I'd always used fluxite (a habit inherited from dad who worked for the gas board) and was doing som eplumbing for a friend last weekend, I was running low on flux so switched to an old tin of the La-Co you mentioned, I thought it was more like vaseline than flux, but was very surprised at the better "wetting" it achieved, it positively drags the solder out to form a nice bright ring on the joint ...
Using decent flux helps a lot. I've not had to spend as much time cleaning fittings since I switched to using acidic fluxes.
I find "Powerflow" from Fry Metals to be a good all round one...
Couldn't agree more. Why anyone would bother with a blow-lamp or spanner when they can use push fit joints is beyond me. The new copper type don't even have the disadvantage of being bulky - though they can't be dismantled. For the cost of a couple of pints, most jobs can be completed in minutes without the worry, the mess - or the tedium.
NL
Along with everything else that's been said, buy a bl**dy good blow tourch. Not one from the sheds but go to the plumbers merchants. You will wait all day for a crap one to heat the pipe. Get a "Turbo Torch" or the likes and use the yellow tins (cast iron) of gas, think it MAPP gas. Expect to pay around £45 for one and aroud the house it should last you years. The £10 shed ones are ok for paint stripping and that about all!
i been plumbing for years, but i just tried push fit copper for C.H. i WAS IMPRESSED especialley where it would be difficult or dangerous to use a lamp, had 2 failures thats all, because of rough pipe ends rolled the o ring back, try it its quik clean and safe. Smudge
I've heard this before, but it isn't my experience. I've used a £10 shed one for all my plumbing (which includes installing a full central heating system, and redoing all the rest of the plumbing in the house, all end-feed soldered), and it has no trouble with even 28mm end-feed T's, which are probably the largest joins I've soldered. If I was a plumber doing this everyday for a living, I would treat myself to something better, but for DIY, even installing a full heating system, a shed blowlamp is fine.
I use a flame-o-matic (?) propane torch bought from b&q or wickes & it does the job just fine. Also I use bits of plasterboard as my flame proof backing.
A very foolish thging to do. Best go good quality compression joints and copper pipe. Only use plastic where is is easier to thread the piping.
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Ah. Some of us DIYers actually enjoy things like plumbing. ;-)
I've got an ancient Camping Gaz one which was shed bought and well up to the job. You don't actually need that much heat, and the broad flame it produces is ideal for soldering. Think they're still available.
If plumbing in copper for a living, something with a larger canister would probably be cheaper to run, but more of a pain to carry around.
I did buy one of those ones all the sheds stock now - thinking the press button ignition and higher temperature gas would be useful for some things. But it had a slow leak. Changed it, and so did the next one, so I got a refund. A bit like a cordless tool used infrequently - when you come to use it, it's flat. ;-)
foolish ?
you really are a provocative little troll, aren't you.
RT
And I have used ordinary drills in the past, around the house purely DIY without to much hassle. Then I got a Dewalt SDS, enough said! The cheaper lamps I was always looking for a light, didn't have auto ignition, was always waiting for them to warm up or else they blew out and they were inconsistent in use at any angle. And of course there is always the pleasure in adding a descent tool to the bag, a big boys toy! You know it makes sense. When you going to use something quite a few times or even for one big project I consider it worth buying a good tool. I think of it that I saved X amount by doing it my self so why not, hey I'm worth it. Just got to convince SWMBO first!!!
Yes, foolish my good man.
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whilst not wanting to feed a troll (rather, wanting to draw out an argumentative person with acces to a PC and the 'net) could you please, for the benefit of anyone accesing the archive in the future, give the group the benefit of your wisdom and explain, exactly, why it's better for a self admitted plumbing newbie to struggle with copper end feed joints, in an inaccesible place, when the perfectly servicable (and designed for the purpose) pushfit and polypipe solution exists ?
RT
Odd, I keep a Camping Gaz torch in my toolbox for one off jobs, I works fine even upto 28mm pipe. You REALY don't need that much heat to do the job properly.
Quite.
I think it's probably some kind of DIY rite of passage. Naked flames and flux - that sort of thing. A chap near me has actually been round his house lifting floorboards and climbing in and out of his loft replacing all the push-fit joints the previous owner had used. This, despite the fact that none of them had caused the slightest problem - or was likely to.
He's good with barbecues too...
NL
Wise man.
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Do a Google on plastic pipes and IMM the author. Enlightening.
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In article , Doctor Evil writes
John, don't post misleading messages, its not nice
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