So I bought a pair of light fixtures at Lowe's

[Orrex]

Two simple wall sconce style units, each with a switch to turn them on and off, rather than using a separate light switch to activate both at once. Much like this one:

but in a bronze finish.

I didn't notice at the time, but the box has a warning that says something like "this product contains lead. Wash hands thoroughly after installing, cleaning or handling."

What the actual fuck? This isn't a once-and-done fixture on a 40 foot ceiling; it's a light on a bathroom wall that people will, presumably, turn on and off each time they use that room.

How the hell can they sell such a product, when the one thing I can pretty much guarantee is that people are going to be "handling" it?

[demmiblue]

1. Same with Christmas lights.

Didn't know about it until several years ago when I actually read the box.

In your case, you may be stuck in the bathroom for quite some time!

Pitch black... turn on light... wash hands (do not want to touch the nether regions with lead soaked hands)... go to the bathroom... wash hands... turn off light... wait, lead... turn on light... wash hands... leave light on... go to bed... feel guilty about light being left on... get a flashlight... turn off light... wash hands with flashlight stuck in mouth... trip over bathmat... turn on light...


All kidding aside, I think the lead is in the wiring (not sure, though).

[hobbit709]

2. If any wires in it are soldered, solder contains lead so they have to put the warning on it.

Even if you never come into contact with the solder joints.

[Callmecrazy]

12. Nonsense...

You won't come in contact with the solder. I've been an electrician 22 years and have installed 1000's of light fixtures. If I came in contact with the lead that often I'd be ... crazy.

[So Far From Heaven]

3. It's how it's made.

Typical production until recently is to use small levels of lead in most brass, bronze and other copper based metal products. Recent legislation requires materials with trace lead from manufacture to be labeled as 'hazardous' and provide installation instructions listing them as containing lead.

Almost everything in your house that has any of those metals contain lead. In fact, a surprisingly large percentage of copper products contain trace levels of lead as well. Always have. Your faucets, for example, contain lead if they are more than a couple years old and were not produced 'lead free'. It is one reason there is almost always a trace lead content in any mined water.

You can forget about the lead in the sconces under normal 'handling'. Just don't fondle it a lot and then suck your fingers.

Environmental standards evolve, just like everything else except republicans.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

4. "just like everything else except republicans."

[So Far From Heaven]

5. I suppose libertarians would fit there as well. (nt)

[Kaleva]

6. "Just don't fondle it a lot and then suck your fingers."

You're a no-fun kind of person.

[So Far From Heaven]

7. I just practice safe sconcing.

You never know what you're gonna get fondling any old sconce.

[csziggy]

8. Before you put them up, spray them with some clear finish

Shellac or a poly varnish. If there is any possibility that there is lead in the parts you would touch, putting a clear coat on the fixture would prevent contact. Just don't read the Material Safety Data Sheets for the finish - applying it might be more dangerous than lead exposure!

[Chan790]

9. As someone else said...

there's inescapably lead in any pre-wired installation piece, it's in the solder and the wire sheathing as an electrical insulator and to soften the solder. You'll never touch those parts again post-installation because they're inside the wall, so to speak. There may also be lead in low-quality casings that are electroplated with brass, copper, bronze or other plating metals. (This serves no purpose really, lead-iron alloys are cheaper than purer metals and cheaper to work with because the lead lowers the melting temperature of the metal.) Again, because that casing is covered with plated metal, you'll never touch it again post-install. I don't recommend spraying shellac as an insulator to prevent incidental contact...if it's water-based, it'll remain conductive until it dries which could cause a short; if it's oil-based, it'll degrade the wire sheathing and could cause a short.

You think it's disconcerting reading it on a sconce...the same warning was probably on materials for your dishwasher, your water-heater and your stove. It was definitely on your hairdryer or anything else using an induction coil to generate heat.

[Orrex]

10. Well that's it. I'm going back to torches and tallow lamps.

Thanks for the info. I'd have preferred that the box say what part of the light actually contains the lead, since the warning makes it seem like the whole thing was hammered out of a raw hunk of galena.

[DebJ]

11. Just like my garden hose sprayer. You know, the thing you have to have in your hands

for an extended period of time and apply pressure to it to use it..........