Left/Right & Di-Electric Fittings

Q. "Any left- and right-hand tricks?"
A. The trick for left- and right-hand fittings and couplings is to get the correct bite the first time. The way to do that is to insert one side of the nipple/coupling and hand-tighten. Count the number of turns to get it to hand-tight. Then take apart and do the same on the other side. If one side took more turns to get it to hand-tighten, then add (or subtract) that number before starting; and turn that amount into the side that took more turns. In other words, the secret is to tighten the same amount after hand-tightening.

Q. "What is CA AB 1953 and VT S.152 and how is this different from previous low-lead legislation?"
A. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the amount of lead in drinking water under guidelines established in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (passed in 1974; amended in 1988 and 1996). This Act defines "lead-free" as not more than 8% lead in pipes and fixture fittings. PLEASE NOTE: Use of the term "lead-free" varies between the new legislation in CA (AB 1953) and VT (S.152), and in the current Federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. In the new legislation for CA and VT only, starting in 2010, it will mean 0.25% or less (weighted average).