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Any hope in re-sweating copper tubing?

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Any hope in re-sweating copper tubing? 46erjoe 02-02-2007
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Posted by 46erjoe on February 3, 2007, 2:32 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
>


Well, I tried re-soldering. Leak returned. Took it all apart and
created a new routing system. Did as many joints away from the site as
possible then put it together, this time ending up with five sweats.
So far it's holding.

I think I need to find a website with helpful info on sweating copper.
I learned by trial and error and I probably need to UNleard some
things. I also learned that different fluxes go with different kinds
of solder. I thought they were all the same! Hey lead is lead, right?
Wrong.

Thanks everybody. Keep your finders crossed.


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Posted by George E. Cawthon on February 3, 2007, 3:28 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.
>> 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
>>
>
>
> Well, I tried re-soldering. Leak returned. Took it all apart and
> created a new routing system. Did as many joints away from the site as
> possible then put it together, this time ending up with five sweats.
> So far it's holding.
>
> I think I need to find a website with helpful info on sweating copper.
> I learned by trial and error and I probably need to UNleard some
> things. I also learned that different fluxes go with different kinds
> of solder. I thought they were all the same! Hey lead is lead, right?
> Wrong.
>
> Thanks everybody. Keep your finders crossed.
>

Wrong. Lead is lead, but what you solder together
and it's purpose is different. Course you aren't
suppose to be using lead solder for water pipes
anyway.

Posted by Dave Martindale on February 4, 2007, 2:33 am



>I think I need to find a website with helpful info on sweating copper.
>I learned by trial and error and I probably need to UNleard some
>things. I also learned that different fluxes go with different kinds
>of solder. I thought they were all the same! Hey lead is lead, right?
>Wrong.

Well, there's no lead in plumbing solder any more. It's now almost all
tin, with a little bit of antimony or something else (but definitely not
lead).

Having said that, I've always had good results using decades-old acid
paste flux with the new lead-free solder as long as the surfaces being
soldered are clean.

It would be useful to know *why* you got that pinhole leak (yeah, I
know, probably too late now). If you just didn't get it hot enough or
apply enough solder to get sucked into the joint, but it's otherwise
clean and adequately fluxed, reheating might work. But if it's dirty
inside the joint, no amount of reheating is likely to help.

        Dave

Posted by Stormin Mormon on February 4, 2007, 9:22 am


The problem I had one time, I was waiting too long to apply the
solder. The fitting would all dry out, and by the time I applied
the solder, it was dried and oxidized. Got to put the solder to
the joint while you are heating. At some point, it sucks the
solder in, and then you stop heating immediately at that moment.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
.

>
> It would be useful to know *why* you got that pinhole leak
(yeah, I
> know, probably too late now). If you just didn't get it hot
enough or
> apply enough solder to get sucked into the joint, but it's
otherwise
> clean and adequately fluxed, reheating might work. But if it's
dirty
> inside the joint, no amount of reheating is likely to help.
>
> Dave



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