Presoldered copper pipe...good or bad idea?

lojoma

lojoma

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Recently I saw at home depot copper pipe fittings with a little recess just inside the fitting opening...solder was in this recess. The idea was to just heat up the joint and the solder would melt connecting the joint pieces without having to use a roll of solder.

These connections were on sale and I just wondered if anyone had used them. I have sweated copper once before and it wasn't especially hard to do but this looked like it would make it more goof-proof.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
 
This topic has been discussed several times here, and it seems that most of us feel these presoldered fittings are generally not worthwhile. Sometimes when a joint is in a very difficult position to reach, there may be justification in using one, but for the vast majority of joints, the regular old way is preferred.
 
I have found that it helps to use tinning flux such as Oatey No. 95. I haven't had a bad joint when it is applied to both well-cleaned, shiny, parts (pipe and fitting) of a joint.
 
Not to be a jerk, but try to search out answers to yr question b4 posting. This question gets asked weekly, along with:

"my toilet flange is too high (low). What to do?"

;)
 
John,

Welcome to the site - if you are like me, you'll find yourself coming here several times a day just to learn from the others on this site. Very interesting and helpful stuff, and supportive listers.
 
fittings

There is a reason why they are on sale, few people are buying them. A customer bought some for a job I was doing for him. One possible problem is that the fittings are very tight and it take a bit more time to push/slide/pound them onto the tubing.
 
I had only seen these presoldered fittings about 3 months ago so I bought what I needed for the tub shower valve replacement and they worked great. When I went back to buy more for the basement shower valve they were all on sale and no longer going to be restocking them. I can only guess they had complaints or they did not move quick enough at HD. I bought what I needed at *******.
 
When I first saw them 2-3 years ago I commented to the HD sales guy that they would be putting them on sale to get did of them within the next 3 years.

I bought a couple of discounted bags the other day.

I think WATTS was the Mfg.
 
I don't know why they would get rid of them, how stupid. Personally I like them & hope to find more. I use them along with soldering as normal. There is nothing wrong with a little extra assurance that its welded up as good as possible especially when its a hard to reach fitting.
If anyone has seen them around, hit me up please.
 
shuturazz said:
I don't know why they would get rid of them, how stupid. Personally I like them & hope to find more. I use them along with soldering as normal. There is nothing wrong with a little extra assurance that its welded up as good as possible especially when its a hard to reach fitting.
If anyone has seen them around, hit me up please.
Click to expand...

Not positive, but I think they're big sellers in the U.K., at least all the videos I've seen on youtube that use them seem to be British.

John
 
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