Many today wax nostalgic when it comes to homes, they buy (or inherit and keep) them based on aesthetics and the high-quality construction inherent in many older homes – but there’s a catch, the plumbing…
The water in Toronto is some of the best in the entire world, coming in from Lake Ontario it is relatively soft, devoid of major contaminants and it’s served municipally. This what most know about their homes water – that it’s fantastic, because tests said it is; but they are only half right!.
The problem isn’t with the water coming to the home, the problem is that up until the 1990’s lead solder was used to join pipes. Lead pipes were phased out in the 1970’s owing to a nationwide initiative to do so.
What these two things mean is that there is a chance that virtually all homes prior to the 1990’s – but especially prior to the 1970’s – stand a chance of lead affecting the tap water.
Why is lead a problem?
Lead is toxic, particularly for children owing to the fact it builds up in the bones and other organs, ultimately causing irreversible harm. When lead builds up in adults it can cause an array of health effects including high-blood pressure, fatigue, irritability, pain and nervous system damage – ultimately ending in death if not stopped.
Why was it ever used?
Lead was used because it’s soft, ductile and can be easily worked on-site to fit pipes together. The problems arise when water sits in pipes of lead causing them to oxidize over time, leeching out Lead Oxide into the water where it is ingested.
Misunderstood & Overlooked
Often times, the problem doesn’t come directly from overtly lead pipes, it comes as a result of what is often observed to be “copper plumbing” by homeowners. The presence of obvious copper pipes masks its presence. Usually what is seen is a mixture of lead pipes or piping unions mixed with copper piping and lead solder – it is in a motley which is together part of a purely obsolete and dangerous way to plumb water in a home. Though a motley, this is where lead is mostly a problem – strictly lead plumbed homes are usually pre-WW1 era.
Tests can be done to check for lead quantities in your tap water and the amount may fall within the legal limit, but does it mean it will stay that way? No, not necessarily. If your home has lead pipes there can be fluctuation in levels within the water itself. This makes it imperative that you take the right steps to ensure your safety and the safety of your home as an investment as well.
What should be done is a qualified, insured and competent plumber needs to do an inspection with an eye for finding if you have lead pipes – buried or otherwise – and to remove and replace them with modern, more resilient PVC plumbing.
The same could be said for other types of plumbing in an older home, but not for the same reasons. Types of plumbing such as Orangeburg piping (popular in the 1950’s) often used for drain lines, or even galvanized steel piping – everything has a service life and failure can be catastrophic.
But catastrophic piping failure – despite its egregious costs and potential for serious damage to the home, pales in comparison to our main offender: Lead.
Looking at these two scenarios, its obvious the most important to address is always that which has a potential for physical harm. If your home has lead piping many believe if it was okay in the past it will be in the future – this isn’t true. What occurs with regularity here are extreme summers and extreme winters in terms of temperature shift. This flux in temperature can lead to lead pipes, filled with decades of hard water scale buildup, to deform an leak, or for pieces of the scale buildup to break free, allowing oxidized lead into the flow of water and sneaking right into peoples bodies when they consume it. This is even after a house has passed a building inspection! The simple fact is, lead pipes are a ticking time bomb and they need to be removed and replaced.
Why isn’t this more widely known?
The truth is the reason this isn’t more widely appreciated is because people often ignore these issues until they become severe – and they don’t know that they don’t need to!. The cost is not catastrophically high of replacing some piping with the modern, safe, alternative – be it to protect against potential or actual leaking damage or lead leaching.
Equity Equation
Investing in future-proofing your homes plumbing from damage of all kinds through replacement of bygone technology confers equity upon the property in question; put simply, it improves your homes value through modernity.
Homes built in the past may have been built in many ways very high-quality, but technology has moved on and upgrading your home’s circulatory system to ensure it lasts for potentially centuries to come is well worth the minor investment.
Last but absolutely not least is the peace of mind conferred to any homeowner who knows, concretely, that their home’s plumbing isn’t a risk, that their possessions are safe inside and that the very water they bathe in and consume is free of as many toxins as possible.
Toronto has some of the best water in the world; if you’re like many who live here, think about getting your home’s plumbing evaluated by an honest, reliable company such as us –Mister Plumber of Toronto.
We have been in the industry for over twenty years in Toronto and understand how precious our clients time and property is. We are a licensed and insured company with experience dealing with plumbing at virtually every level – from apartments to apartment buildings, from legacy homes to modern buildouts, we can handle whatever your unique needs are. Get in touch with us today to discuss your unique situation.
