"Dad, what is M.D.P.E. electrofusion?"
"Well son here is a little story....
on site recently the mini digger driver accidently damaged a yellow gas pipe whilst he was digging trenches for drains in the back garden. The yellow gas pipe ran underground from an L.P.G. tank to the house boiler. So the digger driver got a M.D.P.E. repair kit. The coupling has built in heating elements. After preparing the damaged pipe the two ends are cleaned, the coupler is installed and a special machine applies the right amount of electrical current to two contacts on the coupling for just the right amount of time to heat up the pipe and soften it. This is like gluing the pipe together by melting the plastic. When the coupling is allowed to cool the jointing is complete and the pipe is again gas tight.
Clever eh?"
"Thanks dad"..
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+MDPE+electrofusion&docid=607989540386005670&mid=BD8E69C003438ABC0C66BD8E69C003438ABC0C66&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
So, forget old fashioned metal pipes like lead or steel, , MDPE is the way forward.
Z.