another soldering question

[Taylor]

Quick question: If soldering is done, but water has not been run yet, is it okay to come back and reheat and add some more solder? Particularly on vertical joints....

Just finished repiping bathroom in Type L, Oatey 95 and lead-free solder. Soldering itself is a doddle, the nightmare is all that soldering in tight places, frequently only 90* of freedom of movement. So a lot of heating from one side only and hoping solder will flow to other side. In a couple of places visible solder is distinctly one-sided (one side of pipe). Thought I might try reheating and getting a loop of solder around to the other side. Worried that I'll break the joint (e.g. if it's a vertical joint, which most of them are). Figure it's better to do something like this before restoring water since there may still be some residual flux in the joint.

I am drawing hope from the fact that, whenever I took apart practice joints, the solder was pretty much all the way into the fitting, no matter what it looked like on the outside....

[captwally]

It is possible to reheat and resolder dry fittings, and is definitely a WHOLE lot easier to do when the pipes are still dry. Tight spaces are a pain, but unfortunately a fact of life. You need to get a feel for it, and the best way is to extend a foot of solder from the roll with a "J" hook in it, heat the fitting sufficiently, and start at the back of the fitting, working your way to where you can see. YOu are wise to be using Oatey 95 flux.

Once you flood the lines with water, it's a nightmare re-sweating leaky joints.

[Taylor]

Thanks. I've also found that it's hard to get the line of solder onto the joint when your hand is shaking. Latter might have something to do with a MAPP torch blasting full on 75-yo floor joist. Using flame protection blankets but still....