Hi,
In the followling picture, you are looking up at an overhead soffit where I have to insert tees in the 1/2" copper lines running across the picture.
Many thanks in advance,
Aaron
It looks doable, but if it were me, I'd be using something as a heat shield to protect the wood from starting a fire, or doing damage to the wiring. Either use thin sheet metal of some sort, or possibly heavy duty aluminum foil.
BTW, if you don't want to solder the tee's you can use compression fittings on hard copper. They're just more expensive than sweat-type fittings.
---------------------------- It is outright dangerous to use a torche in this tight space (with electric and gas so close), no matter the shield you use. The wood gets very dry over the years and it doesn't take much heat to start a fire. Please don't do it without the help of a professional.
What you want is called a soldering blanket or a flame arrester. It has two brass grommet in it so you tack it in place in front of the wood. In the old days it was made out of asbestos. Today it's made out of the kind of stuff they use on the space shuttle. You'll find it at Home Depot near the solder in the plumbing department. Cost is about $15.
I've done soldering in even tighter spots. But then, I have a few of those blankets.
Find you some asbestoes cloth (yes, it's still around) and use as needed. It works wonders for such situations.
s
Those blankets are great. With a couple of them, maybe slit in strategic spots, along with some wood for backers, you could basically build a shield around everything in your way.
Here's a link to what we're talking about:
Learn to sweat. When you sweat a fitting, it'll either leak immediately or never at all. When you use a compression fitting it could leak at any time - a day, a week, a year or a lifetime from now. Sweat it and forget it.
Another vote for using a soldering blanket. Any home center or decent sized hardware store should have them. Have a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.
Also another vote against compression fittings.
Regards, John.
For a plumber that does that kind of work every day, it is just another job. He'd put a shield behind the tubing, such as a piece of drywall. If you are not sure of yourself, it may be safer to call a pro.
I didn't come in on this thread early, but I'll give this advice on 34 years of welding:
Make a heat shield out of thin metal that you can put behind the pipe. You will make different U shaped cuts out of it to facilitate putting this behind pipes. ALWAYS, REPEAT ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher or hose at the ready, as big fires grow from small ones.
HTH
Steve
They used to make an electric soldering unit for this purpose. If they are still made this it what I would use.
They used to make an electric soldering unit for this purpose. If they are still made this it what I would use.
They used to make an electric soldering unit for this purpose. If they are still made this it what I would use.
Have a spritzer bottle of water handy, with water and a drop of dish soap. Spray the wood to get it wet before soldering. Have fire extinguisher with in reach.
Professional fire fighter?
NO no You all wrong You must have bottle of 100 proof Wild Turkey on hand if fire starts you pure on it that will do the job Tony
That is the way. The electric wires are easily subject to damage, protect them with the soldering blanket backed by some sheet metal. Do not to let the hot metal touch the wires. The gas lines should be OK, the utility actually welds taps onto live steel lines, if there is no oxygen the gas cannot burn. Wet the wood and keep it wet, keep water on hand and an extinguisher. Prefab as much as possible so that the soldering is minimized and only at easily accessible and protected locations.
re: You must have bottle of 100 proof Wild Turkey on hand if fire starts you pure on it
Correction: You must have bottle of 100 proof Wild Turkey on hand. If fire starts you pour *it in* (you).
use a heat shield. Lowes and HomeDepot have heat shield material for $15. If you use something metal it will just transfer the heat to whatever it touches. So be careful about how you use metal.
Why the drop of dish soap? You mean water *mixed with* a drop of soap?
(Of course that's what you mean).
Anyway, what does the soap do?
Thanks,
David
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