Copper fitting - unsure of connection

nixontop · Sep 16, 2013

After sweating and re-sweating a coupling to connect 2 pieces of 1/2" copper pipe (shower valve), I noticed there is a slight angle or bend at the joint, suggesting I may not have pressed the coupling 100% down onto the bottom pipe. Picture attached. No leaks in 3 days.

Before I start walling it in, should I be concerned about future failure? Thanks.

Jadnashua · Sep 16, 2013

If you did not take the joint apart, reclean and flux after you noticed the leak, it is probably sealed with a glob of the solder, but it is not a proper joint. Once water contaminates a joint, the only way to make it 'whole' is to take it apart and start over. So, yes, you should worry until it is redone. MIght last a day, a year, but it is likely to eventually fail.

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Terry · Sep 16, 2013

There can be a bit of slop in a joint. So really, there's no way of telling except by your memory.

It's a little worrisome that you have a broad band of solder below the joint. That normally would happen if the joint had been soldered, and then pulled back. It does look a little funny.

Gary Swart · Sep 16, 2013

You're unsure of the joint, enclose it in a wall and you'll lay awake nights worrying about it. If it was mine, I redo it just to have peace of mind. As Jim noted, if water get into a bad joint, you can not just reheat and melt more solder. It's take apart and completely redo it. You don't have to get all of the old solder off, but it has to be cleaned just like a virgin pipe. Fittings can be cleaned and reused, but most of us just use a new one because cleaning inside a fitting is time consuming.

Dj2 · Sep 17, 2013

Your coupling connection is weak and a disaster waiting to happen.
I would cut it out, and replace it with 2 new couplings, top and bottom with a new short pipe in between. They all must be plumbed, not bent. The pipes and couplings must be clean and 100% dry before you apply flax. Don't use a ton of solder.

nixontop · Sep 17, 2013

Thanks for all the fast replies. I did clean, dry, and re-flux all the connections so I think the solder is solid. But, the "peace of mind" issue is a good point...I don't want to think about that pipe behind nice new tile for the next 12 months.

For the short pipe resolution, I suppose I should use the couplings that don't have stops, correct?

Thanks again.

Jadnashua · Sep 17, 2013

Yes, you can use repair couplings, but should only need one. Just make sure you get good overlap on both ends.

Again, if a soldered joint leaks, you must take it entirely apart, reclean, reflux, then resolder...you cannot just add solder as it will not flow into the hole the water went through. You may plug the end, but it still has a channel through most of the fitting.

hj · Sep 18, 2013

It looks suspiciously like the copper tubing has slid out of the coupling, or was not fully inserted when you redid the joint. if that is the case, unless you can pull the two pieces back together, there will be a gap inside the "slip coupling" which will make the new joint just as bad as this one.

Copper fitting - unsure of connection

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