bad soldier joint


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Old 10-08-03, 09:14 PM
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bad soldier joint

I replumbed my basement with copper two weeks ago. All came out fine at first. Since then two joints have developed leaks.

1: Can they be "repaired with additional soldier without sweating them off and starting again?

2: What did I do wrong the first time?
 
  #2  
Old 10-08-03, 11:14 PM
Rlfrazee
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Apiersma, explain the procedure you went through in sweating your copper connections, water in pipes, type of solder, flux, cleaning etc. I dont know of any way to resweat joints that I would trust... rl
 
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Old 10-09-03, 03:56 AM
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Cool

1. No
2. Can't tell, but the leaking is probably due to overheating the joints.
You should sweat these joints apart, clean up the pipe and the fittings, and re-solder them.
For good soldered joints, sandpaper or emory cloth the ends of the pipe and inside the fittings.
Use flux on both surfaces, and lead-free solder only.
Heat the fittings only and touch the end of the solder all around the fitting as it is pulled in.
Remove the heat as soon as there is a solder bead all around the fitting.
Overheating a fitting, causing the solder to run out, is usually the primary problem with most homeowner soldering. It just takes a little practice to get it right. We've all done it. Give it a shot again.
Good Luck!
 
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Old 10-09-03, 07:04 AM
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Thank you. I suspect I did overheat the joints.

One of the joint is to a brass shutoff valve. Brass to copper joints confound me as it seems to take a lot more heat to get the brass hot enough. Any tricks I should try?
 
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Old 10-09-03, 07:06 AM
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Heat one side of the brass joint, then as you see the solder take, move heat to opposite side, this should fill the joint without overheating.
 
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Old 10-09-03, 11:13 AM
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Don't use flux that has been sitting around at your home that has been aged.


Flux can and will separate within its own container and can cause joints to leak in solder joints.


I had this happen years ago in a brush in a can flux from hercules.




I had the product for seven months, and by the time i was using the bottom of the can, I started getting callbacks on some of my joints leaking, especially with copper to brass sweat connections.


A fresh can of flux fixed the problem.


That's what I get for being a money miser I suppose.
 
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Old 10-09-03, 01:32 PM
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My can of flux is pushing at least a year if not two. Hmm Good thing the stuff is cheap.
 
 

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