Are you a California or Vermont resident and have you heard of CHSC 116875 (AB 1953) & Vermont Act 193 standard? If you are in the market for a new plumbing fixture you soon will.

So what is CHSC 116875 (AB 1953) & Vermont Act 193 standard? Basically, these new standards phase out lead from brass plumbing used to convey drinking water in water utility distribution pipes and in consumer plumbing fittings and faucets. Beginning January 1st 2010, only the lead-free plumbing components meeting the AB 1953 0.25% lead standard can be sold to addresses located in the states of California and Vermont.

What these standards change is the long standing definition of what a "lead free" faucet is to a 0.25% weighted average of lead for pipes, fittings, and fixtures intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption. In plain English if the faucet is customarily used for human consumption and or food preparation, regardless if you intend on using it for that purpose or not, they must comply with these laws.

Let me share a recent example to illustrate this new law. I received an order from a consumer in California for a pre-rinse faucet. After realizing that this particular faucet was not certified to meet the new standard at that time I contacted the buyer to explain the situation. The customer explained to me that the faucet was going to be used in his garage for cleaning car parts and would never be used for drinking water or food preparation. So could I sell the faucet to him? The answer is no because even though his intended purpose was not for human consumption the "normal and customary application" of the faucet was for that purpose therefore must comply.

I did spend a considerable amount of time and was able to locate a replacement faucet that did meet the new standard for the customer so all ended well. So why not just sell the faucet anyway? It's simple; these new standards are enforceable by law and impose fines on any business selling non-compliant faucets to those states.

The great news in all of this is three fold, first as the rest of the county adopts this new standard the plumbing industry will be ready, second this standard does not include showers, tub fillers, or laundry faucets, and third more CHSC 116875 (AB 1953) & Vermont Act 193 added pretty much daily with hundreds of compliant faucets now available for sale on our site. How do you know the faucet you want on our site compliant? I recommend that you read the description or features about the faucet. If that does not help then I would recommend contacting us. I hope this helps to answer some of your questions about these new standards.

This article has been provided by Fancyvalves.com , your home for quality kitchen and bathroom fixtures. We offer faucets and fixtures from top manufacturers like Kingston Brass, Moen, Delta, Kohler and American Bath Factory. If you are looking for Antique Brass, Polished Chrome, Polished Brass, Oil rubbed Bronze, or Satin Nickel faucets or accessories we have it. We have modern decorative styles with matching collections available, come visit us and buy today!