No solder coming out of solder rings

[CJLees01]

I'm having a problem getting a solder ring to attach properly.

I'm new to using solder rings but I took the advice here and practiced a little on some scrap pipe. I clean the pipe, apply flex, heat and end up with a perfect joint - nice neat, even solder appears.

When I do the same thing with the existing pipe I never seem to get any solder appearing out of the sides of the joint no matter how long I heat the pipe. I've tried getting water out of the existing pipe by heating it up and down. When I try using wire solder it just goes brittle and breaks off, which makes me think the temperature may be too high...

What am I doing wrong?

 

[gigz]

What pipe are you trying to solder ? if its a cold main and its not going into a combi shove a small ball of bread in the wet side then solder joint and open the nearest tap to get the bread out

 

[ChrisR]

I just reread - if there's any water still around, you'll not get it hot enough.
If it's just lying in the pipe I often shove a rubber tube down and suck some out.

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You aren't reusing the fittings you practiced with are you?

Old pipe can take a lot of cleaning.
Don't use too much flux, a brush makes it much more precise. A little excess on the pipe will help the solder appear. If the flux spends ages boiling because there's too much, then when it's gone the copper will immediately overheat.

If you heat gently moving the flame about, you HAVE to go through the right tempetrature!

If you add solder IN the flame it will "fall off", you need to keep touching it onto the copper, when it's hot enough it'll melt. If you add it "behind" the fitting from the flame, it'll travel round to the flame side.

 

[wiggikins]

Water still present in pipe, try to get rid of it, wet&dry vac is a good solution!

 

[ChrisR]

Sometimes, if no wet vac available, you can open a tap and blow the water out with the hoover on blow

 

[CJLees01]

Thanks guys - you are right there was a small bit of water in the pipe.

After I posted I cut the pipe further up, and realised that the new piece of pipe did solder correctly, and the joint into the old pipe hadn't been soldered at all - and there was damp inside.

What with practising and all, I've run out of solder rings, so I need to go to the store anyway. I think I'll just get a pushfit just to finish the job. It hasn't put me off solder rings though!!

Thanks for your help.

 

[Fluffster]

NOOOOOOO get some more solder ring joints a much better job than plastic.
Pete