Drinking water safe materials?

S

stevejigsaw

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Hi everyone,

I want to make an adapter for my faucet/tap so I can use my new table top water filter but I'm having a bit trouble deciding on the right stock to use due to lead content etc.

Would lead free brass be OK? or would something like Delrin be better? Where would be a good place to get water safe stock?

Its a very simple project but I have spent hours researching materials and I'm still lacking definitive answers so any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,
 
Lead free brass is fine, just do not buy the fittings off of Amazon (typically are not lead free). Most hardware stores have a section of connectors and tubing specific to use for portable water. Most plastics are inert and you can get fittings and tubing that are easy to connect by just pushing the tube into the connectors.
 
Pretty much all substances in pure form, and in enough quantity, is harmful. Except maybe gold not in finely divided form.

The nice thing about brass is that the metals (copper and zinc), oxidize so readily that you do not get exposure to pure form. Copper is so toxic that bacteria, and likely virus, cannot survive linger than a minute or two on a brass doorknob. The green patina inside a brass water fitting will stabilize such that no further yuk blockage will grow, and you can drink from it for decades.

Plastics, in this role, are not plastics pollution, because they serve for decades. They go together to seal up quick and easy. Very convenient, and likely less expensive than brass.
 
Leaded brass and solder containing leaf have been used for plumbing for centuries. For that matter, many large cities still have lead pipes delivering potable water. The problem with lead in water arises when the pH of the water drops below 7. In those circumstances, lead can be leached out.

In your situation, the water will not be in contact with a lead bearing surface long enough to leach out any harmful amount of lead. If in doubt, run the water for a few seconds through a bypass to flush any accumulation. I personally wouldn't hesitate to use lead bearing brass.

As to other materials, Delrin is safe for potable water and machines well. Nylon or Delrin are commonly used materials for plumbing fixtures
 
I second the use of SS 304, 316 316L.
I've made frying pans from 316L with no ill effects ….. YET
 
RJSakowski said:
Leaded brass and solder containing leaf have been used for plumbing for centuries. For that matter, many large cities still have lead pipes delivering potable water. The problem with lead in water arises when the pH of the water drops below 7. In those circumstances, lead can be leached out.

In your situation, the water will not be in contact with a lead bearing surface long enough to leach out any harmful amount of lead. If in doubt, run the water for a few seconds through a bypass to flush any accumulation. I personally wouldn't hesitate to use lead bearing brass.

As to other materials, Delrin is safe for potable water and machines well. Nylon or Delrin are commonly used materials for plumbing fixtures
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Including New York. There's probably waaaay more lead exposure getting to the faucet he's talking about.
 
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