Hi,
I'm practicing sweating 1/2" copper pipes, but I find that when sweating on small fittings, such as a coupling or an elbow, I melt the solder in the first joint when working on the second because they are so close. What's the trick to avoid this problem?
Thanks,
Aaron
Speed, number one--do both at same time.
Second, if that isn't possible, wrap damp cloth around the first while doing the second.
Third, practice, practice, practice...will lead to #1
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Why mess around. Braze the fittings. 5 percent sil-phos. don't need flux. Works every time.
Dave + Gloria wrote: ...
WAAAAY overkill, primarily why...
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Make sure you are heating the pipe, not the fitting. This should heat up the fitting enough to do both ends at the same time.
My rookie sweating story:
I had just added a T to an existing pipe when I needed to stop and turn the water back on. I sweated a 1 foot section of pipe into the T and then started to sweat a cap onto the end of the pipe. It took me a little longer than it should have and just about the time the solder was starting to melt, the cap shot off the end of the pipe like a bullet and flew across the basement.
The wife wasn't happy about the melted carpet.
Was that because of the expanding air? Don't you solve that problem by keeping a faucet open?
that's normal. Just do both sides at the same time.
s
Waste of time, that's why.
s
Always apply the heat to the fitting. It is heavier and the pipe will follow along getting hot.
sMake sure you are heating the pipe, not the fitting. This should heat up the fitting enough to do both ends at the same time.
Whoops...that's what I meant but it sure wasn't what I typed!
Gotta member to pruufread afore I hit Sent.
You do one end and then the other while it's still hot. It don't matter if the other end isn't cooled yet. What I do is steel wool all the ends, paint flux on all the ends, put the whole thing together then start sweating at one end working to the other end.
I sent this yesterday but it got lost or deleted.
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