What was the tin/lead ratio of the good old style plumbing solder? I'm thinking it was 60/40, or was it 50/50? Where can I buy some of it now? Is it available online?
Thanks for any light shed on my perplexing predicament.
- Cecil Tompson
You can get solder at most any hardware store but it's not going to be lead. It will now probably be Tin, Copper, Selenium
The common number is 50/50 for plumbing. The 60/40 would be better,but due to the higher tin content it usually costs more.
You can find plenty of it on ebay for about $ 20 to $ 30 per pound. Just be sure that if you are going to use it on the pipes and not electronics to get the acid core flux or no flux core at all. Most of the plumbing solder did not have any flux in the core. To make a good joint with copper you will need to get some acid type flux.
There is lots of the electronic solder around that has lead in it but most has a rosin core and the flux is not good to mix with the acid type.
Thinks to the government regulations most of the solder containing lead has been phased out. The new stuff is not nearly as good or easy to work with. Most of it needs to be heated hotter than the old tin/lead.
All of this is for the US. Over in Europe it may be a different story as about everything there has gone lead free.
REAL MEN Drink their whiskey out of solid lead mugs.....
Akin to synthetic narcotics sold as "bath salts". They know you'll be using it for pipes. You know you'll be using it for pipes. You know that they know what you'll use it for, and they know that you know they know, but with the written disclaimer on the package, the seller is covered against being sued by environmental agengies for providing pipe solder with lead in it.
Do you think there are enough people making stained glass windows at home to warrant a hardware store carrying special solder?
Are you, somehow, under the false impression that narcotics were legally marketed as "bath salts" ? Nope. "Bath salts" was a street name - because that's what the product looked like. So I think your analogy suffers greatly. John T.
That solder is solid and no flux core. You use you own flux for what you want to do. It is a simple 50/50 mix. The 'not for water' is probably just a legal out for them to sell it. Most areas have laws about not using the solder with lead in it on drinking waer now. If I was doing my own work on my pipes I would still use it.
Most of the old 50/50 solder did not have any flux in it, mainly the
60/40 and 63/37 had rosin flux in it and was mainly used in electronics. The acid works to make better joints, but will draw moisture from the air and over a few years eat up the electronics. The pipes don't seem to have that problem as it should be wiped off the outside of the joint after the pipe cools somewhat.
From the #1 google return for "bath salts":
Para 1, sentences 1&2, read:
"Bath salts" is a term used in North America and Europen to describe a number of recreational designer drugs. The name derives from instances in which the drugs were sold disguised as true bath salt.
So I think my analogy is apt, and your response lacked the benefit of the quickest research possible using methodoloy known even to grade-schoolers.
Thanks Ralph and Al!
2 spools of CMP 50/50 solder (thanks Al Dente- best price found!)and 12oz Rectorseal C-Flux
should last me till I'm too old to do my own plumbing. Of course it's for 'non-potable water use only'.
- Cecil Tompson
Lead poisoning can cause aggressive behavior, irritability, loss of developmental skills in children, laziness, stumbling when walking and severe memory loss. Left untreated you could become a democrat.
... so the solder is sold only illegally, on the streets, disguised as .. ? solder ? Say what ? The analogy still lacks. John T.
No, sold legally, just as so-called 'bath salts' synthetic narcotics are sold legally.
Deliberately mis-labelled as stained-glass solder instead of plumbing solder to evade legal proscriptions against lead in plumbing solder.
If the analogy is not obvious to you, probably further explanation on my part is futile, so I guess you win.
... that's the part you have wrong. The narcotics were disguised as bath salts because that's what they looked like. Never sold as actual bath salts - that would be silly. John T.
Off-white coarse powder. Lots of material looks like that. Thus is it not a true 'disguise' because no extra processing was needed to effect the appearance of something legal & benign.
Sure was/are. Check the link I pointed out. If you lost it, search wiki for "Bath Salts".
Yep, they were.
Sober up, John, Mike's analogy was spot on for unimpaired readers.
- Cecil Tompson
I needed to do a bunch of copper connections behind washer dryer.
I originally used a propane torch but the change to lead free solder, the torch wasnt hot enough.
i used mapp[ gas with a different torch for quite awhile, but after buying a new tank, it didnt get hot enough either.
doing some online research found that the only company that made mapp gas decided it wasnt profitable enough. so they sell tanks marked mapp gas but it really isnt. its regular propane with some additives, again its not hot enough.........
so i bought a air acetelene torch. it comes with a larger tank, and a 10 foot hose. bought from a welding supply place
kinda pricey but boy it works great. although i dont do much plumbing.
incidently my project was created by my GF who bought a front load washer. this necessisated moving our washers and dryers.so they would physically fit. we have 2 washers and 2 dryers.
well moving the old washer that still worked fine ruined them and one ancient gas dryer... they were junk.....
by the time i was done, it cost a fortune to save a little water.
that was just a few years ago..........
currently the front load washer is leaking water with every load. GF refused to buy extended warranty.. i expect it will quit soon
the new top load washer isnt of good quality. drain hose with no place to install a clamp works its way off the connection
the new dryer has had all sorts of troubles.. latest the start switch is all clear plastic. at least it makes it easy to see the inside of the switch fell apart......
i am going to use a standard switch but must ground the switch, since the control panel of the dryer is all plastic.
GF calls me grumpy
oh should add the feds must of caught on to people using electrical solder for plumbing.
all the electrical solder i found is lead free.........
if you can use sharkbites with PEX thats a much better choice
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