Need Help Quick!!!

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BMWMK2

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I Just Soldered The Pipes For The New Bath Tub, I Assembled Them Seperatly And The Soldered It To The Two Pipes Coming Up Through The Floor Using 1/2" Copper Coulplings. I Went And Turned The Water On And There Is A Small Pinhole Leak Spraying From The Top Of One Of The Couplings. What Do I Do? Do I Heat It Back Up And Apply More Solder? Will Having Run Water Through It Be A Problem? I Alredy Turned The Water Off And Draind The Pipe From The Basement. Please Help Quick!!!

Thanks Mike
 

Jadnashua

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Once a fitting has a leak, it is really hard to get it soldered properly without taking it apart, cleaning and then refluxing and resoldering. You could try adding some flux, reheating, but it will probably fail again from what I hear.
 

BMWMK2

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hey jim, thanks for all your help.
i just applied flux and reheated an added solder, and it appears to have worked, no more leak. but should i be very worried about it leaking in the future? and is there anykind of backup that i can do for these joints? i saw some "sticky plumbers tape" in lowes or am i just fooling myself?
the solder has cooled and i ran a good amount of water through it, is it common for a leak on a soldered joint to come back, or once it is cooled and hardened thats it its solid?
 

Brownizs

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It could possibly later on. Rule of thumb, if you are unsure of the job, redo to make sure is correct, so you do not have problems later on.
 

BMWMK2

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I Guess Your Right :( What Is The Easiest Way To Go About This? Without Taking The Whole Thing Apart, I Read Here That You Can Use A Copper X Copperx Female T Fitting As A Coupling And Just Cap Off The Threaded Female Outlet, Is This Ok?
 

Plumber1

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Figure a way to blow the water out at a lower spot than where you are working. Maybe a faucet in the basement.

If you don't have a compressor and you are close to the bad spot open just that side of the faucet and pucker up and blow.

Also if the area in question is horizontal, lift the line right there and prop it up so you can solder.

You can also cut it there, take out the bad fitting and solder in an adopter tee and use a brass pipe plug.....
 

BMWMK2

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I Was Thinking About Cutting Out The Couplings And Soldering In Shut Off Valves Since I Can Get To It From The Access Panel. Is There Anything Wrong In Doing That?
 

Gary Swart

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Nothing wrong with that. We use cut off valves like that all the time for fixtures. You have one for sinks and basins and toilets so they can be isolated if you need to work on them, do the tub/shower the same. Once water has been applied to a joint and a leak is discovered, it's best to either disassemble the joint and start over or just cut the bad piece out and solder in new pieces. Generally speaking, it's not very cost effective to unsolder joints and clean the residual solder out of the fittings and off of the pipes. I've done it on occasion to save a 15 mile round trip to HD for one or two fittings, but usually I have enough extra elbows and tees to just use new ones. There's always a lurking question about a joint that you've tried to resolder without disassembling as you have already discovered for yourself. Forget about the magic tapes, liquid patch, and any of the other fixer products in the box stores.
 

BMWMK2

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Thanks For All The Help Everyone, Ill Let You Know How It Turns Out.
Thanks Mike
 

BMWMK2

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Hey Guys, I Took The Couplings Apart, Cleaned The Pipes, Bought Tow Shut Off Valves And Soldered Them It, No Leaks!!!!!
Thanks For All Your Guys Help, That Coupling Would Have Leaked.
 
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