Hot air gun for capillary joints?

[qwertyb]

If there's so little space, then I would suggest that the job may be beyond your capabilities. Turkey foil and metal will both thransfer the heat through to the skirting board; now a heat mat placed that tight will also transfer heat through, but not as much as metal or foil will.

The lack of space makes the job difficult for anybody. It's not capabilities that are the problem, other than the muppet who installed the pipework. It's the simple laws of heat transfer. I might yet get tempted to do a trial run with a very big and old soldering iron. If all else fails, I'll give in and cut a track in the floor.

 

[qwertyb]

I have been buying Marks and Sparks disposable roasting trays for a quid recently, very thick foil and I use them as trays when painting

A video on YouTube confirms that you can solder with the hot air gun

Expensive to buy but there are those electronic jobs that clamp the pipes

I know it can be done - found this a few days ago. http://copperplumbing.org.uk/sites/default/files/content_attachments/jointing-capillary_0.pdf
What I was trying, and failing to get was some input as to how much oomph you need out of the hot air gun. So I'll get out the heat gun and do a dry run and find out for myself.

 

[Doggit]

As Dillalio tried to tell you (in between the jokes we have with each other), there are attachments to concentrate the hot air, but I don't think you have the space behind the pipe to get the attachment on, and make it workable. I could use a gas flame, and control it to stop it burning the wall, and I've enough experience to know the joint will take, but if you're trying to use a hot air gun, that's why Dillaio didn't bother giving you much advice, because he knew it wasn't really do-able. Best of luck though.

 

[qwertyb]

As Dillalio tried to tell you (in between the jokes we have with each other), there are attachments to concentrate the hot air, but I don't think you have the space behind the pipe to get the attachment on, and make it workable. I could use a gas flame, and control it to stop it burning the wall, and I've enough experience to know the joint will take, but if you're trying to use a hot air gun, that's why Dillaio didn't bother giving you much advice, because he knew it wasn't really do-able. Best of luck though.

Again, you're missing the point, as was Diialio. (Where are his jokes?) RTBQ!!!
There's not enough space to, as you say, control the flame, in any other way than physically blocking it with a very thin barrier/deflector. I accept that you will have made far more of these joints than I have, but I'm equally aware that, in a restricted space, there's no way anybody's going to stop the heat getting where you don't want it.
So as I said before, I'll get out the Black and Decker (antique from when they made good kit) and have a go at doing what this guy did.

 

[just pumps]

So, you ask a question that you already know the answer to eh? Just thought you would come here to waste peoples time this weekend did you?

 

[DP]

Clearly this post has grown arms and legs.

 

[dilalio]

Perhaps a photo or two would be useful?

 

[dpsservices]

Good luck as bit of water in the pipe will mean cut out and re do
Regards david

 

[Hot&Cold]

Anybody tried using a hot air gun?

Not here as the guy's here know what they are doing

Yes a hot air gun can solder copper pipes and your linked video shows it done but remember that video is under optimum workshop conditions,remember your pipes although drained down will still have some water hanging around and as soon as heat is applied it often finds it's way into the joint being made resulting in a partily soldered joint. So the blow torch method will be much hotter much quicker and a soldered joint successfully made avoiding the need to carry out remedial water leak works.

Using a heat producing tools under floors always presents danger,the guys here know what they are doing,have done it before and have insurance if they damage a property. Diy disasters will not be covered by your home insurance (unless you have the extra policy and are competent).

Edit,we cant see your pipes and there are often alternative methods available to achieve your goal.


Happy plumbing !

 

[HERTS P&D]

Just call in a plumber and pay someone to do the job for you.

Andy

 

[DP]

The lack of space makes the job difficult for anybody. It's not capabilities that are the problem, other than the muppet who installed the pipework. It's the simple laws of heat transfer. I might yet get tempted to do a trial run with a very big and old soldering iron. If all else fails, I'll give in and cut a track in the floor.

There are times a microbore radiator pipe gets broken or squashed (not around a soil pipe here ) so has to be repaired with a coupling. Have done it many times using a blow lamp without charring the paintwork. Carried out this task only last Tuesday where a trv had to be replaced and microbore had to be extended. Calling someone a muppet without having full information is little harsh, who knows what the reason was for how the pipe is connected.

Also, why should a simple job grow arms and legs? OP your idea of using a heat gun, while on paper looks good, will almost certainly not work as I can see one reason you either fail to mention or are not aware of. If charring of delicate woodwork was main concern, surely a compression fitting will be more acceptable perhaps?

 

[qwertyb]

I'll try and respond to your various comments.
Photos - no need. Suffice it to say that of the 16 pipes, possibly two aren't like bananas. System was installed when house was new, so no excuses. Calling him a Muppet was kind.
Various comments forgetting that appear to ignore what I'm asking.
"Answers" were found, in the case of the YouTube clip, after a comment by someone on here. I'd already seen http://copperplumbing.org.uk/sites/default/files/content_attachments/jointing-capillary_0.pdf but as I've never tried it, wanted to get feedback from someone who had.
Compression fitting - I assume you mean compression reducers. Tried that and can't find any locally that fit the TRV.
Getting water out of a near vertical pipe on a drained system isn't difficult.

Of the three new houses/new central heating systems I've had, all have come with faults, the worst of which were gas leaks on two. I found the first on the first system I had - a nice wee flame on a coupling. After fixing that, I leak checked the whole system, and did the same on the other two systems, one of which had a gas leak. The Muppet(s) who installed the current system couldn't even get the pump right. They had four ways to install it, three of which were ok. They chose the fourth, so the pump failed due to water ingress when the pump had been bled.
A friend suspected a gas leak on their sitting room fire. Whole family were getting headaches and there was a slight smell. Called out the local heating engineer (?) twice. Nothing found. Asked me to check. Found leak in less than 10 seconds, isolated fire, and got them to call out the engineer (?) again to fix the leak I'd marked.

Now the purpose of this isn't to denigrate anybody in general, though certainly some in particular. What this illustrates is that the "professional" (so called) don't always get it right. It's not difficult to check for gas leaks with the right equipment. I have no idea what the individuals concerned had access to or used. I had a Gascoseeker, and knew how to use it.

I came here, asked a simple question, and have received a lot of flak and little meaningful assistance.

I trust you're not charging time spent on this forum to your customers.

 

[Dan Robinson]

a nice wee flame on a coupling.

You checked a gas leak with a naked flame? Now who's a muppet?

A friend suspected a gas leak on their sitting room fire. Whole family were getting headaches and there was a slight smell

Headaches from a gas leak? WTF are you on about?


If a heat gun is going to generate enough heat to melt solder, then it is going to do the same harm as a blow torch. If you are too unskilled to use a blow torch without setting fire to the surrounding areas (gas leak detection notwithstanding ) then you should probably give up.

Photos - no need

There's every need. We can't offer you a solution if we can't see the problem. What you deem necessary information and what a professional deems necessary information are very different things.

Getting water out of a near vertical pipe on a drained system isn't difficult.

Two words..... Capillary Action.

But then you're obviously such a clever clogs you know all about that and have never ever ever had it happen to you.

I came here, asked a simple question, and have received a lot of flak

This usually happens when a space cadet doesn't get the answer they were hoping for but persists to pretend to know better.


Now... I politely suggest you go and learn to use a blow lamp properly.

 

[copea]

You'll do more damage with an electric heat gun as you'll have to hold it there for longer.

Use one of these:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/monument-soldering-mat/45563

... and a blow lamp.
8mm will flow in no time at all.

 

[just pumps]

Here you go mate, reckon this is right up your street.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...K8GZ5C&usg=AFQjCNGLgHUMg4TR1eNdQrMN6VYEuAm2kw