Phillip944 wrote:

I'll admit it... I've never soldered anything in my life. So, to
replace a corroded, leaky copper elbow joint, my father-in-law
instructed me to heat the pipe, pull off the old joint, then replace
it... after proper preparation, of course.

The problem is that I heated the old elbow, but nothing happened. I
heated the pipe & the elbow... nothing. Couldn't get it off.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I dread the cost of
having a plumber do what seems to be a simple replacement.


Even with no water in the pipes and adequate heat you will occasionally
run into joints which are locked up "tighter than a bull's ass in fly
season" due to intermetallic componds which have formed in the soldered
areas. If you can "twist" the heated joint you sometimes hear a
screetching noise when they turn, and with enough rocking back and forth
while pulling the joint apart they'll finally come loose.

I agree that sometimes it's better to just give up and cut out the
fitting, then solder in whatever new parts are needed to get things back
as you want them.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."