How to solder correctly

Who brush cleans brand new copper fittings that are not tarnished and who fluxes and uses them as is when sodering.

That was for 1/2, 3/4 and 1" fittings with the solder built in. When I bought out a Sears hardware's plumbing inventory I bought it all for .09 cents per fitting. That's what I was wanting and Home Poncho wouldn't budge. In total there was 11,000+ fittings between all 3 sizes, I only wanted 1/2 mostly with some 3/4 that brought it up to 6000.

I already have enough copper fittings to last my career, thus the reason I was wanting to give rock bottom for the fittings knowing I was going to buy that many at one time. Those presoldered fittings do not sell at all on online auctions either.

Every copper fitting and pipe in my hands has always been cleaned and sanded before soldering, new or not. Oil residues on that piping from plant to hand can prevent a good solder joint. It will double ring solder, meaning the solder will flow to the cut edge, then at the top of the fitting socket, leaving the majority of the socket without solder.

^^^^ Those are the first solder joints to blow when they freeze or when disturbed/moved.

Frenchie-
From yr linked article. You gotta love what he says is on the MSDS of one flux: “Provide showers and eye-wash station where used.â€
How's that for ironic? It's like saying, "Cooking is a strenuous activity, so make sure you eat well before you cook your meals."

95 and 5 are petrolatum based. It's obvious when you try to clean yr flux brushes after (or am I the only cheapo who does that). It doesn't wash off without soap or solvent. If they were surfactant based, they'd feel like soap.

prashster said:

95 and 5 are petrolatum based. It's obvious when you try to clean yr flux brushes after (or am I the only cheapo who does that). It doesn't wash off without soap or solvent. If they were surfactant based, they'd feel like soap.

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see for yourself:

http://www.oatey.com/msds_usenglish.html

The hot weater (regular no 95) is petroleum based, but 20-5 and 20-95 are both sufractant based.

I mistook your response. Sorry. I meant the 95 and no 5 (not the 20-5 or 20-95)

3 years ago I replaced a water heater for a respiratory therapist along with the installation of a PRV and EXP tank. He made a comment that when I was soldering in the PRV, he asked if I realized that the fumes/smoke was all around me, breathing it in. I instantly said no since I'm more focused on the work than the smoke.

Ever since that day I always have a small fan or ask the customer to throw a fan on in the direction of where I am soldering. This way it dissipates the concentration of smoke when soldering. Still doesn't fix the problem but I'm pretty sure I'm at least "trying" to protect myself from inhaling concentrated levels of that stuff.

The fan also helps with cooling down the fittings quicker as well.

Gloves

I haven't worked with copper bare handed since 1992. Before then my hands would be green from working with copper/flux all day plumbing new homes. Rarely do I get glue on my skin from running plastic DWV. As a service plumber my PVC glue and cleaner goes bad before I ever reach the end of it, and I'm glad. VOC's are horrible for the respiratory system over prolonged exposure and creates nervous system problems down the road.

Taking the lame duck approach that "it hasn't killed me yet" is premature at best; we plumbers are a generation that are going to be the first to retire from running plastic in our full career, no retirees yet. I'd love to know the severity breakdown between breathing lead fumes from pouring joints to soldering against acetone acetate/pvc glue and what that does to the body. Hell my heart rate jumps whenever I break out either (glue&cleaner) and my customers always know when I open the container.

I didn't use to ventilate, until I did a bunch of sweating on one job... felt like the inside of my mouth & sinuses had been wiped down with flux. Nasty. Now I not only ventilate, but pre-assemble whatever I can outside.

http://www.emeraldlatexgloves.com/pdf/Auto%20Catalog.pdf

Page 2 >>>> Powder-Free Hi-Risk Exam Gloves


These gloves do not rip very easily and can be washed and reused. Feels like a heavy dishwashing glove pulled tight. The cheaper thinner ones are worthless as any sharp contact will tear them instantly. It takes months to get used to but the skin (especially the hands) absorbs all types of chemicals and germs, cuts or no cuts. I can't get out of my truck without throwing a pair on....it's second nature just like the foot booties.

I absolutely cannot use the ones with powder in them; instant rash and if I get it near my eyes they swell shut.

You don't "have" to use these but it is becoming more and more common for service plumbers to wear these given the numerous times we come in contact with germs/waste matter/tools used daily that are hardly ever sanitized regularly.

I swear by the blue gloves - nitrile - the latex ones fall apart, and yeah, I get the rash after a bit, too...

oops, the download just finished, I realized we're talking about the same ones.

Hi
I came on this forum with a question about a zone valve and saw this thread.
For years I wanted to know how to solder copper pipes, my brothering-law is a plumber and I asked him to show me on several occasions but all he did was a quick demo and then said it’s a matter of practise.
I now know that he was being nasty, he could have shown me where I was going wrong but he didn’t,
I did a google search and found a site http://www.grahamvideos.co.uk where I downloaded a video. I now know that all I was doing wrong was overheating the joint.
I can now solder like a pro ( I think so anyway )

Hope this helps
Mike

RUGGED said:

I absolutely cannot use the ones with powder in them; instant rash and if I get it near my eyes they swell shut.

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Rugged, wait a minute, your eyes are already half way swelled shut, so are you saying that I, will (Irish mostly) will only see a slight swelling?

Rancher

I've tried Oatey, but I use Everflux with great success.

Rancher said:

Rugged, wait a minute, your eyes are already half way swelled shut, so are you saying that I, will (Irish mostly) will only see a slight swelling?

Rancher

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Jing ping wan jip jip ching. Moo goo gia pan hwaaaaaaaaaaaa. aaaaaaa. jing pA!

RUGGED said:

Jing ping wan jip jip ching. Moo goo gia pan hwaaaaaaaaaaaa. aaaaaaa. jing pA!

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Yer like...um...a ninja er sumthin'

First GET ALL of the water out of the lines that you wre trying to solder.

GrumpyPlumber said:

RUGGED, your right.
I'll be first to admit that I don't ventilate when I'm working..thought has occurred to me the flux vapor can't be good.
As for the gloves...I did it for awhile, but they're too bulky in tight spaces, plus I eat 'em for lunch, I just bye Fast Orange by the gallon..literally.

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You are all a bunch of sissey--worry-warts....(just kidding).

I bet half of you smoke, and you are worried about solder fumes.....

..if you have been doing this work since the 60s -70s its far too late to worry about it..now....

How many of you have spent the whole day soldering ina crawl space???

or done a total drain re-pipe in a crawl space with PVC glue??

how many of you have considered what a tolerance you have built up to PVC glues???

I go into homes and just break open the can and the home-owners almost fall over from the toxic smell ....

how many of you have gotten drunk on PVC fumes before...???

I got an 87 year old father that sitll is plumbing since the 40s
(although I think the glue has somehow pickled his liver-and brain)

So I am proud to say that those
PVC fumes have made me the guy I am today.....LOL

Follows the same ritual

When all those pipefitters would work inside buildings and the asbestos insulation covering was installed.

They said it looked like it was snowing inside the building from all the airbourne particles.

That stuff leads to asbestosis of the lungs; a incurable and non-reversing lung condition that hits you only when you're older.

Any time your skin comes it contact with a chemical, no matter if you breathe it or it touches the skin, the skin absorbs it.

I guess my concern stems back to years ago how I blatantly ignored these cautionary tales.....now I'm trying to at least try to protect myself.


They say you spend the first half of your life destroying your body, you spend the second half trying to protect it. It all adds up, no one knows who's going to win the horse race.

GrumpyPlumber said:

Yer like...um...a ninja er sumthin'

Click to expand...

jip jip foo