Soldering question / help

[KurtJames]

Hi

I have a basic plumbing question hat I'd like to ask if I may.

I have made some soldered joints over the years in my house but would like to know if there are any ways I can make my soldered joints a) neater and b) guaranteed to be leak-free (so I can be sure they are sound before turning the water back on again)!! Is there any tips for soldering please?

Thanks for your help and for reading my post

Kurt

 

[cross thread]

clean pipe and fitting thorougly, smear pipe with flux and use yorkshire fittings

 

[KurtJames]

Hi gordongas

Thanks for replying

I use wire wool to clean the pipe end and inside of the fitting and use flux on the end of the pipe and a little inside the fitting too. Then I put the joint together, wipe off the excessive flux and heat with a blowtorch.

But how far should the flame be from the joint exactly to get a good joint without burning the pipe/walls etc and for how long should i heat the fitting before adding the solder, sometimes it doesn't run at first.

And how can I make the joint look neater, not a blob on one side/on the pipe or a lot of solder looking messy?

I use too much solder I believe but just as I am scared of it leaking...

I used the end feed type with lead free solder

 

[Richard C]

Tip if you can't sucessfully use end feed fittings, spend a bit more & buy solder ring fittings; as long as pipe & fitting are properly cleaned they are virtually idiot proof; even I don't bother with end feed anymore!

 

[cross thread]

play the heat all round the fitting for a 15mm fitting 10mm of solder will do it, on a good joint you will see the solder suck into the fitting, practice makes perfect, cleaning correctly is the key

 

[KurtJames]

Thank you for your help both of you.

I do see a silver ring, sometimes though I am worried incase there is a part of the ring missing! I just want to be confident it is a good joint first time. I guess practice makes perfect. I'll try the solder ring too.

 

[dexdeloup]

Also, while the solder is still "wet", flick excess off with a rag or even a flux brush - then quick reheat. Done

 

[ChrisR]

Bad joints are usually caused by getting the joint too hot, the copper and flux burn so the solder doesn't run.
The heat rises quite strongly, so start with the highest joint and work down. One the joint's made, it'll stand much more heat.
You can wipe off the messy bits with a dry rag - but nothing acrylic cos it'll melt.
Kitchen paper towels are good too.

A cheap version of a "dentists mirror" is useful if you want to check round the back of the pipe.

 

[Whitespirit66]

To make a neater job, try feeding the solder in from the rear of the fitting. This way, any blobs can't be seen.

As previously suggested, spend a few more pennies and get Yorks. solder ring fittings. Once you have cleaned and fluxed, just heat, and wait for the silver 'ring of confidence' to appear, then the joint's a good 'un!

 

[neds]

few suggestions.

- Drop the wire wool in favour of some abrasive pads. These do not contain steel. http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;j...tton.x=0&searchbutton.y=0&searchbutton=submit Steel and copper is not a good mixture!


- Don't cool down the soldered joint too quickly, it will crack. Even if you are using flux to wipe the joint you are still cooling the joint down way too rapidly. Although admittedly I have worked with some old timers who suggest that the flux helps to suck in the last bits of solder or when you have some water in the pipe etc... I personally do not do it and just let the joint cool naturally.

- Clean off the excess flux with a damp cloth. Be real thorough with this not a quick wipe. Only takes a couple of mins.

- There is no need for Yorkshire fittings, I absolutely detest them. Always use endfeed myself, you can get a false sense of security with yorkshire fittings. The aim of the game is to get the solder to run using capillary action. Wedging a tight fitting onto a pipe and expecting a good joint is not going to happen. Use an abrasive pad to take of a fraction of a mm, this will give the capillary action a chance to work its magic.

- Flux on the pipe only not in the fitting. There really is no need to put it in the fitting as well.

 

[Steve69the69Gas]

Take the heat away when testing if the solder will melt yet - repeat if not.

 

[franksonny]

The hardest joint to solder and make look neat is the horizontal/vertical.
Most plumbers still haven't worked out how to master this and as a result, the finished joint has solder drips all the way down the pipe and looks an abortion.

The trick is thus: As you apply the heat, the flux will naturally run down the pipe, due to gravity. When you apply the solder, it will run and stick, to wherever the flux has run. So, as you apply the heat, wipe the excess flux with a rag, as it runs.
Repeat this until the joint is at the right temperature (a 6th sense, learned with experience), then apply the solder to the bottom side of the fitting first. The capillary action will draw the solder into the fitting and leave a perfect ring, with no unsightly drips.
Then apply the solder to the top side of the joint, which is a lot easier.

After a little practice, you will get better and start to take more pride in your soldering.
This will lead you to be hyper-critical, of others messy work and leave you smug, in the knowledge that you have been taught the way of the Jedi