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LEAD PIPES

Is your home pre-dating 1970? In 1970 new legislation was brought out banning the use of lead in the home so if your home is from before the 1970's chances are you could have lead pipes if they haven't already been addressed. Lead was widely used in the past as they didn't understand the health risks associated with it at the time, now that we do it's recommended that lead pipes are replaced. 

LEAD PIPE REPLACEMENT

If you live in an older home that has been renovated since 1970 and all of the pipes from the water company's stop valve outside your home to the kitchen tap have been replaced, there should be no lead pipe on your property.

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Its understood that a third of properties in the North West built before 1970 are believed to still have some kind of lead plumbing. If you live in an older property, your supply pipe - the underground pipe that connects your home to the public water mains - could be made of lead, and there's a chance that there may be some lead pipes inside your home.

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Since the Government recommends reducing your exposure to lead it would be advantageous to apply for the lead pipe replacement scheme, your local water company will have a scheme. 

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Once you have been accepted on the scheme you then have the option of either doing the work yourself on your side of the boundary and they will send someone out to inspect it, or you can get one of our engineers ( since we are WIAPS approved)  to do the work for you,. 

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HOW TO CHECK IF YOU HAVE LEAD PIPES

Find the pipe leading to the kitchen tap and investigate it. Some signs to look out for are:

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  • Is it soft? It could also have irregular bends to it

  • If you gently scrape it can you see shiny, silver coloured metal?

  • The colour can give it away as well, is it a dull grey colour? Unpainted lead pipes can appear a dull grey. 

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Other common materials for pipes are as below:

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  • Plastic- Usually blue but can also be grey or black depending on age

  • Copper- These are bright in colour and hard

  • Iron- These will be very hard, dark in colour and could also be rusty

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This should hopefully help you differentiate but if you're still unsure then give us a call and we'll be happy to come out and help you identify if you have lead pipes. 

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