Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

I am having a problem sweating a quarter turn shut-off valve for a
bathroom sink. It seems that since the valve is such a large chunk of
brass it takes a lot of heat to get it hot enough to melt the solder.
The valve gets damaged from the heat and then leaks. Since this is a
ball valve there is nothing I can take apart before I heat it. Thanks
for any advice you can give me. Jim

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

Normally you unscrew the valve assembly (and pull it out) BEFORE you
sweat the valve on - then replace when it cools. The assembly unscrews
at the base of the screw.

best
mjb920 wrote:
I am having a problem sweating a quarter turn shut-off valve for a
bathroom sink. It seems that since the valve is such a large chunk of
brass it takes a lot of heat to get it hot enough to melt the solder.
The valve gets damaged from the heat and then leaks. Since this is a
ball valve there is nothing I can take apart before I heat it. Thanks
for any advice you can give me. Jim

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
Normally you unscrew the valve assembly (and pull it out) BEFORE you
sweat the valve on - then replace when it cools. The assembly unscrews
at the base of the screw.

Not with a ball valve. Wtih those, you want to make sure the valve is OPEN
before sweating.

-Tim

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

mjb920 wrote:
I am having a problem sweating a quarter turn shut-off valve for a
bathroom sink. It seems that since the valve is such a large chunk of
brass it takes a lot of heat to get it hot enough to melt the solder.
The valve gets damaged from the heat and then leaks. Since this is a
ball valve there is nothing I can take apart before I heat it. Thanks
for any advice you can give me. Jim


That is why I use compression fittings on shutoff valves.
Easy to install, years of service, and when they finally fail,
you can just loosen the nut and screw another valve onto it.

But, to your question. Get a small towel soaking wet, open
the ball valve and then wrap the part of the valve that is
away from the solder socket with the wet towel. Make sure you
use Mapp gas for soldering and apply heat to just the end of
the socket (where the tubing enters).

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

"Robert Allison" wrote in message
news:jmrZg.9836$cH6.638@trnddc07...
mjb920 wrote:
I am having a problem sweating a quarter turn shut-off valve for a
bathroom sink. It seems that since the valve is such a large chunk of
brass it takes a lot of heat to get it hot enough to melt the solder.
The valve gets damaged from the heat and then leaks. Since this is a
ball valve there is nothing I can take apart before I heat it. Thanks
for any advice you can give me. Jim


That is why I use compression fittings on shutoff valves. Easy to install,
years of service, and when they finally fail, you can just loosen the nut
and screw another valve onto it.

But, to your question. Get a small towel soaking wet, open the ball valve
and then wrap the part of the valve that is away from the solder socket
with the wet towel. Make sure you use Mapp gas for soldering and apply
heat to just the end of the socket (where the tubing enters).

Mapp, wet towel, that ought to do it. I also stick a pipe in the other end
to act as a heat sink.

Of course, you can always glue it.

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

Or whenever possible solder on a screw connection and use a screw on
type valve of it's at an endpoint like your sink in question.

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

Thanks for all the advice - Mapp, wet rag, heat sink. I e-mailed the
valve manufacturer and they said to use nothing but propane and to heat
the pipe and not the fitting. That didn't sound right.

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

mjb920 wrote:

Thanks for all the advice - Mapp, wet rag, heat sink. I e-mailed the
valve manufacturer and they said to use nothing but propane and to heat
the pipe and not the fitting. That didn't sound right.


Mapp gas is not that different from propane other than it
burns hotter, allowing you to heat up the valve faster. They
mean that you should not use an oxygen acetylene torch. As
for heating the pipe, I started to mention that before, but
didn't want you to get the wrong idea. Usually I will heat
only the valve and let the transferred heat warm up the pipe,
since the copper will heat up faster. In this case, I do heat
the pipe, but only in addition to the valve. I point my torch
at the point where the pipe and valve intersect in an attempt
to get both pipe and valve heated quickly. The pipe being
heated will transfer the heat to the inside surface of the
valve socket (copper being a great conductor of heat). Apply
the solder and remove the heat as fast as possible. This is
where experience really comes into play. Heat it up just
enough for the solder to flow, but not enough to damage the
valve. It is tricky.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

On 18 Oct 2006 20:30:07 -0700, "mjb920" wrote:

Thanks for all the advice - Mapp, wet rag, heat sink. I e-mailed the
valve manufacturer and they said to use nothing but propane and to heat
the pipe and not the fitting. That didn't sound right.


It works, though. That's what I do, warm the fitting,
and then heat the pipe. YOu can't spend a lot of
time screwing around with it once you start,
though.

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

Slightly off-topic, and maybe stupid, but is it possible to overheat
the copper pipe itself with either propane or MAPP? It seems to
discolor with prolonged heating.

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

"mjb920" wrote in message
ups.com...
Slightly off-topic, and maybe stupid, but is it possible to overheat
the copper pipe itself with either propane or MAPP? It seems to
discolor with prolonged heating.

In my experience overheating causes more soldering problems than anything
except lack of cleanliness. For successful soldering: clean both surfaces
thoroughly, flux, heat rapidly just until solder melts thoroughly, apply
solder, cool. A torch flame can easily overheat part of the joint without
the rest being hot enough and practice helps a lot. A good job is usually a
quick job.

Don Young

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

mjb920 wrote:
Slightly off-topic, and maybe stupid, but is it possible to overheat
the copper pipe itself with either propane or MAPP? It seems to
discolor with prolonged heating.

The discoloration is harmless oxidation. The colors result
not from actual color change to the metal, but from light
being bent within the thickness of the oxide layer.

To avoid burning metal when soldering, speed is of the essence.
Use the hottest flame practicable -- here, meaning your trusty MAPP
torch -- on CLEAN metal. I've used these to silver solder (jeweler's
50/50
silver/copper) bottle bosses onto heavy gauge Schwinn-quality steel
bike frames. Takes about a minute to heat the joint glowing red hot,
hot enough to make the silver flow.

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

OP should PRACTICE sweating a ball valve to the pipe a couple times
before doing it in place. add couplers if you want for garden hose
test.

a little practice helps immensely

Sweating Shut-Off Valve
 

OP should PRACTICE sweating a ball valve to the pipe a couple times
before doing it in place. add couplers if you want for garden hose
test.

a little practice helps immensely

Sweating Shut-Off Valve