I know this isn't C-3 related but you guys are amass with knowledge---and not just Corvette related.

I'm replacing a laundry fawcett and in order to do so I need to heat the copper pipes to liquify the solder in the joint. How long does this process take? I heated the joint for about 15-20 min but the joint is still solid??? :confused:

It's been a while since I performed any soldering but I don't remember this process (heating) taking so long. What am I doing wrong? :confused:

Oh, yes the water is shut off at the main the the pipes drained.

Thanks
Len

 

plumping is my weak suite when it comes to home inprovement.
but cant you get a pipe cutter and cut the pipe? or is the length criticle?

 

Well, that's where I am right now. My next thought was to cut the pipe well above the fawcet and install a shut-off valve for now. The way the house is plumbed, there is no shut off valve in the basement except at the main. I figured that if I can get the shut-off valves(hot & cold) installed I won't need to worry about not getting the fawcet replaced immediately. I could shut off the valveds for this sink and still have water in the rest of the house----I always run into "secondary" problems whenever I repair something. :lol:

 

Okay, if there is still water in the pipe, you can sit there with the butane on it till the cows come home, it will not melt!! If you need to melt the solder wile the water is still in it, you need to use a torch. Otherwise you need to drain the water from the system. Then melting the solder is a piece of cake…



[Modified by SLICKMAN, 8:18 AM 10/13/2002]

 

Sometimes plumbers use higher melting point solder and you have no choice other than using the torch.

:yesnod:

 

Mostly what is known as harder solder is used in plumbing, more tin in it than say electronic solder, so takes more heat, and a dab of plumbing acid, check that it's silver in color, there might be a chance someone brazed with brass on the joint, for super strength...not needed, but sometimes these guys do silly things on a job site....if it's silver, you need heat it a good bit, but NOT untill the copper turns black/dark...that's overheating it, and a dab of acid may be necessary to burn out the resulting corrosion....in other words too much heat can also cause thing to bind up....speaking of which, you need pull/twist directly off, not at an angle...sometimes guys make a slight oval our of the pipe so the device,union/coupling/elbow will stay in position while they sweat it.....normally a 1/2 inch pipe will free itself in about 20 seconds.....run the flame up and down the pipe / device to heat it up also, not just on the joint in question.....now if the whole hose bib needs released...that will take forever, by comparison...lotsa mass there to heat up.....I"m assuming you are NOT usind oxyaceteline torch, or yyou would know enough to be not asking questions allready.....a propane takes quite a bit longer.....

do NOT overheat/let the shiney poliished copper turn dark....solder will NOT adhear to it well....it will pickel up and run off in spite of the acid flux you are using.....

like I said, some maybe 20 years ago, they took most all the lead out of plumbing solder, for lead content reasons in drinking water....most critical in a well water situatiion, not so bad in a typical municipal supply situation....
well water, like my mom's was....could start my car with it.....talk about leaching copper/lead....sh it....it was BAD!!!

today the solder is something like 90-10 tin antimoney.....no lead...higher temp by 2-300 degrees or so....like 800 f instead of 600f......

OH one more thing.....WATCH OUT FOR FIRE IN THE WALLS, ON ACCOUNT OF FLAME CATCHING DUST ON FIRE...CAN BE AN EXPLOSIVE SH ITUATION THERE......USE COMMON SENSE, AHD HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY....

GENE


[Modified by mrvette, 7:28 AM 10/13/2002]

 

Heck, if i dont have secondary problems, i think i did something wrong :lol:

 

Another suggestion.....if you are using a propane torch, run to the hardware store and get a cylinder of MAP gas....it works on the propane torch, but is hotter....but not too hot. Many plumbers use it because it will heat the joint quicker.

 

If you pay for the airfair i will fly over and fix that for you in a jiffy.. :D

When you use a torch to solder a piece of copper piping,then theres silver in the solder to help it flow around the joint.
When using solder you have to use "plumbing acid" ótherwise the solder will just drop off the pipe.
..If any other plumbing questions,feel free to ask :cheers: :cheers:


[Modified by BB wowbagger, 3:27 PM 10/13/2002]

 

Thanks for all the input guys. Well I think the solder around the fawcet itself musta been the hard type---I never did get it apart using a reg propane torch. After I cut the pipe the remaining fittings came apart just like mrvette stated.

The rest of my time has been trying to fit-up the new fawcet with the remaining pipes----the new fawcet sat up a little higher than the old one. Before I cut the fawcet though, I installed shut-off valves above the fawcet. This allowed me to work on the fawcet while the rest of the house still had water.

Thanks again.

Len