New CA lead regulations

[davidj]

I've just tried to buy a faucet on the Internet but failed due to the new CA lead-free regulations that came into effect Jan 1 2010 - the supplier wouldn't actually sell it to me!  Before the switchover date, lead free meant <8% lead in any give part and <4% in plumbing fittings.  Now, apparently, it means <0.25% lead by weighted average of wetted lead surfaces of pipes, fittings and fixtures for systems conveying water for human consumption.  This is being implemented by certifying individual parts to be <0.25% lead.  Effectively the criteria has been tightened for kitchen and bathroom faucets and the systems that supply them (but not, it seems, showers or water supplies for toilets).  Some suppliers now have separate sections on their websites for CA (and VT) approved fixtures.  pexsupply.com has LF ("lead free") options for the ProPEX-style pex fittings. Talking to the county inspectors it seems they are policing this more at the supplier level, but it's definitely a consideration for anyone doing plumbing in CA this year.

Has anyone else hit this with CA or VT plumbing?  How tough are the inspectors policing this?  Should I splash out on ProPEX LF fittings?

[eddiescabin]

It's the law for a very good reason!  Live by it or risk RED TAG!

[MountainDon]

I could be wrong but I doubt the inspectors are going to be looking for proof of the new "lead free" rules. IIRC correctly the legislation is written with wording that prohibits the introduction into commerce of devices and parts that do not meet the regs. That's placing the onus on the vendors, which is what you ran into. That's not to say that every internet vendor located somewhere other than CA is abiding by the CA rules. But I believe the good ones will. The law was written and vendors put on notice something like 4 years ago, so by now everything on the shelf in CA should meet current rules. This is similar to the WA state rules on wood stoves. Certain stoves that are legal elsewhere can not be shipped into WA state.

[eddiescabin]

CA inspectors are very exacting in most locales...in the Bay area, you cannot install a wood burning stove anymore and if you already have one we have "no-burn" days where an army of Prius driving smoke cops wander writing tickets!

[davidj]

I could be wrong but I doubt the inspectors are going to be looking for proof of the new "lead free" rules. IIRC correctly the legislation is written with wording that prohibits the introduction into commerce of devices and parts that do not meet the regs. That's placing the onus on the vendors, which is what you ran into. That's not to say that every internet vendor located somewhere other than CA is abiding by the CA rules. But I believe the good ones will. The law was written and vendors put on notice something like 4 years ago, so by now everything on the shelf in CA should meet current rules. This is similar to the WA state rules on wood stoves. Certain stoves that are legal elsewhere can not be shipped into WA state.

Thanks - that sounds consistent with what I've heard and also seems sensible.  I was worried about using some fittings I bought a year or two ago, not to mention my two-year-old pressure tank, but it doesn't sound like they're gonna be policing this by trying to inspect every 3/8" union.

I wandered into a random Do It Best lumber yard at the weekend, and they had the Watts "Water Pex" system in stock with "CA lead free" printed on every packet.  So it looks like there's a cheaper option than the LF ProPex (which are seriously expensive - the ProPex stuff is already pricey and the LF stuff is another 30% or so again).