Copper's great for recycling, but just a quick heads-up—if you're reusing old pipes, double-check they're not from plumbing that carried drinking water. Older pipes sometimes have lead solder, so it's worth being cautious. Otherwise, totally agree, patina adds character...and saves money too.
Good point about the lead solder—definitely something to watch out for. But I'm curious, is there a reliable way to test older copper pipes for lead contamination at home? I've seen DIY test kits online, but are they accurate enough to trust, or would it be better to just assume older pipes have lead and recycle them safely without reuse? Seems like a shame to toss perfectly good copper if there's an easy way to check...
I tried one of those DIY lead test kits from the hardware store when renovating my kitchen last year. Honestly, the results were a bit vague—color matching wasn't exactly straightforward. Ended up taking a small sample to a local lab for peace of mind. Cost wasn't too bad, and it saved me from scrapping some perfectly good copper pipes. Might be worth checking if there's a similar service near you before tossing anything valuable...
Those DIY kits can definitely be tricky—I've had mixed results myself. Sometimes the color chart feels like trying to match paint swatches at dusk, haha. Lab testing is usually more reliable, especially if you're dealing with valuable metals like copper or brass fixtures. And speaking of recycling, most scrap yards will happily take old pipes and fixtures off your hands, even if they're a bit tarnished or worn. Might as well get a few bucks back instead of tossing them out...
Yeah, those DIY kits can be a real gamble sometimes... ever tried testing something you thought was solid brass and it turned out to be plated? Lab tests definitely save some headaches. Good call on recycling too—better than just cluttering up the garage.
