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#1
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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? |
#2
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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. . |
#3
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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. |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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? |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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 |
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