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#1
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Why solder will not melt?
Yes, lead free (95/5) on ALL joints in the potable water system. This
means everything, toilets, washing machines, etc.. Like I said, you can still use 50/50 on forced hot water systems and such that are protected from the potable water system by a backflow preventer. To this day I still personally use 50/50 on heating systems as I feel it is a little less brittle (very very fussy issue here) and feel that it will handle the higher heats of a hydronic heating system (200 degrees on some older systemes) better. That said, I know plumbers who prefer to buy one solder and use 95/5 exclusively and have been doing so for many years now with no issues whatsoever. The less brittle issue comes from working in industrial applications where we used to solder 4 and 6 inch copper lines with 50/50 and then cap them (the last bit of the joint was filled) with 95/5 for some rigidity to hold the 50/50 in as there was so much surface area on the joint... its just an old hold over and I am not at all worried that I will accidentally solder a potable joint with 50/50 having both in the tool box. Mark Terry wrote: Mark & Shauna wrote: As one post said, Lead free solder is now required. This does NOT mean silver solder. A house would cost a FORTUNE to plumb with silver solder. There was almost a rebelion in making the switch to 95/5 from 50/50 because it was a couple bucks higher per pound much less paying for silver solder. 95/5 (tin and antimony) does however melt a little hotter than 50/50 and can make a wet joint even harder. 50/50 however is still fine on any non-potable water lines (heating systems/etc). So any copper line which may be used for potable water requires the newer solder? I guess 'potable' would include kitchen cold and hot taps, therefore all joints in the hot water system, bathroom cold taps, for tooth brushing etc. Icemaker connections, dishwashers etc.? In other words anything with water you put in your mouth? Thanks for any comments. Terry. |
#2
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Why solder will not melt?
Mark & Shauna wrote:
Yes, lead free (95/5) on ALL joints in the potable water system. This means everything, toilets, washing machines, etc.. Like I said, you can still use 50/50 on forced hot water systems and such that are protected from the potable water system by a backflow preventer. We don't drink out of the toilets in my house. :-) Matt |
#3
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Why solder will not melt?
Matthew S. Whiting wrote: Mark & Shauna wrote: Yes, lead free (95/5) on ALL joints in the potable water system. This means everything, toilets, washing machines, etc.. Like I said, you can still use 50/50 on forced hot water systems and such that are protected from the potable water system by a backflow preventer. We don't drink out of the toilets in my house. :-) Matt Yep, I am with ya on that one. But the bureaucrats say what they say. I suppose if you wanted to put a Watts9D on your toilet, DW, WM, etc. you could fight them to allow you to solder another few joints with 50/50. Come to think of it, I wonder how long it will be before they will make us implement some sort of extra safety measures on these appliances even though they already have one. After all, you have to install vac. breakers on your silcocks in the event that you fill your child's kiddie pool, he/she pee's in the pool, you leave the hose in the pool, there is a 50 alarm fire on your street at the _exact time_ you happen to be adding water to the pee tainted pool, the fire department drains all the water out of the mains (and more) siphoning contents of said pool back into your house, and you subsequently make a pot of pee flavored iced tea next time you run the tap. The same thing could happen with a DW/WM. Oh well,... Mark |
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