Most houses in the U.S. were built well before the bans (government regulations) on lead content of solder.  The last century wasn't that far back.

---- Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote:
> In the rest of the civilized world we've been using lead-free solder since
> the last century!
>
> On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 10:19 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > ---- Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> > > Lessons on copper:
> > > Every house on my street has been re-piped because of slab leaks.  Here
> > in northeast Florida homes are built on a concrete slab, >not a masonry
> > foundation.  And much of the plumbing, specifically copper piping, was
> > imbedded in the slab.  Over time, because of >the very hard water here, the
> > copper pipes sprang pin-hole leaks, causing water to leak through the slab
> > into the home.
> >
> > Same thing in far S. Texas's Rio Grande Valley, where I used to live.
> >  Except there, the piping is in the attic, under a thin layer of insulation
> > for most tract homes.  A plumber told me that the copper piping used by El
> > Valle builders is "thin walled copper", and suggested that I use "thick
> > walled copper" for replacement.  I did, after checking and sourcing it
> > myself (why am I cynical enough to think I might pay a plumber for better
> > quality stuff than I get?).  Newer homes have pvc.  Jury still out on that
> > regarding toxicity, but then most copper is made up with lead solder.
> >  That's no problem here, with our hard water, but in soft water (low pH
> > usually) water, lead leaching is a problem and is a major source of lead in
> > people.
> >
> > Here most houses older than about 15 years are on concrete footings with
> > pier and beam foundations.  If your house is on a hillside, it is almost as
> > good as having a basement under, in terms of space down there.
> >
> > But so far as the radiators are concerned, I do use distilled water.  Why
> > use mineralized water when distilled is so cheap?
> >
> > David McNeely
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27

--
David McNeely