When exposed to lead, children can suffer damage to their brains and central nervous systems, which can result in problems with learning, development, behavior, hearing, and speech.Īccording to the EPA, the most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that there is no safe blood lead level for children and that there are well-documented adverse effects of lead poisoning on children’s health. If your home is equipped with piping or plumbing fixtures that contain lead, this poison can end up in your drinking water. Whereas plumbing issues are the main concern with polybutylene and galvanized steel pipes, lead pipes pose a different and much more serious threat. ![]() Not sure if you own this type of piping? You can check for rust around the pipe joints and scratch the metal to see if its a silver or gray color underneath. Because of their average life expectancy (40 to 50 years), if you have not already replaced the galvanized piping in your vintage home, you are probably already experiencing water pressure and water quality issues. Eventually, the pipes can break or collapse, causing a leak.Īs with polybutylene piping, it’s impossible to tell how far gone one of these pipes is just from looking at its exterior. The buildup restricts water flow through the pipes, which then increases water pressure on the compromised pipe walls. Galvanized pipes start to fail as their zinc coating erodes, allowing the interior walls to rust, corrode, and develop calcium deposits. This material is constructed of steel coated with zinc to keep it from rusting. If your home was built before the 1960s, there is a chance that it contains galvanized piping. Others won’t even insure your home-that’s how lousy polybutylene’s reputation is. Some insurers will charge you higher premiums or restrict your coverage. It’s also important to speak with your prospective home insurance company if you plan on buying a home with polybutylene piping. It’s better to replace the piping before any leaks and water damage occur. Even if your poly piping appears to be solid and crack-free from the outside, this is, unfortunately, no indication of the piping’s interior condition. These plastic pipes are often gray, but they can also be white, black, or blue. If you own a home built between 19, it may contain polybutylene piping. This widespread pipe failure ultimately led to several class-action lawsuits (most notably Cox vs. Within years after its initial installation in homes in the 1970s, weakened poly piping resulted in numerous leaks and cases of water damage across the nation. When the chlorine in treated, municipal water interacts with polybutylene, the pipe material becomes brittle and leak-prone. ![]() Though not everyone realizes it, public water treatment plants add disinfectants to water to purify it. ![]() If you still own this type of piping in your home, you could suffer water damage from polybutylene pipe failure as well. Unfortunately, this piping material had a significant flaw that ultimately resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in water damage. Polybutylene Pipesīuilders installed polybutylene (or poly) piping in an estimated 10 million U.S. homes today: polybutylene, galvanized steel, and lead. ![]() Below, we’ll provide more information about three of the worst types of piping that can still be found in U.S. If your home was built before the mid-1990s, your plumbing pipes might be made of risky materials from prior eras.
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