lead pipes in house built in 1889

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    • #275171
      Avatar photoMasterPlumbers
      Keymaster

        I would like an estimate of what it would cost to replace the lead pipes in a 3000SF house built in 1889

      • #291292
        Avatar photoSylvanLMP
        Participant

          I did a complete house repipe and took out the lead waste,vent and water line lines and if I remember correctly I charged slightly over $450,000 NOT including tile work or wall or floor patching.

          Prices in your area may be higher as you may have more bathrooms and a larger kitchen and larger waste piping and you may opt for extra heavy cast iron uncoated and your venting piping may have to be upgraded.

          The water lines you may want to use K copper instead of the cheaper thinner wall “L” tubing.

          Personally I like red brass piping using unthreaded Stanley G flagg flow brazed fittings TP copper type with silver brazing for a tensile strength of 87,000 PSI using a copper/silver rod FDA AWWA Approved of course.

        • #291293
          Avatar photoGuest
          Participant

            If yu want to keep it cheep, you can put in plastic yorself, the noise ain’t that bad, jus turn up the TV.

          • #291294
            Avatar photoSylvanLMP
            Participant

              quote:


              Originally posted by Nick Hydro:
              If yu want to keep it cheep, you can put in plastic yorself, the noise ain’t that bad, jus turn up the TV.


              Nick I would RATHER live with the lead pipe as I know LEAD LASTS.

              Think about how these “state of the art” plastic piping under slab piping FAILED because of “heating guys” not being licensed and doing innocent folks lots of damage.

              Here this house was built in 1889 and NOW someone decides it needs a re pipe?

              Shucks Nick I work on heating systems older then that here in the big city.

              Getting rid of lead piping just for the sake of getting rid of it and putting in JUNK plastic is plain silly if the lead pipe still has integrity

              The powers that be finally realized what I have said in 1969 PLASTIC fumes in a fire will kill more folks then the fire possibly can.

              Now the code folks are seriously thinking of not allowing this menace to society to be used in INDOOR plumbing.

              Wait till the code folks realize how many stumble bums dabble in heating with no formal training.

              Heating should have a written test about stay bolts and mud legs and “R” stamp repairs and how to do internal and external inspections and some knowledge of Gas trains and various types of boilers.

              ANYONE can put “heating” on the side of a truck but saying so doesn’t make it true.

              Ask around Hydro about step down “Heating” stations or how to calibrate pneumatic controllers.

              Ask about pneumatic pressure testing as opposed to hydrostatic testing.

              Ask about the NBBI CDA or ASME Codes.

              Would you believe some guy actually thinks a water heater designed to work at 160 PSI should have a T&P rated at 150.

              The problem is too many areas rather collect a fee for a license rather then have someone really qualified doing the actual work.

              Water lines made of AA or AAA lead can last over 1,000 years as some countries have proved.

              Yet Modern man cannot make a decent underground plastic heating system it appears as ANYONE
              can say heating.

              What the folks should do is sue the stumble bums out of existence

              A person puts in a heating system make them sign PERSONALLY that it will last 20 years, this will separate the wanna be’s from the professionals.

              Have “heating” folks put their home up for collateral incase the system fails.

              Have fun Nick

              [Edited by SylvanLMP on 13 August 2001]

            • #291295
              Avatar photoGuest
              Participant

                I donno abot the heating stuff and staybols in house boilers, but the plastic stuff has some of the ownrs complain about noise sometimes, but the lead stuff is expensive. Some people use the good lead stuff but most dont because they like cheep.

              • #291296
                Avatar photoGuest
                Participant

                  The only real way to get an idea is to get quotes from local contractors. But be honest, dont get people out to quote if you have no intention of going ahead with the work
                  For 450,000 US dollars I could almost stand the new plumbing up on the house block and demolish the existing building brick by brick and rebuild it over the new pipes.

                • #291297
                  Avatar photofourth year
                  Participant

                    S:
                    Please advise as to the make and model domestic water heater that is rated at 160# or higher. I might have an application if such a heater exists.

                  • #291298
                    Avatar photoWallingford Plm+Htg
                    Participant

                      Julia Please don’t call any contractors in and tell them you want to use red brass pipe,extra heavy castiron,type k tubing,they will think your nuts!!Sylvan means well but he’s having a hard time accepting change.I think he may have missed the part where you said it was a house.

                    • #291299
                      Avatar photoGuest
                      Participant

                        Right Wally, most peeple are used to noise from plastic plummin today. Jus a few peeple buy Mercades cars, mos just use cheep cars and get there stuff from Home Depot.

                      • #291300
                        Avatar photoSylvanLMP
                        Participant

                          quote:


                          Originally posted by fourth year:
                          S:
                          Please advise as to the make and model domestic water heater that is rated at 160# or higher. I might have an application if such a heater exists.


                          OK Class is in AGAIN.

                          Contact Bradford White and ask about the “COMMERCIAL POWER BURNER”
                          Gas model.

                          NOW pay attention here as your not going to learn if you don’t pay attention OK LAD.

                          Don’t feel bad there are a lot of uneducated wanna be “plumbers ” in the world it is just this country has the majority of them who never really kept abreast of CODES not just plumbing especially if these stumblebums say heating.

                          Knowing just the basics is OK for country plumbing and one family trailer park plummin BUT in order to do high rise work we have to consider pressure and here we come into ASME pressure vessel ratings and not your run of the mill imported crap.

                          AGAIN ILL TELL YOU go out and BUY the ASME section IV code and it wouldn’t hurt you to TRY to learn about boilers by reading the NBBI.

                          Anyway ask about ordering a COMMERCIAL ASME SECTION IV 160 PSI working pressure vessel and of course National Board registered and stamped
                          (very important OK GUY)?

                          Now when ordering this ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY POUND RATED pressure vessel (hot water heater) explain to them your ACTUAL working pressure will hover around 160 and thus YOU will require the 175 POUND T&P to allow for thermo expansion.

                          I used these heaters when space was at a premium and had to use high pressure pumps on the water main and rather then having two pumps I decided to use only one pump on the C/W piping and let higher pressure go through this type of PRESSURE vessel and then let the hot water DOWN feed the 288 foot structure.

                          Now this of course you would not know but ILL try to keep it as simple as possible for you.

                          Considering the height above the heater is 288 feet and under no flow conditions we have a static pressure of 125 PSI without taking into consideration the expansion of hot water (you can have one of your mechanics explain to you how a “normal” rated 125 or 150 T&P would keep discharging water) to relieve pressure build up and installing an expansion tank is OK BUT they are also prone to failure so to keep the mechanics simple so a non skilled person can understand it we used a higher rated tank with an increased pressure T&P.

                          Of course you can order specialized tanks as pressure requirements are increased BUT going to a regular supplier that everyone should know about is easier.

                          On a personal note BEFORE you end up hurting yourself or others why don’t you seriously consider hiring a really skilled person to install these commercial ASME rated tanks and watch the professional so you can learn from them.

                          These commercial tanks are not for the tract house mentality as your dealing with much higher temperatures and pressures.

                          You should think about having a factory represenitive actually go to the job site and check for proper flue sizing as you don’t seem to be quite with it when it comes to the technical aspect of the trades it would appear

                          Now considering your still trying to learn about this trade you should take some courses from the NAPHCC or a local trade school and not rely on OJT only.

                          Without a good understanding as to the WHY of codes your just fooling yourself if you think your ever going to be a true “Master” of plumbing.

                          If you have any Techinical questions ILL be more then happy to tell you where to find the information as me giving you these answers wont help you better yourself.
                          anyone can put heating on a business BUT actually knowing is a whole nother game.

                          One more point the reason I opted for pressure though the tank is having a pump capable of higher temperatures/pressures cost a heck of a lot more and it wasnt needed.

                          IM glad you asked as now you finally realize how much there is to learn out here.

                          Your taking the right step guy, as I am still learing every single day. Sylvan

                        • #291301
                          Avatar photofourth year
                          Participant

                            Do you have a hard time understanding what a domestic residential water heater is? The user asked about a 100XL not a 40XL or any other valve designed for a commercial water heater. Please read the questions and answers first before going into a diatribe that has no relevence to the subject at hand.

                          • #291302
                            Avatar photoGuest
                            Participant

                              sdfgh

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