Home Page link

Any hope in re-sweating copper tubing?

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Page 2 of 3       < 1 2 3 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Any hope in re-sweating copper tubing? 46erjoe 02-02-2007
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by EXT on February 2, 2007, 2:05 pm


To help remove the water either use a shop vac with a jury rigged collection
of tubes taped together to get the size needed to fit over the copper
fittings, sometimes it can take 15 to 20 minutes to remove trickles of water
from a line, open a tap on a far away upper floor to aid in the airflow.
Sometimes a compressor can be used to blast the water from a higher level
down to where you are working.

The old lead/tin solder was much more forgiving in its use with a wide
temperature range where it was "mushy" and could be worked into a joint and
form a fillet. The lead free versions are difficult to get a tight joint.
Overheating can cause it all to flow right out a joint leaving pinholes.
Sometimes it pays to just add a little lead/tin solder over difficult lead
free joint just to build a fillet to plug those pesky pinholes.

>> In doing some recent plumbing work, I had to sweat a particularly
>> difficult and oddly shaped joint in the bathroom wall. I was surprised
>> when I turned on the water valve and it actually held! (I've never
>> been good at soldering copper tubing,)
>>
>> Anyway, a week later, it developed a pinprick leak. In the past, I've
>> tried to re-sweat joints to no avail. But maybe I'm overlooking a
>> special technique or product.
>>
>> Any help would be appreciated. I used tin/antimony solder. For now it
>> looks like I will have to disassemble the whole thing and that will be
>> a real mess because I will have to tear part of the wall apart.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> Make sure there is NO water in the pipe. Sometimes it will sit right
> at the joint after you take the connector off. The water will act like
> a heat sink and make it a lot harder to sweat together. Find the
> lowest point in the home to drain the water back.
>



Radiant Heat 468x60
Posted by Bob M. on February 2, 2007, 9:25 pm


bdeditch wrote:
>> In doing some recent plumbing work, I had to sweat a particularly
>> difficult and oddly shaped joint in the bathroom wall. I was
>> surprised when I turned on the water valve and it actually held!
>> (I've never been good at soldering copper tubing,)
>>
>> Anyway, a week later, it developed a pinprick leak. In the past, I've
>> tried to re-sweat joints to no avail. But maybe I'm overlooking a
>> special technique or product.
>>
>> Any help would be appreciated. I used tin/antimony solder. For now it
>> looks like I will have to disassemble the whole thing and that will
>> be a real mess because I will have to tear part of the wall apart.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> Make sure there is NO water in the pipe. Sometimes it will sit right
> at the joint after you take the connector off. The water will act like
> a heat sink and make it a lot harder to sweat together. Find the
> lowest point in the home to drain the water back.


Or, easier still, go to the local Ace hardware store & get some of those
pellets that you put in the pipe to plug it. The pellet, jelly bean or
whatever you want to call it gets pushed into the pipe at least 6" thereby
plugging it, then when the joint is all done, heat the area where the pellet
is and it will dissolve.



Posted by Jeff Wisnia on February 2, 2007, 4:24 pm


46erjoe wrote:
> In doing some recent plumbing work, I had to sweat a particularly
> difficult and oddly shaped joint in the bathroom wall. I was surprised
> when I turned on the water valve and it actually held! (I've never
> been good at soldering copper tubing,)
>
> Anyway, a week later, it developed a pinprick leak. In the past, I've
> tried to re-sweat joints to no avail. But maybe I'm overlooking a
> special technique or product.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. I used tin/antimony solder. For now it
> looks like I will have to disassemble the whole thing and that will be
> a real mess because I will have to tear part of the wall apart.
>
> Thanks.


If you can see where the leak emerges, before you start messing with a
torch, try peening the solder down with a hammer and small punch, use
something like a nail set maybe.

I've "got lucky" that way a couple of times. If you get it to stop
leaking it will probably stay that way forever.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.


Posted by hallerb@aol.com on February 2, 2007, 4:35 pm


USE MAPP gas, its a little hotter and helps in more challenging
locations.

Completely redo the joint, replace any cheap fittings, it will be
easier that way!


Posted by Joe on February 2, 2007, 6:00 pm


> In doing some recent plumbing work, I had to sweat a particularly
> difficult and oddly shaped joint in the bathroom wall. I was surprised
> when I turned on the water valve and it actually held! (I've never
> been good at soldering copper tubing,)
>
> Anyway, a week later, it developed a pinprick leak. In the past, I've
> tried to re-sweat joints to no avail. But maybe I'm overlooking a
> special technique or product.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. I used tin/antimony solder. For now it
> looks like I will have to disassemble the whole thing and that will be
> a real mess because I will have to tear part of the wall apart.
>
> Thanks.

Using new fittings is naturally best. But I have been lucky to have a
glass bead blaster to use for cleaning fittings. The routine that
works best is to heat the fitting, wipe out as much old solder as
possible with something (I used a paper towel, quickly) and while
still hot, brush it with flux, wipe again and cool, then clean it in
the blaster. Use the fitting before the copper oxidizes again and you
get perfect joints, even with the new lead free solder. I built my
glass beader for less than $100 and that doesn't qualify as an
expensive tool IMO.

Joe



Page 2 of 3       < 1 2 3 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
copper tubing under cement... August 14, 2005, 7:31 pm
A Copper Tubing Primer, Please September 15, 2006, 1:28 pm
Alternative to copper tubing for lpg April 7, 2008, 9:24 am
Polybutylene tubing to copper connection September 30, 2006, 9:36 pm
Heat tape for copper tubing October 20, 2007, 8:48 pm
Need to connect 1/4" copper tubing to garden hose. August 23, 2006, 5:52 pm
Where can I get replacement cutting wheels for copper tubing cutters May 15, 2007, 10:17 pm
condensation problems and installing new foam covering on copper tubing September 14, 2005, 4:57 pm
OT: I hope you can help me with this February 4, 2007, 5:38 pm
Hey sweetie, hope you're well April 5, 2007, 10:02 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap