old galvanized water pipes? (1 Viewer)

[cruzer]

So in my recently purchased home i have found old galvanized pipe running from the meter around the perimiter of the basement and then it attaches to the standard copper tubing. Is this water safe to drink? Do i need to replace this section of piping with copper or plastic? I have read that galvanized does accumulate sediment quicker than copper/plastic.

thanks for the help. I am using bottled water ($$) which i hate doing at the moment but i figured better safe than sorry especialy for the kids formula...

Stew

 

[D'Animal]

I believe it is more prone to collect the mineral in the water. Wether it collects it or not, your still drinking it.

 

[450 DUDE]

Im not sure how old your home is but I replaced my main line to the house
1938 galv. and it wasnt that bad, I was very corroded and funky, but not as bad as some of the in house lines.

Ayy all that funk is good for you I just wouldnt drink it all the time.

ken

 

[3_puppies]

we drank from old galvanized pipes for years, no problems, but when we did update, I was amazed to see how closed up the inside of the pipe was. we gained some presure and volume.

 

[osagecruiser]

i do not believe the galvanized pipe water will hurt you...people drank water from it for many many years...now as others stated it does collect minerals and will restrict the flow of water into your home....i would replace it...i did in my house...i will warn you...stand back from the shower head the first time you use it with the new unclogged pipe...the increased pressure/flow will scare you...also once you make that change you made need to disassemble faucets and clean the debris that has come loose and is floating around...

good luck

 

[nuclearlemon]

i couldn't drink my tap water, but that's cause commerce city water is flat out NASTY. i did get rid of the galvanized because a) most of what was galvanized was the old well piping and wasn't needed, and b) the little bit that was galvanized completely plugged up and flooded my cellar. not hard to get rid of and sched 40 is sooooo easy to work with.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

The water meter is usually on brass unions. I would change to copper all the way to the meter that wat you don't have a copper to galvanized joint. Galanized tends to get a rust blockage where it comes into contact with copper. Galanized pipe is hot dipped in zinc which won't hurt you and if the pipes are rusty than your drinking iron which shouldn't hurt you either. I try not to use PVC for water lines in the house because most of the townships around here require copper. You could use poly pipe and fittings with hose clamps. What is the water main before the meter?


Kevin

 

[bsevans]

The water meter is usually on brass unions. I would change to copper all the way to the meter that wat you don't have a copper to galvanized joint. Galanized tends to get a rust blockage where it comes into contact with copper. Galanized pipe is hot dipped in zinc which won't hurt you and if the pipes are rusty than your drinking iron which shouldn't hurt you either. I try not to use PVC for water lines in the house because most of the townships around here require copper. You could use poly pipe and fittings with hose clamps. What is the water main before the meter?


Kevin

You should not tie copper tubing to galvanized pipe with a standard union. Code here in Tucson requires the use of a union for joining dissimilar metals that contains a polysulfone insulator that inhibits the electrolytic corrosion that occurs when dissimilar metals come in contact.
When the galvanized pipes in my 1941 house started leaking in the slab I converted the entire house to rigid copper using the crawl space in the roof and feeding the tubing down through the walls. I still have a length of galvanized pipe outside between the meter and about 8 feet of copper tubing I laid in the ground.
I think galvanized pipe tends to build up deposits faster than copper or plastic pipe because the inner wall is not as smooth which promotes hard water buildup. I’ve never read anywhere that it departs a taste to the water. The tap water in Tucson taste bad regardless of the medium carrying the water.

 

[Mace]

Nothing wrong with galvanized pipe at all. Bsevans is correct, the main reason for the builldup of "stuff" on the inside of the pipe is due more to the rough surface than anything else. If it is rusting (not as common in a pipe that has water in it always compared to a pipe that is only partially full) then you will have more buildup.

As far as drinking, it should not impart anytaste to the water (unless there is a high residence time in the line) if the water sits in the line for extended periods of time you may notice a different "taste" to it but that is from a degredation of the chlorinators used in the city pipes and a potential increase in biological critters..

This is all assuming that you are on city water. is that true?? Or is this on a well??

 

[cruzer]

The house is on city water. I guess i just wasn't really sure if should be drinking out of galvanized piping and nobody told me diffrent when i started asking around...also the well piping is still hooked into the house... it doesn't look like it's been used in a long time but its all their.... The house has not been lived in for about 6 months... so that is probably were the taste came from...

this is great news that i don't have to fawk with this for now... got a crap load of other "projects" to work on...

Stew

 

[3_puppies]

The house is on city water. also the well piping is still hooked into the house... it doesn't look like it's been used in a long time but its all their.... The house has not been lived in for about 6 months... so that is probably were the taste came from...

Stew

I would think the city would require you to disconnect the well piping from the house if you have city water. So as not to cross-contaminate the city water. Or somehow keep the 2 water systems from joining.

 

[Mace]

If the well is still functional and the piping is still hooked up to it the City will typically install a backflow preventer to stop the possibility of running the well water into the city lines.

If the water has been stagnant for 6 months flush all the lines (go through the house and open all lines for about 10 mins each). CIty water typically has a distinctive taste from whatever chlorination process is used. And of course the source water. But it is safe. Both my kids grew up (formula included) on Las Vegas City water.

the local water entity should provide you with yearly water reports on the quality. They also should have it available online (depending on how technically advanced they are).

If you find the report I can help you understand the numbers if you wish..