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Soldering copper pipe too fast?

3K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Wildie 
#1 ·
I've soldered my first couple of copper pipes, and I've noticed I have to move the solder fairly quickly once it start melting or it will run down outside the pipe like crazy.
I had assumed I would at least have to hold the solder for a couple of seconds in each spot to let the 'capillary' action draw the solder deep into the joint. But the joint seemed to fill up instantaneously and overflow. Is the capillary action that fast?
I hold the tip of the flame towards the back of the joint to draw the solder in.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
Heat the fitting evenly, all the way around... with a 1/2" fitting you don't really need to move the flame around the fitting at all, 3/4 you might have to heat one side up and then hit the other side for just a couple seconds to get even heat in there.

You want to get the solder in there ASAP, because if you don't you can burn the flux, and then you will have a leak.

The solder should draw in pretty rapidly, but if it's overflowing you've used too much.

~ 1/2" of solder for a 1/2" joint, ~ 3/4" for a 3/4" joint... .so on and so forth.

It takes a lot of practice to get it not to overflow, but i'm assuming that you're thinking that its not getting all the way into the fitting? :huh:
 
#6 ·
Most solering leaks are due to "cold soldering". The pipe and fitting are not hot enough and the solder doesn't fill in the joint. I took a test where we soldered a 2" coupling onto two pieces of copper pipe. One was horizontal and the other side was done vertically. The pipe and coupling were then cut in half longwise and the coupling was separated from the pipe using a hammer and chisel. The entire surface was required to show solder or the test was failed.
 
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