Hose sprayer, as high as 26,900 ppm lead.
I don’t yet have a lead-safe alternative to recommend, but finding one made of stainless steel might be a good start, and here is my post on lead-free hoses (including a #MadeInOregon option!). I will update this post as soon as I find one that I am confident is either #LeadFree or #LeadSafe.
Click here for more #SaferChoices for your family! • #XRFTesting
Amazon sells a few hose sprayers that claim to be lead free. I’d love to see you test those. Here’s the link for one that claims 99.9% lead free: https://amzn.to/2HJqIZf [comment updated with Tamara’s affiliate link to this product.]
I will try to check some of these out as the summer approaches.
Hello, I’m hoping you will post some lead free hose nozzles soon! Watering the garden has been an interesting endeavor without a sprayer!!
Thanks!
Oh! That’s a good idea! I will see what I can find!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Any news about lead free hose nozzle?
I don’t currently have a recommendation for that, Kirk – sorry.
In general I would look for stainless steel products – or plastic products with no yellow brass components.
Tamara
Hi Tamara,
To continue the discussion above 🙂 I found these:
https://www.amazon.ca/Bon-Aire-HN-10C-Original-Ultimate-Stainless/dp/B000E7YYDS/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Bon-Aire+HN-10C+Original+Ultimate+Hose+Nozzle+%28Stainless+Steel%29&qid=1558871150&s=gateway&sr=8-5
https://www.waterrightinc.com/collections/slim-light-garden-hose-kits/products/24-watering-wand
Do you know anything about WaterRight watering wands? The one above seems to be the only one that says “100% Drinking water safe.”
I am ordering the first one first, since it’s cheaper, will add my comments here about it, once I get it.
Thank you!
Heads up, I contacted Bon-Aire about their nozzle and unfortunately it’s not lead free. Here’s their response:
“Hello,
Our HN-10C has brass threads.
Customer Service
Bon-Aire Industries, Inc.
208-336-2666 / 800-874-5771”
Just to add to my comment:
I also found this one, it looks quite the same but there is a warning on the back of the label that can be read in the picture:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fire-Hose-Nozzle-40Ft-Durable/16472461?athcpid=16472461&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVUB&athieid=v0&athstid=CS020&athguid=fccc6197-4e5-16af40584b2a55&athena=true
Not the same!
Hi,
Any one have any updates on a lead-free, PVC-free garden hose spray nozzle? Thank you!
Noel
I’m searching for a safer spray nozzle, too! I’d like to find a trigger-style nozzle that is safe, non-plastic, and has at least 3 settings (mist, shower, soaker).
I haven’t tried any yet, but this post has some recommendations at the bottom:
http://onepartsunshine.com/avoiding-toxins-in-the-garden/
I’ve also been looking. I bought the Swan Miracle Grow spray turret nozzle and it was awesome for about 6 weeks before it stopped working. Can no longer turn off the spray or change water pressure. Sadly, all the reviews about that were correct. 🙁
If I sent you some nozzles, would you be able to test them?
Hi Nadia – here’s how that works:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/08/tamara-can-i-send-you-one-of-my-dishes-to-test-for-lead/
Thanks for commenting.
Tamara
Thanks! I just ordered one from Amazon to you. It should arrive July 18. And I donated $25 to PayPal.
Thank you!
Any new updates/recommendations on hose nozzles?
Any suggested hose nozzles? I have the Water Right hose .
Any new updates? I have the water right hose and am looking for a non toxic sprinkler and a nozzle
Came across this site looking for recommendations on a lead-free watering wand for comfort’s sake.
I *do* have some lead-free (according to the manufacturer) sprayer attachments and hose splitter from Eley (eleyhosereels.com). They are heavy and super nice. They also sell (purportedly lead-free) hoses.
Wanted to mention since it can be hard to find lead-free gardening tools / summer fun water tools for the kids.
@Tamera, most lead free certifications and laws for products that contact water only limit the lead on the surfaces that physically contact the water. Testing the outside is important to us, but won’t tell you what really leached. Would be more accurate to test the water in a bucket that flowed through the nozzle. And buying any product even certified as lead free, most likely will test positive for lead on other components.
Lots of companies including Eley make “lead free” claims using the NSF 61-9 definition but without always stating the are specifically NSF 61 compliant (more than just lead). There are referring to a sub clause under NSF 61 specific to lead referred to often as 61-9 (the dash 9 indicates NSF372 compliant) which states any components that “contact” the water must be <.25% lead by weight. Lead is heavy so this ends up being 99% lead free (again only where the surface contacts water). That means the outer handle could be 100% lead and still be a labeled and certified as lead free product and if your child uses this hose every day it could mean he/she is exposed to more lead than you thought. IF you were truly concerned about the exterior, you could paint it with non-toxic paint or a polyurethane coating which would make last longer too.
Another important distinction, is that most companies (ESPECIALLY ON AMAZON) claim to meet NSF/ANSI lead free requirement <.25%, but do not state they are actually certified or provide any indication of being certified (so not breaking any laws). The problem is this is very misleading as there are many other dangerous chemicals and toxic metals covered under NSF that these companies may have in their products that are unknown (like saying plastic is BPA free… that always makes me laugh). I recommend ensuring the NSF certification and only purchasing items that are labeled drinking water safe and or Safe for Consumption.
Technical stuff if you care:
While NSF/ANSI 61 establishes limits for lead that may migrate into drinking water from the water contact materials, it also includes leaching of all other metals and non-metals. NSF/ANSI 372 establishes a limit on the amount of lead that may be contained within the water contact materials in a drinking water contact product. It applies to any drinking water system component that conveys or dispenses water for human consumption through drinking or cooking. When both are met it is considered NSF 61-9. Now ask, why are my sink faucets not required to be NSF compliant!!! Do I not fill my cooking pots and brush my teeth with the water from these products?
So technically, meeting AB 1953 meets only meets NSF 372.
Forgot to say too that Eley does state they are NSF 61-9 certified and label their product as drinking water safe, from their hoses, spray nozzles, and reels.
I’ve also been looking for a lead free nozzle for some time and I think I’ve found 4. Not many manufacturers who claim on Amazon that they have lead free or drinking water safe products will follow up but these have:
This is a nozzle made entirely of 316 stainless steel (https://www.wysiwash.com/parts/wysiwash-316-stainless-steel-sanitizer-pro-adjustable-nozzle) with no brass according to the manufacturer.
They also make a 100% plastic nozzle with no brass (although online it seems like there’s a layer of polycarbonate in this one so it *might* have BPA…but also I believe that some PC is made without BPA and even if this has BPA it might not contact water).
Eley shared the composition of the brass (https://alloys.copper.org/alloy/C69300) they use for their drinking water safe nozzle (https://www.eleyhosereels.com/products/garden-hose-spray-nozzle-sets) and the amount of lead is 0.1%. That’s good enough for me. There is ambient lead in the air (leaded gasoline is still coming out of the atmosphere and leaded gas is still used some outside of passenger cars) and in municipal water. I believe you’re not likely to exceed that background level with this nozzle especially if you’re not leaving the hose on at the spigot and just keeping the nozzle closed. (If you do make the nozzle the off valve for the hose then water will sit in the nozzle and be in contact for long periods of time and perhaps you get more lead leaching out of the brass…but still I personally would be OK with such a low level.)
The fourth is still tentative for me but also the least expensive: this Kocheck nozzle (https://kochek.com/product/residential-nozzle/) which the manufacturer says is made of 100% aluminum with no brass. They said they’d send me the material cert and when I get that I’ll follow up.
Kochek wrote back that “Kochek certifies that all items listed herein are manufactured from the indicated primary materials. Brass is not used.” And the material listed is Aluminum (alloy 6061). The nozzle is blue so it might be worth following up with the manufacturer that there is no lead in paint or anywhere else, not just no brass.