead Pipes in Your Home: Why Replace Them?

We are your trusted plumbing experts in Hillsdale, NJ.

Many homes in the Hillsdale community are over 35 years old. While these homes have a quaintness and charm about them, chances are they also contain a danger in their lead pipes. These pipes can contaminate your water source and harm your body.

Let us inform you how to identify lead pipes in your home and explain how our team can replace them.

Gladiator Services is happy to take your call any time. We are the leaders in plumbing and HVAC services in the Bergen County community with several decades of experience.

We are descendants of the famous JD Hodges family. Quality customer service is in our blood, and we take a client-first approach to everything we do.

Lead Pipes Health Risk

You do not want to consume lead in any way, shape, or form. It is a literal poison that causes severe health problems and risks death.

Several centers for disease control want to replace every lead pipe in America. You can expect lead pipes to be extinct within the next 50 years.

Lead affects several age groups differently. For children, it causes several issues, such as behavioral changes, low IQ, and stunted growth.

If an adult ingests lead, it may result in kidney failure, high blood pressure, or reproductive issues. For pregnant women, lead water contamination can result in premature birth and other complications.

That is why you must resolve your lead pipe problem immediately, no questions asked.

How to Recognize Lead Water and Pipes

Since you now know the critical repercussions of consuming lead water, you must learn how to identify it.

Each year, the Consumer Confidence Report must issue a water-quality report. This report informs homeowners about the contamination level of their water.

If you reside in an apartment or condo, the complex will warn you if your water is dangerous to consume. You may also request a water-quality report from your landlord.

While the consequences can be dire, it is worth noting that many homeowners still live with lead pipes in their homes. Water filtration technology improves each year, and it is not hard to purify the water that runs through lead pipes into your home.

We recommend using a point-of-use filter in your home. This tool allows you to eliminate any lead contamination from your water source. If you are unsure how to install one, our contractors can do it for you.

If you use tap water for cooking or cleaning, you should flush your water system before starting the process. If you want to be extra careful, run your cold-water faucet for a few minutes before using it for any purpose.

Typically, warm water contains more lead than cold water. To avoid potential ramifications of consuming lead, consider drinking spring water or filtered bottled water. While plastic may harm the environment, it is safer to consume than lead-contaminated water.

One of the tricky things about lead poisoning is that it is undetectable to the naked eye. The only way to determine if you have lead in your blood is with a blood test. Doctors usually recommend drawing blood whenever you have an appointment with them.

If you are unsure if you have lead pipes in your home, here are some tips to help you identify the chemical.

Brass Faucets

If you have brass faucets in your home, you likely have lead pipes. Solid brass for drains and faucets is an outdated material. The danger of pure brass is that it may contain traces of lead in it.

Today, manufacturers create faucets with a combination of brass, silicon, and alloy. This combination lessens the amount of lead contained in the nozzle.

Locate Your Main Service Line

One of the simplest ways to identify if your home contains lead pipes is to locate the main service line. Typically, you can find the line in your basement or the lowest part of your home.

The first thing to do is recognize the color of the pipe. If it is a shade of dark gray, that is a strong indicator of a lead pipe.

To further identify lead water pipes, take a screwdriver and scrape the pipeline. If the metal turns shiny, all signs point to a lead pipe. Alternatively, if it turns brown, that indicates you have a copper pipeline.

Just because you do not have a lead pipe does not mean that your water has no lead. The part you can see might be a partial pipe replacement, meaning half of the rod is still lead. If possible, contact the previous homeowner and ask them about your home’s piping system.

Lead Solder

One of the most common sources of lead in your home is the solder in your plumbing. Contractors use solder to fuse metals in your plumbing system. This metal contains portions of lead chemicals that can contaminate your water.

Solder can also release fumes that cause critical respiratory issues, which can be deadly for asthma and allergy sufferers. A licensed and insured HVAC contractor can tell you if your solder contains lead.

Schedule a Service Call Today

Eventually, every homeowner with lead pipes will convert them to copper. Pipe replacement can keep you and your family safe and make your home more efficient.

In addition to our pipe replacement services, we offer top-notch drain cleaning, water treatment, fire sprinkler installation, and more. 

We are the most trusted source for quality plumbing and HVAC services in Hillsdale, New Jersey.

If you have a question about replacing lead pipes in your home, call Gladiator Services at (201) 571-1715. Our Hillsdale, NJ, team will be in touch with you promptly to discuss the ins and outs of our pipe replacement services. Plus, we are available to take your call 24/7 for emergency services.

Many of our customers interested in lead pipe replacement also ask us, "what are plumbing vents?"