Low Lead Compliance

Lochinvar

Beginning with production December 2, 2013 (Serial Number Beginning with L13) Solution Boilers have a relocated vent damper plug. This enhancement does not change the operation of the boiler. The relocation of the plug increases accessibility during installation and trouble shooting. The two images below are of the new configuration. The previous location of the plug is indicated by the box next to the terminal strip (Figure 1). The new location of the plug is on the opposite side of the boiler (Figure 2).

Lochinvar

Low Lead Compliance

On January 4, 2014, the requirements went into effect for the national “Safe Drinking Water Act” (42 USC 300g) for Low Lead Content.

An occasional question on the subject is this…if I replace the relief valve on a water heater installed prior to the Low Lead compliance certification, does that relief valve need to be Low Lead compliant itself? No, the relief valve does not need to be Low Lead compliant.

The following text is from an EPA document titled, “Summary of the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act and Frequently Asked Questions.”

“Also, the use or introduction into commerce of replacement parts that are not pipes, fittings, or fixtures does not trigger the requirements of Section 1417. EPA recommends that any replacement parts that are not pipes, fittings, or fixtures that come into contact with potable water meet the definition of lead free in the 2011 Act because of their potential to cause elevated levels of lead in drinking water, but they are not required to do so.”

The relief valve is not a pipe, fitting or fixture. Why is a relief valve not a fixture; a fixture is a faucet, showerhead, etc. Therefore, a replacement relief valve, drain valve, gas valve probe or bulbwell installed in a water heater may be Low Lead compliant but it is “not required to be so”.