How to connect old lead pipes to copper?

The city utilities guy today told me I should hire a plumber to do a "lead pack" on an old lead line to convert it to copper. PS: There is a leak in the lead pipe about a foot from the basement wall.

Amateur Rehabber
November 2010

Take a hacksaw cut the lead pipe to create a flush and clean appearance, then take a piece of plummers sand paper and clean up the burrs and scale from around the section that will go inside the compression fitting about 1 inch or so. I like to take apart the fitting and check first to see if the rubber o-ring fitts around the lead, not often do they ever fit. The lead section has to be filed and sanded in order to get a correct fit and most of the old lead water lines are of British( Imperial) sizing. Once the correct fit is achived connect the the Copper pipe to the compression fitting first, by doing this you reduce the stress on the very soft lead section, after copper is tighten in now connect the lead compression nut with lead together, always use 2 wrenches to prevent twisting off the lead/copper, go slow and don't over tighten I always like to hear a small sqeek from the fitting then a litte touch then your done. Note when first inspecting for leaks be sure to open the end of the line, to relieve any air in line. Slowly open main valve and look for any water leaking. No water leaking your done. If any leaks exists shut down main line, then relieve system of remaining water, then reverse the process. Check for propper fit of both the lead and copper lines.

City Slicker....
July 2010

Rich is correct about the lead and Sonray is partially correct about the lead.
If its feasible and you can afford to do it, any lead piping should be removed and replaced with copper or plastic (PE). Lead is toxic and there are legal limits for concentrations of lead in water.
Sonray is partially correct about the limescale deposit on the lead pipe. However this is related to pH and hardness of the water and there is no guarantee that your local authority or water company might not change either the type of treatment they use or the source of supply - which they could easily do-and this may have a totally different effect on the lead. Safest thing is to replace the lead.

JD
October 2008

Rich who made you a plumber you s** of a b*tch
Alan Morton you shoud listen to sonray heating because he is right i am a plumber aswell if you go to your builders merchants say to them you want a lead loc to copper and they will give it to you, you do not need 2 strip it back to the mains the guy is chatting b*ll*cks.

Plumber of the YEAR
October 2008

don't sweat the two together its now illegal.
use a leadloc to join lead to copper.

lead piping is not dangerous at all unless it disturbed.
lead pipe will gain a layer of limescale over the yrs and is not a problem.

sonray heating
October 2008

You will have to do it the old way probably,get a suitable length of copper pipe(6" long at least)clean the lead pipe up with a file inside and out,push the copper pipe in and solder/sweat the two together,with the copper pipe in you can attach anything you want to it,really you should rip the whole lead pipe out back to mains inlet,it's dangerous and never used today.Rip it out and sell it to the scrap man,you will get good money for it,people are nicking it wholesale jest now.SOLDER it.

Rich
October 2008