What kind of solder do you use to sweat copper pipe?

What kind of solder do you use to sweat copper pipe?

Buy lead-free solder that’s designed for copper water pipes; you’ll find it in the plumbing section of the store. Solder with lead is still available, but the lead can leach into your water supply, so don’t use it.

Can you overheat copper pipe when soldering?

Overheating is a major problem when brazing or soldering copper pipe because the flux will burn (become oxidized), stop working, and become a barrier to tinning. In addition, a heavy oxide can be formed on the pipe itself, preventing a bond from forming between the filler metal and the pipe surface.

Can solder joints fail?

The only way a joint can fail is if it is not made properly, whether it is because the solder did not flow properly or the pipe was not inserted all the way into a fitting. It has nothing to do with turbulence because the solder does not interact with the liquid flow.

Can you solder copper pipe with Mapp?

The torch needed for soldering copper can be propane or MAPP gas (methylacetylene-propadiene propane). Propane works fine, it just takes longer—which may work to your advantage if you are new to soldering copper and are working on 3/4-inch or 1/2-inch pipe. The choice of a torch is really up to you.

Can you Resolder copper pipe?

Soldering vertical copper pipe shouldn’t be too different from working horizontally. If the joint and tip are hot enough, the solder should flow right in. Heat the middle of the fitting and apply the solder as soon as it starts to melt. Remove the heat once the solder starts moving.

Can I solder over old solder?

Just heat the joint up with your torch, once the solder starts to melt use Channel locks to pull the fittings apart. Once the joint is apart, wipe as much old solder off as you can with a rag. Now you can start over.

Can you use a propane torch to solder copper pipe?

How do you not burn flux when soldering?

Don’t overheat the flux If you heat the joint too long, you’ll burn the flux (it’ll smoke and turn black) and make it difficult to get the solder to flow into the joint. Applying just the right amount of heat comes with practice, but it’s not hard to learn.

What is the best way to solder copper pipe?

Copper Soldering Technique. Take your time and start with a small flame, just large enough to go most of the way around the pipe. As the pipe heats up, touch the end of the solder to the joint at ninety degrees from the source of the flame. That keeps the solder from melting off in the flame.

How do I prepare the inside of the copper pipe?

Follow these steps to prepare the inside of the copper pipe: 1 Use a deburring tool to ream or deburr the inside of each pipe. 2 Run the tool around the inside of the pipe. This removes the burrs. 3 Make sure the copper shavings don’t go into the pipe or pipe fitting. 4 Tap the pipe to get any shavings to fall out. More

How do you use flux to solder pipe fittings?

Using a flux brush, apply a thin layer of lead-free soldering paste (flux) to the portion of the pipe that you cleaned. The paste should cover the depth of the pipe fitting. Apply a thin layer of flux to the mating surface of the fitting. Insert the pipe into the fitting, making sure it is tight against the bottom of the fitting.

How do I Clean my solder?

The solder you use becomes part of the joint. So does anything stuck to the solder. So be sure to feed clean solder into your joints. If your solder gets fouled in the tool box, clean it the same way you clean the ends of the copper pipe, with abrasion.