Lead Free*
Historically, American Standard’s faucets have used less lead
than many of our competitors, thanks to our investment in a
low-lead manufacturing technology more than 25 years ago.
American Standard's new alloy formulation reduces the amount
of lead even further by replacing lead with bismuth. This means
you still get the same high-quality faucets and mere trace amounts
of lead. In fact, our new faucets have less than one quarter of
one percent (0.25%) total lead content by weighted average!
Lead Free Faucets
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act defines "lead free" as being no more than 0.2 percent of materials used in solders, and no more than 8 percent of materials used to manufacture pipe, fittings, and well pumps.
American Standard faucets have traditionally used far less lead than other faucet companies. Here’s why: American Standard invested in permanent metal casting molds to create its faucets, rather than less expensive sand casting. These higher-performance metal molds can be preheated so when the brass alloy is poured, the metal remains in a liquid state longer. This permitted us to use lower levels of lead in the alloy mix because the alloy remains fluid longer to completely fill the casting form before hardening.
While some brands will replace metal with plastic components to reduce the amount of lead, American Standard chose to identify a solution that maintains the quality and strength of our products while meeting these new standards. Our new faucets reduce the amount of lead even further by replacing lead with bismuth. This means you still get the same high-quality faucets and mere trace amounts of lead. In fact, our new faucets have less than one quarter of one percent (0.25%) total lead content by weighted average!
Safe Drinking Water Legislation
American Standard's new technology reflects recent legislation in California and Vermont that took effect on January 1, 2010. Unlike existing safeguards, such as the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that limits the amount of minerals that can be leached into the drinking water, California's AB1953 and Vermont's S152 focus on the amount of lead used in the manufacture of faucets.
Why is lead used in plumbing systems?
Lead is a soft element that effectively prevents pinhole leaks in pipes and faucets. It also acts as a lubricant during machining operations to produce clean, precise threads and smooth, flat surfaces that can create reliable, pressure-tight connections to water lines. For those reasons, 100 percent lead pipes were the most advanced technology to bring water from the utilities to homes and businesses. Some major U.S. cities still have those lead pipes as part of their infrastructure.
Most bathroom faucets sold in the United States and around the world are made from brass, a mix of copper, zinc and a minute amount of lead. It is important to note that the metal composition of faucets is far less important to consumers than the actual amount of lead they might leach into the water. The bottom line for public safety is how much lead can potentially be ingested.
Contributing Factors to Lead in Drinking Water
Aging infrastructure, including pipe and plumbing system components, are the main contributors of trace amounts of lead in the water supply. There are also naturally occurring metals and minerals in water. This is why the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, NSF and ANSI all focus on the amount of metals leached into the water, instead of the composition of the faucets and pipes. After all, the health safety issue regards ingesting contaminants.
Look for NSF/ANSI certification to know which faucets are safe. Faucets certified by the NSF must not leach lead in excess of 11 parts per billion (ppb, although most faucets leach less than 2 parts per billion, or roughly ¼ teaspoon of water in an Olympic-sized pool.
Tips for Improving the Safety of Your Plumbing Products
- Always run the water for a few seconds prior to use for drinking or cooking
- Use only cold water for drinking or cooking
- If you wish to flush the entire plumbing system of water that has been standing in the pipes or other fittings, run the cold water until the temperature of the water drops, indicating water coming from the outside main
- If you are concerned about lead in your water, contact your local public health department or water utility to find out how you can have your water tested by a certified laboratory. If the test reveals that the lead content of your water is above 15 parts per billion, you should take action to reduce your exposure to it.
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