More help please with cnetral heating renovation

[:Jerry:]

To get solder to go uphill from the bottom pipe to the fitting would

The laws of physics and capillary action!

[Andy Hall]

If you're happy with them then it's absolutely fine. The main difference is that you don't see the rings on the fittings. If you don't mind either way then it doesn't really matter. The end feed ones are less expensive but unless you are buying a lot, that may not be an issue.

Actually it's not. Capillary action.

Take a piece of kitchen paper and dip the corner in a glass of water. The water soaks upwards and appears to defy gravity. Same principle.

[Cicero]

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================================== Capillary action - solder flows uphill. Actually the solder is drawn into the fitting quite readily because it follows the flux.

End feed look neater (opinion, of course) because they're a plain section (hardly greater than the diameter of the 15mm pipe) of tube with a slight constriction in the centre for correct location. Solder runs *into* them to make the joint. Do the bottom part of the fitting first - but both ends in the same heating.

The Yorkshires are longer and have two ribs in them which contain the solder and that runs *outwards* when heated leaving a void inside the fitting. You have to watch carefully for the solder running just far enough without letting it run out completely which would ruin the joint. They also require slightly more heat than end feed.

Cic.

[Andy Hall]

Just to add to that, I found that failure rate on solder ring fittings was improved if I briefly touched a solder wire on the ends of the joint as it was heated and the solder inside had started to run.

Once I realised that, then it was a simple (i.e. the same) step to use end feed.

Nowadays I use them for reasons of cost saving and because I prefer not to see the ridged bit, but I am not religious about it.

[Andy]

>> This

After years of making do with a cheap and cheerless £10 burner I finally bought the Bernzomatic version of this torch (£30 on Ebay). I really wish I had spend the money first time round. It make soldering joints easy - and quick.

As a bonus it will even do light brazing.

Andy.

[Ed Sirett]

Firstly do you need to remove them? They will likely make a good seal to the new valve body. Almost certainly the thread will be the same (Rp0.5). If the pipe protrudes past the olive longer than the new valve accepts then you will need to remove a little of the pipe.

Otherwise the correct tool is an olive splitter, screwfix puller is hard work and expensive for what it is. Rothenburger make the splitter tool.