Soldering Copper Pipes
 

Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

"Ultraglide" wrote in message
...
Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?


Done properly it should last forever. It is extremely rare that a fitting
will break or leak after time, but I've seen it happen, both in industrial
settings. .

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:5vrzg.2181$sy2.1389@trndny01...

"Ultraglide" wrote in message
...
Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?


Done properly it should last forever. It is extremely rare that a
fitting will break or leak after time, but I've seen it happen, both in
industrial settings. .
Thanks.

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

"EXT" wrote in message
anews.com...
I have found that some of the fluxes for the new lead-free solders can give
a delayed reaction. I had several tight joints that did NOT leak for two
days, and then started dripping even one with a two foot squirt that
erupted on the third day. I think the flux burned in the joint and hardened
when it cooled down but water pressure finally pushed out the thick flux
over a few days resulting in a leak.

"Ultraglide" wrote in message
...
Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?


Fortunately the shutoff is in the unfinished part of the basement. I'll
keep an eye on it for the next while.

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

From my experience soldering not only plumbing, but copper piping in vacuum
systems is that if the surfaces were well cleaned and fluxed and if the
solder flows quickly on its own around and into the joint it won't leak and
I assume never pop apart. Key is practice and applying the heat so all
surfaces are just above the melting point of the solder. Over heating can
also cause problems. A lot of this is experience and having feel for it.


"Ultraglide" wrote in message
...
Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

If you want to get an idea of how good your technique is, after it has
cooled and even been used (remove the water of course) heat and pull
apart a joint, and look at the surfaces to see how well your solder
covers them. Shake off the hot solder first.
Since I take apart a lot of old fittings, I've seen a few bad joints,
but even in those cases there is usually enough solder around the pipe
so they never leaked.
After a while and with proper cleaning and fluxing, one learns to
recognize the solder drawing into the joint all around it and get
consistently good joints. --Phil

EXT wrote:

I have found that some of the fluxes for the new lead-free solders can give
a delayed reaction. I had several tight joints that did NOT leak for two
days, and then started dripping even one with a two foot squirt that erupted
on the third day. I think the flux burned in the joint and hardened when it
cooled down but water pressure finally pushed out the thick flux over a few
days resulting in a leak.

"Ultraglide" wrote in message
...

Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?

--
Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio 44555

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:29:39 -0400, "Ultraglide"
wrote:

Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?


I soldered 91 joints when I renovated my bathroom three years ago and
it was my first time to do it. None leaked initially or since then.
I was meticulous about cleaning the pipe and fittings before I
soldered. Think you'll be ok if you are careful.

Frank

Soldering Copper Pipes
 

Phil Munro wrote:
If you want to get an idea of how good your technique is, after it has
cooled and even been used (remove the water of course) heat and pull
apart a joint, and look at the surfaces to see how well your solder
covers them. Shake off the hot solder first.
Since I take apart a lot of old fittings, I've seen a few bad joints,
but even in those cases there is usually enough solder around the pipe
so they never leaked.
After a while and with proper cleaning and fluxing, one learns to
recognize the solder drawing into the joint all around it and get
consistently good joints. --Phil

In the early days of the bike craze in the 70s, I had a perverse
predeliction for cheap french bikes, which were notable for shoddy
construction. (peugeot and motobecane were excellent brands, though).
got into a minor accident with one one day, and the entire head
tube/down tube and head tube/top tube connections popped apart. Upon
examining the lugs, there was no trace of brazing in there whatsoever,
the bike had been merely holding together by corrosion as much as
anything.


EXT wrote:

I have found that some of the fluxes for the new lead-free solders can give
a delayed reaction. I had several tight joints that did NOT leak for two
days, and then started dripping even one with a two foot squirt that erupted
on the third day. I think the flux burned in the joint and hardened when it
cooled down but water pressure finally pushed out the thick flux over a few
days resulting in a leak.

"Ultraglide" wrote in message
...

Well, I have just completed my first job, installing soldered shutoffs in
two water lines lines so that I can renovate my powder room. I had no
leaks when I turned the water back on. My question is this, if it is
holding now, how confident could I feel about the job?

--
Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio 44555