Mike Dodd wrote:

As all pipe-work is new (clean copper), given some wire-wool, would the
20% difference between solder-ring fittings, and the price of
solder/flux mean that one or the other is more economical... for someone
who's not soldered pipes in 20 years, is one quicker/easier than the other?

My choice is end feed for a few reasons:

Cheaper, look nicer, and they heat faster so you can finish the joint
quicker.

Basically, with 6/7 rads to replace (/move around), what would be the
generally concensus as to the cheapest method (considering I'm buying
all blow-torches etc. from scratch)

Get a decent blowtorch with a well focussed flame. I have a Bernzomatic
Quickfire which works well for me, but have used a wickes one in the
past that was OK although a bit on the large size.

Get a good pipe cleaner - Wickes do a nice pipe cleaner that will deburr
the end and clean the outer of a pipe in one action. Its blue, and
cylindrical - costs about a fiver and well worth it. It does 22mm one
end and 15mm the other, much easier than wire wool.

For clean new copper a mildly active flux will do fine. I usually use
Fry Powerflow.



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/