lead solder in water line

[<Enzyme68]

I&#39;d just finished installing a in-line water filter when I discovered a 2nd spool of solder mixed in my work area. I know that I had one set that was lead-free, but don&#39;t know about the 2nd. Now I am unsure which I used on my pipes, the lead-free or the unknown. Unfortunately neither were labeled. I only soldered 2 joints in the pipe, would it be worth the effort to undo my work just to redo it with known lead-free solder? I don&#39;t know the danger level of potentially having solder with lead in my incoming water lines.

I tried looking up if there was any way to differentiate between lead-free solder & solder with lead, but couldn&#39;t find anything.

[BobK207]

I wouldn&#39;t worry about it.

How many older solder joints (leaded) do you have in the system? Will two new joints make that much diffference?

What&#39;s the local water chemistry like? Acidic water will leak more lead.

When solder is on the spool, lead free looks shiny, leaded looks dull.

When soldered into a joint I find it more difficult to discern the difference but again the leaded stuff looks dull.

There are test kits to check for leaded vs lead-free.

cheers Bob

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Don&#39;t sweat it. Years ago all joints were lead based and it was not much of a problem. Two joints would probably not even be readable on a test kit.

[HeyBub]

The Romans used lead PIPES!

They ended up ruling the world and it took Rome longer to fall than the US has been in existence.

Forget about it.

[rollmander]

He already "sweat it".

To the OP, it&#39;s too late now. You will be dead in a few hours. Start making a lead coffin with the remaining solder.

[gfretwell]

Vote me with the no problem folks. Kids who grew up with lead soldered pipes defeated the Nazis, invented the computer and put a man on the moon. Since we banned lead solder we got Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Robert Downey Jr You decide

[Art Todesco]

And, even in the US, many areas used lead pipes early on.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

When I sold my house in Philadelphia (1981), it sill had the original lead service pipe from 1948. Hundreds of homes were built with lead mains about that time.

[Heathcliff]

I am curious about that too. I am thinking that there is a very small amount of surface area of solder exposed to the water, and that prior to 1990 or whenever they banned leaded solder, every copper water pipe in the country was soldered with tin-lead solder, without much in the way of bad effects. Also if your water is like ours, it tends to line the inside of the pipes with minerals anyway. But, then why did they ban leaded solder?

[dpb]

...

Because lead is bad for you and some does get sucked inside soldered joints when they&#39;re sweated. Enough small pieces adds up to enough to be a concentration of potential for concern, apparently...

I think solder has composition on the roll somewhere. Any plumbers&#39; solder in the US (other than, of course, something imported that might not meet US guidelines) will currently be lead-free. Electronics solders and other special-purpose solders may still contain varying amounts of lead...

[Steve Barker LT]

"real" SOLDER was used for years. I wouldn&#39;t worry about it. I always use real solder when i sweat copper. The lead free (LOL) stuff sucks.

s

[<Enzyme68]

Ok, well thanks to everyone who replied. I guess I have little to worry about. My house was built in the 70s & has the original plumbing, so it sounds like it probably has lead solder in the other joints too. I suppose a little more isn&#39;t going to make much of a difference.

[Meat Plow]

You&#39;ll be fine.

[HeyBub]

Because the "WE&#39;RE ALL GONNA DIE!" crowd are very loud.

[dadiOH]

Just pray that hot pipes weren&#39;t wrapped with asbestos cloth and plaster :)