Sweating problem...

I installed a new water pressure relief valve being that my old one was leaking. I cleaned and sanded the old and new connections and stuffed a piece of bread into both pipes and got everything put together. The problem is the sweating of the pipes. I brushed on the flux and I seem to be having trouble applying the solder to the lower connection. After I heat the pipe and remove the propane flame most of the solder drops to the floor and does not stick well to the connection. I don't believe the top portion was much of a problem. Of couse there is plenty of leaking when I finally turned on the water. Is there something different that I can do to sweat the lower connection correctly?

Assuming it's copper to copper, you didn't clean and flux properly.

Open the connection and sand both inside of fitting and outside of pipe. wipe clean. Then apply decent amount of flux to both pipe and fitting. Then solder.

Also, when you apply flame, apply to fitting - not pipe.

Practice on scrap until you get the feel. Trust me, you'll KNOW when it's right. Man, there's NOTHING like seeing that solder sweat properly. It's ecstasy!

You can't have any water running through the pipe when it is being sweat. The water will draw away the heat and you will be there until 2099 trying to sweat it.

yup pipe must be dry, clean and EVENLY fluxed. use MAPP gas torch, propane is bunk imho... make sure your solder is 95/5 or 100% water safe...

hope this helped

mn_nobody said:

use MAPP gas torch, propane is bunk imho...

Click to expand...

I wouldn't use MAPP. I'd use propane. MAPP burns too hot and if you're not quick and precise, you could burn out the flux and ruin the joint. The regular blue, Bernzomatic propane torch works fine. Some people like to replace the tip with a more efficient burning one, but IMHO if yr doing less than a few jobs, the El Cheapo default tip will be just fine.

Get some Oatey No. 95 tinning flux.

solder

Get rid of the water, and if the bread is before the PRV get rid of it also.