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Tips for cleaning solder ...

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
... from copper supply lines. Any tricks of the trade y'all could offer would be greatly appreciated!:biggrin:

I want to use compression fittings, so I'm guessing I need a super clean piece of copper to wrench the valve to.
 

grizzer

New member
Use acid flux & melt/wick it off.

Use enough heat source as old tin/lead is a eutectic, but the newer tin/silver has a wide pasty range.
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Use acid flux & melt/wick it off.

Use enough heat source as old tin/lead is a eutectic, but the newer tin/silver has a wide pasty range.

Can you translate that for someone whose plumbing expertise is just a notch above f*ktard?
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Put in a water heater a while back and used what they called "shark bite" connectors. They worked surprisingly well. Easy to use. Home Depot is where mine came from.

Do you have a propane torch? You can heat up the area with the solder and like dds said, use a rag to wipe it after heated up and it will be smooth and ready for a compression fitting.

Soldering is really not hard to do. Let us know if you want info on that.
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Put in a water heater a while back and used what they called "shark bite" connectors. They worked surprisingly well. Easy to use. Home Depot is where mine came from.

Do you have a propane torch? You can heat up the area with the solder and like dds said, use a rag to wipe it after heated up and it will be smooth and ready for a compression fitting.

Soldering is really not hard to do. Let us know if you want info on that.

My problem is confined space and I just don't trust myself with a MAPP gas torch in the area. With soldering, I'm usually ok (flux the hell out of it).
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yep, clean the copper and flux the hell out of it works. :thumb:

If you don't want a torch in the area maybe cut it off prior to the solder. Or use a baking sheet behind where you'd put the torch to stop the flames. I've done that before with no issues.
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Yep, clean the copper and flux the hell out of it works. :thumb:

If you don't want a torch in the area maybe cut it off prior to the solder. Or use a baking sheet behind where you'd put the torch to stop the flames. I've done that before with no issues.

Doc, that's brilliant! You're so smart, you should run a forum or something.:whistling:

(Seriously though. That is a pretty friggin good idea.:thumb:)
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
2 short drywall screws and a piece of tin to shield where you use the torch. Use the rag soaked in water you should always have before lighting the torch and wipe the solder right off. I would sweat a valve in over using compression fittings. Be sure to open some spigots to let water drain from the line before you solder and you can do this.:clap:
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
if you just want to re soldier there is an iron made that you just clamp some tongs on to the pipe and you have instant heat i bet you could rent one cheep at a tool rental joint
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
My problem is confined space and I just don't trust myself with a MAPP gas torch in the area. With soldering, I'm usually ok (flux the hell out of it).

Just go the extra money and install Pex pipe with Shark bite fittings . They will work for copper or pex and no torch is needed . Much safer, faster and I bet you will not have one leak if you follow the instructions .
You will thank me for this !!!:flowers:
 

grizzer

New member
Eutectic solder is a unique animal that is a liquid and a solid at a specific temp in this case ~360F.

MAPP torch is hotter than propane, crusty old plumbers use acetylene.

Blocking flammable materials with sheet metal is good, key is don't dawdle, time & temps oxidize metal making it progressively more difficult to clean
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
Doc, that's brilliant! You're so smart, you should run a forum or something.:whistling:

(Seriously though. That is a pretty friggin good idea.:thumb:)


A piece of bread works too . if you have a drippy connection use "white bread " Shoved up the pipe . My the time the bread is soggy you will have the connection soldered .

Still , just use the pex and shark bites fittings !!!:biggrin:
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
Remenber all solder should be 100% lead free for water pipes .
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
bread is ont tip a buddy of mine gave me he also said he used wax when the job was done he hit the pipe with a torch and melted the plug out. Al you are right about pex if i ever replumded a hous i would go pex it's fast and if stuff freeses up it dosn't break
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Don't need no bread, coz I gots bleeder valves down below.

That said, I stripped the bleeder valve cap right before I turned the water back on, only to find out that all 3 valves I soldered leaked.:hammer:

Rushed off to Home Depot to get a whole new valve (they don't sell just the bleeder valve cap) and bought some new flux and solder too. Re-soldered all 3 valves with the new stuff and it worked like a charm (after sanding the sh!t out of the supply lines with emery cloth).:clap:

Now if I could just fix this leak in the sink drain .... :sad:

Did I mention that plumbing ain't my thing?
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Congrats on getting that much fixed. :thumb:

I still prefer copper over pex.

For the bread trick, it works good but be sure to take the aerator off of the facet when you turn it on so the bread can get right out of the system. Works like a charm.

what or where is the leak in the sink drain? Maybe we can help.
 

jwstewar

Active member
....I still prefer copper over pex.
.....

That is only because you haven't used PEX. Awesome stuff to work with, super fast, and super easy. I used to like to use PVC/CPVC compared to copper because it was faster and easier, but this is so much better than PVC.
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Congrats on getting that much fixed. :thumb:

I still prefer copper over pex.

For the bread trick, it works good but be sure to take the aerator off of the facet when you turn it on so the bread can get right out of the system. Works like a charm.

what or where is the leak in the sink drain? Maybe we can help.

It's leaking right where the drain pipe exits the bottom of the basin -- I can see the drops forming on the huge nut that threads on to the pipe.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
that should not be hard to fix. Take the thing apart, clean and put a bead of plumbers putty under the lip. Tighten down and put back together. Leaks under sinks can destroy stuff over time. Get er done one way or the other.
 
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