Homes constructed many years ago were kept to different regulations compared to residences and buildings built today.
Houses built during the 1960s and prior were regularly outfitted with galvanized sewer/water pipe systems. These steel pipes were coated in a layer of zinc to broaden their powerful life span.
While this seemed like a smart idea at the time, developers and health experts today realize that galvanized piping can cause various issues for both homes and homeowners.
However, this old-fashioned and hazardous pipe material has been found in homes built before the 1980s.
Galvanized piping comprises steel with an additional zinc coating, which renders the material defenseless against corrosion. When plumbing pipes corrode, rust is the unavoidable outcome. Rust in your pipelines will prompt the development of lead stores in your waterlines.
Remember that this is the water you and your children drink or shower in daily. Lead has critical health impacts, so it is important to know how lead may have polluted your water supply and how you can fix it.
Galvanized Steel Pipe Lifespan
Much under the best conditions, galvanized pipes corrode over the long run. The common life expectancy of galvanized steel is somewhere in the range of 25 to 40 years.
Nonetheless, in regions where there is hard water, your pipes can bomb all the more rapidly. What is tricky about galvanized pipes is that while they appear fine outwardly, they could be corroding within.
After some time, deposits along the inside of the pipe develop, confining the water flow and decreasing the water pressure in your home. This development can likewise affect water pressure in other parts of the line and cause leaks.
Corrosion can also occur at joints, causing leaks. Sadly, when leaks occur behind walls or under floors, you may not find them until your home has sustained extensive damage.
There are a few issues related to galvanized lines: low water pressure, unequal water distribution, water discoloration, and leaks.
Low Water Pressure
Unequal Water Distribution
Water Discoloration
Leaks
Do Galvanized Pipes Contain Lead?
A typical inquiry homeowners have about galvanized steel pipes is whether they contain lead. The appropriate response is that zinc coating regularly does contain lead.
A study published in Environmental Engineering Science indicated that some water tests taken from homes with galvanized steel pipes contained lead at levels more prominent than the activity level set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The study noted that fractional replacement of lead pipes or galvanized steel with copper piping installed upstream could intensify lead discharge.
Given the cost and discomfort of replacing your home's pipe, you might be tempted to change it incompletely.
However, a total replacement is suggested due to the increase in lead contamination and because this kind of plumbing can cause different issues. In the worst-case scenario, your water supply will become contaminated if you don’t take action.
What are the health effects of lead in drinking water?
Consistently consuming lead-containing water can lead to lead poisoning. The lead level in plumbing, as per the EPA standards, is zero. This implies that there is no lower limit for lead-containing water and sets the standard that no amount of exposure to lead is safe for the human body.
Pregnant women and children are at higher risk from lead poisoning. Drinking contaminated water may cause poisoning to a pregnant mother and her unborn child. Children who have been exposed to toxic levels of lead are probably going to develop cognitive deficiency and learning difficulties.
There is additionally a danger of cardiovascular infections from lead development in galvanized pipes. If you or a relative break a bone or endures some different sorts of horrible injury, the danger of lead poisoning is highly increased.
The well-being concerns surrounding galvanized piping are well-known, but researchers are making new revelations about its effects on children with each new study.
Children are Highly Susceptible
- Harm to the nervous system
- Development of learning disabilities
- Loss of hearing
- Impaired production/function of blood cells (Anemia)
- Delayed growth
- Behavior issues and hyperactivity
Parents who suspect their child has lead poisoning should seek medical attention.
Symptoms of Lead Poisoning
- Lead poisoning can occur in numerous ways, and as the substance develops inside the body, there are common symptoms that regularly happen. Signs that demonstrate poisoning include:
- Headaches
- Stomach pain
- Joint and muscle pain
- Trouble concentrating
- Memory loss
- Irritability and fatigue
- High blood pressure
- Loss of appetite
How would I identify lead in my water?
Two main strategies will assist you in detecting lead in your drinking water. You do not exclusively have the option to determine the specific amount of lead present.
However, you'll likewise be capable of determining the probability that your water supply is contaminated:
- Test your drinking water. The best way to precisely detect lead in your water is to test it.
While there are kits accessible that allow you to finish the test yourself, it's prescribed to send the sample to a reliable third-party laboratory like the ones certified by the state, water filtration like the Berkey Water Filter System, or your nearby water supplier.
They will want to give comprehensive details concerning the degrees of lead and other harmful substances in your water.
- Determine the kind of pipes in your home. Although this will not determine the amount of lead in your drinking water, a few types of piping—like lead and galvanized steel—contribute to fundamentally more elevated chemical component levels than others.
Find a pipe inside your home and scratch the outside with a coin. If the material is a dull gray and delicate, the pipes are made of lead.
If the color uncovered by the scratch is silver gray, the pipes are galvanized steel. A magnet will also help you determine the material of the pipe, as it will stick to galvanized pipes.
How to prevent lead poisoning?
Once your drinking water has tested positive for lead, there are a couple of ways you can restrict your exposure and prevent lead poisoning:
- Cook with and drink just cold water from the tap, as lead dissolves all the more effectively in steaming hot water
- Drink bottled water or buy a water filter intended to lessen lead levels
- Flush out water that may contain lead by running the tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before use
- Clean the faucet aerator every few months to eliminate lead particles
In any case, the main step to preventing lead poisoning is to replace all plumbing fixtures containing lead. Once you have confirmed that your pipes are made of lead or galvanized steel, you are more at risk of developing lead poisoning.
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