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Post by Jimmy Silverline on Nov 24, 2018 20:18:52 GMT
well said that man,,  |
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Nov 24, 2018 20:19:23 GMT
adding more solder does not make sure, if it did't run, its because, 1. there was dirt in the joint 2. the flux was't applied all the way round 3. it did't get hot enough Its always best to de semble the joint brush the pipe wit flux while hot, check its all shiney and reassemble,  But what about number 4: Not enough solder applied round the fitting (especially for larger pipe where it doesn't flow all the way round) ? I've done that but also number three quite a bit when there was water in the pipes. You need to curve the solder & I start around the back so I can see it run up & down |
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Post by endfeed on Nov 24, 2018 20:20:11 GMT
Not done that, rocky.used my pinky before now😁
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2018 20:23:27 GMT
Not done that, rocky.used my pinky before now😁 Don't encourage stupidity !  laughing-dog-smiley-emoticon |
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Post by jcplumb on Nov 24, 2018 20:28:11 GMT
Never dipped the pipe in the tub haha, that's a new one on me. I used to use my finger to flux all the time, kept wrecking my clothes when I touched em after and then I read about how dangerous it is so been a brusher ever since  |
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Post by woodbine66 on Nov 25, 2018 17:32:33 GMT
So, talking of flux, ive seen Tom use a brush, but let’s all be honest, whose just dipped the pipe in? Mmm.. I have! Anyone else going to ‘fess up’?
Yes, I'll admit to never using lead free solder, but wouldn't dip the pipe in. Too much solder. If brush gone AWOL, that's what fingers are for.
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Post by woodbine66 on Nov 25, 2018 18:02:40 GMT
It's very rare I have leaks on solder joints, when I installed my combi boiler my gas Safe mate came to commission the boiler, when we fired it up and the pump ran and a 22mm endfeed tee leaked like a good un! Gas head took the the piss of coarse😁 You need a leaker once a year it keeps you on your toes.  
I was definitely on my toes yesterday. My brother had paid £3,000 to have wood floor laid in his lounge. Went round to pipe up a couple of new rads. To say my ass was squeaking a lot is an under statement. Every joint I sweated, I had £3K in the back of my mind. Place was empty too last night after I'd filled up system, cleared up and gone. Had visions of one of my joints leaking over night, and a warped, swollen floor the next day.
Needn't have worried. All bone dry this morning.
When I have had the occasional solder fitting leak, it's usually been where the solder needs to be sucked upwards, probably on something like a small, 15mm straight coupling on a vertical pipe. The bottom joint.
If I get a leaker, if I can get all the water out of pipe, I will always add a good line of flux around the entrance to the fitting and re-heat and add more solder. Usually fixes it without dismantling/ unsweating joint. If can't get all water out, usually dismantle.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 19:57:28 GMT
I was definitely on my toes yesterday. My brother had paid £3,000 to have wood floor laid in his lounge. Went round to pipe up a couple of new rads. To say my ass was squeaking a lot is an under statement. Every joint I sweated, I had £3K in the back of my mind. Place was empty too last night after I'd filled up system, cleared up and gone. Had visions of one of my joints leaking over night, and a warped, swollen floor the next day.
Needn't have worried. All bone dry this morning.
When I have had the occasional solder fitting leak, it's usually been where the solder needs to be sucked upwards, probably on something like a small, 15mm straight coupling on a vertical pipe. The bottom joint.
If I get a leaker, if I can get all the water out of pipe, I will always add a good line of flux around the entrance to the fitting and re-heat. Usually fixes it without dismantling/ unsweating joint. If can't get all water out, usually dismantle.
Glad to see even pros worry about this sort of thing. BUT in the worst case, you wouldn't need to rip any floor up would you coz you'd open the joint (or even if not as you say). And surely there is always some way to get water out? Saying that I have to move the feed to my new fancy bog tomorrow. It comes through the wall (so obviously horizontal) but when I've opened this up before the water just lies at the bottom of the pipe and I've have to take my vac to it hoovering up more than half a tank of water! Of course the first time I did something like this I couldn't understand why I needed to turn up the heat to full blast for an age before it would flow....  I'm gonna take the tip of soldering round the back first though - thats a good one. I'm still gonna use my mirror though. Sometimes I can test with a bike pump but this move is only 2 or 3 fittings so probably not worth it (and pumping with air isn't full-proof anyway I don't think) |
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Post by dickpuller on Nov 26, 2018 7:57:10 GMT
I always use a brush for flux on solder joints.
Heat the joint & wipe excess flux off, stops snots of solder running down the tube👍👍
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Post by woodbine66 on Nov 26, 2018 17:10:52 GMT
I was definitely on my toes yesterday. My brother had paid £3,000 to have wood floor laid in his lounge. Went round to pipe up a couple of new rads. To say my ass was squeaking a lot is an under statement. Every joint I sweated, I had £3K in the back of my mind. Place was empty too last night after I'd filled up system, cleared up and gone. Had visions of one of my joints leaking over night, and a warped, swollen floor the next day.
Needn't have worried. All bone dry this morning.
When I have had the occasional solder fitting leak, it's usually been where the solder needs to be sucked upwards, probably on something like a small, 15mm straight coupling on a vertical pipe. The bottom joint.
If I get a leaker, if I can get all the water out of pipe, I will always add a good line of flux around the entrance to the fitting and re-heat. Usually fixes it without dismantling/ unsweating joint. If can't get all water out, usually dismantle.
Glad to see even pros worry about this sort of thing. BUT in the worst case, you wouldn't need to rip any floor up would you coz you'd open the joint (or even if not as you say). And surely there is always some way to get water out? Saying that I have to move the feed to my new fancy bog tomorrow. It comes through the wall (so obviously horizontal) but when I've opened this up before the water just lies at the bottom of the pipe and I've have to take my vac to it hoovering up more than half a tank of water! Of course the first time I did something like this I couldn't understand why I needed to turn up the heat to full blast for an age before it would flow.... I'm gonna take the tip of soldering round the back first though - thats a good one. I'm still gonna use my mirror though. Sometimes I can test with a bike pump but this move is only 2 or 3 fittings so probably not worth it (and pumping with air isn't full-proof anyway I don't think) Every plumber has in the back of his mind that if he slips up, he could possibly do thousands of pounds of damage. Mate of mine worked on an open vented system, and bungled a solder joint. Was ok when he checked it, but unfortunately it started leaking after he had left. Wasn't discovered for 3 days, and as it was middle floor of a 3 storey house, the damage came to £18, 000. Those types of stories focus the mind. Even a few pints of leaked water in the wrong place can cause expensive problems. A small amount of water goes a long way. Same as sparks - one mistake and someone dies or a house goes up.
Wasn't worried about having to rip up the new floor to repair bad joint, as the rads were piped on drops so no pipes up through floor. Was more worried about leak, possibly after I'd gone, and writing off that floor. Being family, would never have heard the end of it. It does happen.
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