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Thread: Is brass food safe? Specifically, is a Mueller Brass Float value food safe?

  1. 01-31-2016, 05:05 PM #1
    Weekend_Warrior
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    Default Is brass food safe? Specifically, is a Mueller Brass Float value food safe?

    Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm making a float box and bought a Mueller Float #109-813 float valve online along with some food grade hose. It came a warning that it would cause cancer in California. When I first opened it up, I figured the state of CA finds most things to cause cancer. So, I ignored the warning. I went down to the hardware store to buy some adapters to attach the hose to the valve and noticed that the adapters, which are brass, are not food safe. So, that got me thinking that the brass float value may not be either. I tried to search on line and wasn't able to find anything about Mueller being food safe.

    Should I stick with a cheaper plastic float value that is rated "NSF"? I went with brass as I thought it would last longer and not break. But, having sap run thought a non-food safe valve for 8 hours of boiling down to one gallon of syrup is giving me second thoughts.

    Does anyone have a good source for fittings to adapt a 1/2" value to a 3/4" hose connection that is food safe?

    Thanks in advance.
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  2. 01-31-2016, 05:25 PM #2
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    psparr
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    I use that same valve.
    first year 2012 50 taps late season made 2 1/2 gals.

    2013 2x6 homemade arch 180 taps. 20 Gals.

    2014 40 on 3/16 gravity 160 on buckets.

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  3. 01-31-2016, 05:57 PM #3
    jmayerl
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    Yes, everything according to California causes cancer. You will be hard pressed to find many things labeled"food grade". Most all valves and fittings like that should be good for potable, incidental contact or whatever they are calling it these days. I know there are some different terms and they all mean different things but have you seen brass valves sold and used in household plumbing????... Just need to use common sense
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  4. 01-31-2016, 06:56 PM #4
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    http://agnr.osu.edu/sites/agnr/files...dMarch2015.pdf
    800 taps
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  5. 01-31-2016, 08:06 PM #5
    Paul VT
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    All brass plumbing fittings sold in Vermont have to be marked LF on them. Lead Free
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  6. 02-02-2016, 12:15 PM #6
    sg5054
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    The valve you are asking about is actually bronze. It still needs to be lead free. I used this instead but I'm only running cold sap through it.
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  7. 02-02-2016, 08:08 PM #7
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    maple flats
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    By law all brass must now be lead free IF it is an item generally used for potable water. Some exceptions are components made for heating systems but not also used in potable water, and toilet parts (if you can even find any made of brass.)
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
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  8. 02-02-2016, 08:26 PM #8
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    I would not eat brass food.
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