Lead pipes - gas- normal?

[Floraljo]

Hi,
I moved into a very old property and there is a lead pipe under the sink but a plumber told me he think it was the gas supply not water.

Are there any dangers in having lead gas pipes, and any issues with having visible pipes? Should I paint them? Are lead gas pipes normal?

Apologies if this sounds mad but I have a young child who has some health problems, and I am renting so I don't have any control over where I am (and already had to deal with so much mould and damp that we have been unable to use one of the rooms). I just want to make sure the place is safe for my son.

Thanks

 

[KenGMac]

Floraljo, good evening.

Short answer is NO lead is not considered as a suitable pipe work for a gas supply!

Ken.

 

[muggles]

Old properties do sometimes have lead gas pipework, although it's becoming much less common as most has now been removed.

Provided you have an up to date Landlord's Gas Safety Certificate which confirms that a tightness test has been carried out and passed, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Just don't fiddle with it

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Short answer is NO lead is not considered as a suitable pipe work for a gas supply!

It used to be that gas pipes and water pipes were all lead pipes. Even when copper became the normal for these, it was still normal to have the final foot or so to the gas meter in lead, until the flexible pipes came along.

Any old house will possibly still have lead in it for gas, especially buried under the old plaster -where gas was used for lighting.Usually it will be unused.

Lead should have been replaced by copper by now for water and gas.

 

[gasbanni]

Having gas carrying lead pipes is not any kind of problem and does not have any health issues.

If you worried about lead water pipes, then on a morning let it run for a few minutes before using it and it will be fine.
In other words if the water has been standing over a few hours just let it run for a minute or two, then it will be ok .

 

[ianmcd]

very common to still have sections of lead piping on gas , no need to worry, as already said , you are in a rental so you require a gas safety inspection and a copy of the recorded findings every 12 months (alterations of the time limit have been made during lockdown ) and the attending engineer might note on the record that you have lead pipes, but as long as it isnt leaking you have nothing to worry about