Flux and solder

I was made aware, the hard way, of the difference in using quality flux and solder as to using home center brands. Which do you guys prefer?

Use Oatey brand #95 Tinning Flux. It is Darn good stuff! Use it with a quality solder such as Canfield lead-free.

The advantage to using #95 is that it contains tiny ground up bits of solder so that once you brush it on and apply heat, the solder bits melt and adhere to the surface, tinning the copper which allows the fittings to be sweated much easier. The flux itself creates and oxygen free environment around the area you are soldering. Of course, make sure that your pipes and fittings are absolutely clean, grease-free and are dry! That is even more important than using the #95 flux, and it can't be stressed enough.!

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to sweat wet copper!

Wally

Oh and by the way, your local home center may very well not carry #95 Tinning flux. They may look at you like you just dropped out of an alien spaceship. Your best bet is to go to a pluming supply warehouse. They'll know what you are asking for.

Thanks for the advice. I have always preferred Utility Flux, but I did find a premium grade of Canfield's solder (100% WaterSafe). I will give the #95 Tinning Flux a try, though.

evaluating a connection

How do you evaluate a soldered connection, short of crossing your fingers and turning on the water? If you're practicing with pieces of pipe and fitting, say. Got the solder all around the outside of the fitting, didn't have time to move the solder around before it set up, so the amount of solder is light 180* around the fitting from the point of application. But it is all around. Should I be looking inside the pipe to see solder coming up past the fitting?

I've been surprised BTW that the flux seems to be bubbling almost instantly and the solder melting within seconds of applying the flame. I've heard that a common mistake for newbies is to overheat, so I apply straight away.

If you are concerned about the speed of heating look at the type of gas you are using and the type of fitting that you are heating. I use a propane torch and it usually takes 5-10 seconds for the fitting to get to the correct temp. Some gasses burn hotter and may get you there faster. If you are soldering a thicker fitting (a valve or something else with thick copper) it will take longer for that fitting to heat up.

You should apply the solder to the fitting as soon as the intersection between the fitting and the pipe can melt the solder without the flame being applied.

I generally heat one side of the fitting until I see smoke and then heat the other side until it smokes too. Touch the solder to the first side that you heated. If all is well, the solder will push easily into the fitting and flow around from the slightly cool side to the hot side.

I have personally been surprised at how little solder it takes. I am very much an amateur but I have been pleasantly pleased that none of my sweated connections have ever leaked (even the ones that I sweated over before I turned the water back on). I wish I could say the same for the threaded ones.

Also, I use the #95 tinning flux and the Safe Flo Silver Lead free solder from Oatley. My local home center carries the #95 flux and it's a whopping $.10 more than the other types of flux that they carry. It's a dime well spent.

Steve

Thanks, I'm using MAPP gas because it's supposed to be better than propane, I didn't realize how fast it would be. Just a few seconds. I also use #95 and Safe Flo.

Has anyone used the LaCo "Ultimate" flux?

I generaly haven't cared for any of their products, but I got a few samples of this water soluble flux at a trade show and it seemed to work pretty nice. I would say I was impressed. I used it to prefab a few shower valves, then last week I used it on a coupld 1-1/2" and 2" fittings. Figured I would burn it up on those larger fittings, but it seemed to hold up good and the solder draw was great.

For everyday use I've always used harris bridget solder and wolverine brass flux. Anyone know who the original manufacturer is of the wolverine flux?