The two/four taps + shower mixer will be separate paths so it really depends on what the bath is fixed too. It may be screwed to wall or floor so best look what's there before you decide if it can accidentally become live. Some houses use metal rather than 4x2 wood for walls so it is possible to screw a metal bath to something that can become live even though its unlikely.
Yeh yeh. On a properly made joint there is virtually zero lead in contact with the water. And if appreciable amounts dissolved in the water the joint would fail in time.
Because it's never been proved that lead water pipes are a health hazard in all cases.
In a hard water area, they get coated on the inside anyway. And even in a soft water area, tests for level of lead in the water ain't conclusive.
Yes, yes, agreed! I will give it a go in the not too distant future. Have to say, I do like the look of decent soldered joints on copper pipe.
Really? When I moved into this house it had a run of some 10m of lead pipe - 6m from where it comes in to the house to the kitchen sink. The people who lived in this house for 100 or so years - well ,dread to think.
I keep coming across runs of lead pipe in the walls - there's a thick pipe - maybe 1", with a small diameter, 1/4"ish) bore that seems to be some sort of beading on the vertical sides of a window opening. All very odd. Must of been cheap back then.
Compared to the tiny amounts of lead used in solder - which in itself is a tiny amount in the scheme of a run of pipe. Which doesn't actually (or shouldn't, IIUC) come into contact with the inside of the pipe. Lead free solder? Strikes me as overly cautious.
Its the same basic question though - ignoring the pipework, can the bath itself introduce a potential. In the vast majority of cases the answer will be no. However there may be (rare) installation specific cases where there the answer is yes.
This may be a case where the answer is "yes" (although SB of the studwork might be a better solution)
Note that the third amendment of the 17th edition required that any cables installed in walls using metal studwork, must now have 30mA RCD protection regardless of their burial depth.
TBH, lead free solder on plumbing fittings is a non issue - no harder to use than lead IME
Lead free just as easy to use as lead. I use lead-free on all hot and cold water pipework. I use lead on central heating and gas pipework.
Clean to bright copper (pipes and inside fittings), flux, and enough heat quickly so you can solder before all the flux is lost are the key things. Don't use so much solder it drips off - you could end up with a similar amount running inside the pipe. Check all around the join that a ring of solder is visible - a small inspection mirror and damp cloth for cleaning off the flux afterwards are very handy.
If you clean up the pipes/fittings with steel wool (which is what I normally do), make sure there are no strands left in the pipe and fittings before fluxing up.
It is good, and can make very neat pipework. When you can get a double bend offset right, you've made it.
Keep the bending formers clean to avoid any grit getting stuck and forced into the pipe. Don't let them rattle around with hard metal tools which can easily ding them.
It is now a race against time whether leached plasticisers in plastic pipes or copper are proved to be harmful and lead to further bans.
But my only point is that it is against the law to use lead solder on potable water pipes, just in case anyone is reading who actually wants to obey the law. Or wants building regs approval.
Actually, using plumbing flux I have never had any difficulty with lead free solder. Electronics is a whole other story, and I stick to 60:40 now, having tried lead free.
Well, quite. When some maker wants to promote a new type of pipe.
All sorts of things are now 'against the law' to DIY or whatever. For reasons often impossible to justify - except to promote big business.
Be interesting to know of an inspector who tests such things...
I've not tried it recently. First attempt with it many years ago showed it didn't flow as freely as leaded - so I ditched it. Given I still have a lead incoming main, it's unlikely to make any difference here. And the fact many still used it for central heating pipes says something.
probably like lead-free solder for electronics - mandatory - unless the product is for military or medical useage (where reliabilty matters) . Then you can used leaded solder. Says a lot for lead-free.
Bending steel conduit neatly is more fun.
Fitting a new bath doesn't require you to bring the electrics up to standard.
Yup. And harder work. ;-)
Thanks, saved for later.
Like this? (youtube video of some bloke making a good job of making an offset bend):
I do like the idea - but would need quite an investment and space, getting a bending machine?
All the copper pipework in my 1976-built house was fitted using lead solder, and it hasn't done me any harm. Millions of 'modern' properties were fitted with copper piping using lead solder.
The health issue is related to the installer who is breathing in lead while using lead solder, not the homeowner - surely ?.
lead-free solder is banned on all civil planes too. My neighbour who is a Virgin airlines licensed engineer told me so.
My bath has an earthing stud and there is a 4 mm earth bonding going down through the plaster and into the cooker socket where it joins up with the cpc of the 6mm cooker cable. That's what the original builders did.
I use those cleaning strips these days. Bit more expensive than wire wool but less hassle.
That's worse than nothing. It doesn't bond the bath to the other sources of potential (pipes, lighting circuit etc), and introduces a potential from the cooker circuit that wouldn't otherwise be there.
Mike
It'll be handy if you want to move the cooker into the bathroom!
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