As part of my insane quest to overcomplicate my CH system I need to remove a 22mm right angled soldered fitting to fit a compression one instead.
To complicate matters there?s another soldered fitting just over an inch away that I really don?t want to disturb (so may end up packing it in ice).
Any tips on how to cleanly remove solder to eliminate the risk of my olive not seating/sealing properly?
Tim
Desolder braid but I wouldn't like to bet on it working well enough.
Can you not cut something to get a clean piece of undamaged pipe?
I hate plumbing! Whenever things go wrong water gets everywhere.
Electricity doesn't leak anything like as much but if it does it kills!
Just wipe the hot pipe with a dry cloth or failing that a paper kitchen towel.
If the olive goes on, I'm sure it will cut through any film of solder.
blowlamp and a dry cloth may get enough off to fit an olive. if not carry on with an abarasive
just hot it up with the blowtorch and wipe the molten solder off with some wire wool.
Tim+ pretended :
Wrap the one you do not want to disturb in wet tissue and apply the flame only to the other fitting. Have a spray bottle of water handy, to also cool it down. Stop the heat as soon as it moves.
Course emery cloth will remove the solder from the pipe.
Why not take the copper pipe out of the fitting 1 inch away, and then replace it with a new bit? The other end of the new bit will work well with a compression fitting.
It is important that there is no water anywhere near a soldered fitting that you want to get apart.
No need to kill a mole for a bit of moleskin then? ;-)
(Vague memories of that being used for wiped joints).
Tim
Wrap a strip of emery cloth around it and sand it off with the appropriate wrist action :) :)
If you have a solder drip on one side of the pipe a first use a flat needle file to remove it.
You only need to take enough solder off so that the olive slides on the pipe.
Is an inch of pipe long enough to get a compression fitting on and not leave the olive hanging on at the very end of the pipe?
A little water when trying to get a fitting off is OK but _NOT_ when trying to resolder.
It seems to me that that chances of unsoldering one joint an inch away from another connected by 22mm copper pipe are very slight! Either you won't unsolder one or you will unsolder both. Copper is a very good conductor of heat.
+1
Heat and wipe with a moleskin - as used for wiping joint in lead pipes.
I have in the past just wiped with a cloth, getting the solder layer very thin and then abrading with emery paper.
I should have read further before replying to the OP.
If you use a torch with a small directional flame it ought not be a problem.
Apply a bit of flux and heat the fitting. Use grips to give it a twist from time to time until it melts and moves, pull off twisting back and fourth. Use a damp rag folded over several times into a pad, to quicky to wipe any solder off the pipe.
I really don't think something that close will be able to be cleaned and not affect the next one if you get my drift. The copper will need to be hot to clean it, but in the end it might all be better to replace rather than expect a pipe that has been soldered to seal in a compression fitting. Brian
Brian Gaff (Sofa) pretended :
It will be fine - The softer lead (than the copper) still on the pipe, will make easier for olive to form a seal on the pipe.
If you're using a sensible blow lamp, it won't disturb a nearby fitting. But a spare tile makes a decent free heat shield.
Wipe it with a damp cloth while hot enough for the solder to flow. After that wire wool if the olive won't fit.
I disagree.
When the pipe is hot enough it is quite straightforward to wipe the pipe of any excess solder.
If the olive can go on the pipe, then sufficient solder has been removed. It will bite through the thin film of solder and give a good seal. That has been my experience.
I don't see that part of the operation being a problem.
But I do tend to think that by the time you've got enough heat into a
22mm elbow that another solder fitting an inch a way is likely to suffer and need replacing too.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.