Copper Pipe Soldering Problems - "Pooling"

by fluxing the fitting you are putting flux in the pipes which is very corrosive and particuarly on gas this can rot the pipe from the inside out. Excess flux in central heating systems causes accelerated corrosion leading to sludge and pinhole leaks. Fluxing the fitting can cause it to fill with solder causing blockages too.
 
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Hey good video doitall, maybe me and dextrous should make one.

I've just been in the gararge to test and the first time didn't work, the solder just did exactly what the op's did and run of in blobs.

2nd & 3rd times it did work but my thinking is when a pro is doing heating installs etc then fair enough it saves time and less flux to flush out, I get it.

But sometimes the one off joint that is a little tricky to get to (under floor tee maybe) then maybe a tiny smear inside the fitting just to give it that extra chance of flowing. As everyone knows there's nothing worse than a soldered joint that wont solder or 'soder' if you're American.
 
It really is as simple as it looks, in the vid, I used laco and dirty old second hand pipe, and never cleaned either the pipe or the fitting.
 
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doitall said:
It really is as simple as it looks, in the vid, I used laco and dirty old second hand pipe, and never cleaned either the pipe or the fitting.
Click to expand...
Not sure you'd want to see some of the vids I make :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: (unavailable outside bangkok ;) )

Good vid doitall - especially impressed by the h&s extinguisher nearby.
 
It was fun to make, and a one of take.

As I said I tied a web cam on me head, with a long cable plugged into the laptop, and just hoped I was looking in the right place. :LOL:
 
doitall said:
It was fun to make, and a one of take.

As I said I tied a web cam on me head, with a long cable plugged into the laptop, and just hoped I was looking in the right place. :LOL:
Click to expand...
It worked well. Yuo don't want to know where I tied my webcam :eek: - the vids I made involved a fitness trampoline, a duck and a very willing yak :!: Plumbing of a sort was also involved, but not one relating to this forum.
 
Laptop, wecam I hope you're customer didn't come in doitall, she might have got the wrong idea. :LOL:
 
the flux keeps the fitting cooler than the pipe if you flux the fitting and the solder won't draw in properly.
always flux the smaller diameter for a good draw into the fitting if you are using 2 fittings together. (joining standard female/female and street elbow etc)
 
My neighbour, a retired plumber with nearly 50 years of experience, taught me to clean then flux both the pipe and the fitting as he always did. I've done hundreds in my house and never had a problem (fingers crossed here). Seems to me that the flux, as well as breaking the surface tension of the molten solder and allowing it to flow by capillary action into the joint, also finishes the cleaning job by being so heavily alkaline that it removes all the carp and leaves a copper pipe or fitting absolutely spotless.

Sure, you get flux coming out of the pipework when you first run the water, it foams up and smells distinctive but that's why you flush the pipework. On a tap supply the inside of the pipework should soon be clear of flux and in a CH circuit I'd assume that a plumber would take care to flush thoroughly before commissioning, if he wasn't flushing as he went along.
 
Have another look at the video RigidRaider and see how easy it is. :rolleyes: I didn't even clean the old pipe or fitting.

You don't need to flux the fitting, there's no advantage in fluxing the fitting, and the disadvantages are great, especially is there's stainless steel in the system as flux is very corrosive.

And how do you flush a gas pipe.
 
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