Soldered joints

[PaulAH]

Does anyone have a foolproof tip on sealing a soldered Yorkshire joint with a slow leak in an awkward place? £1,000,000 for the best answer (if you take out a patent).

Paul

 

[breezer]

drain system first

 

[PaulAH]

Nice one, Breezer. Done that already!

 

[breezer]

are you saying you have drained, re soldered and still have leek?

 

[PaulAH]

Yup. And several more leaks (surplus beer) while trying to work out what to do next.

 

[ollski]

is it impossible to replace the section?....even drained down the remains of the water in the bottom of the pipe will prevent it getting hot enough to solder. Why not cut it out and rejoin with speedfit connections + continuity bonding.

 

[PaulAH]

Thanks guys. Very helpful suggestions but I was after a magic fix. Ollski's solution demonstrates why it would be worth a million.

 

[oilman]

You could try heating the joint up gently to drive out the water. Then apply flux and warm it up so it runs into the joint. Then use tin/lead solder. Don't use this useless lead free stuff, cos it's b******ks!! and it's why joints leak mostly.

If anyone wants to know why I'm so $@£!&±g stupid, it's because most of the water I've drunk has been fed through either lead pipes or copper pipes soldered with tin/lead solder, so my brain has the equivalent ability of a sub-normal cockroach. (I think this applies to JP as well as all the arslikan euro-MPs who spend their time dreaming up pointless regulations). I don't see that the lead content in pipes has done as much to boost moronic behaviour in teenagers as has the current availability of alcohol which results in violence in almost every large town in Britain every week. (and no, I haven't been drinking alcohol). Er....has that got off the subject?

 

[AlanE]

Why not cut pipe suck out water with Vax, or similar, and then resolder and use slip coupling on cut joint?

Alan

 

[PaulAH]

Alan - tried the Vax trick last night. Very satisfying as it gulps all that water you thought had gone. The solder is now taking better but the problem remains of getting the joint clean and really hot at the back where it's close up against the (plaster) wall. Persevere, my son...

Oilman: Your point about lead-free soldier rings true. The stuff I'm using (lead free) does feel lame. I'm no plumber but as an electronics junkie I've done thousands of joints on PCBs and other circuitry using traditional lead/tin solder, and the characteristics seem quite different. This stuff (aluminium-based?) seems to have little "hold" - it runs off like water.

Does this tally with anyone else's experience? Come to that, can you find lead solder any more - or has Two Jags consigned it to history along with everything else that actually works?

Paul

Oilman, stop rambling. That's my province.

 

[Ugh!]

If you are into electronics, why not hit it with some multi-core. I've used this in the past on an awkward joint.

Don't overheat the joint, as soon as you see the solder start to flow move the torch off to one side.

 

[PaulAH]

Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that? Does it amalgamate with the lead-free cr*p?

 

[Ugh!]

I have no idea how it behaves with lead free.
Might be best to overheat what you have a little in order to try run the LF out of the joint, clean it up and then try a re-heat with the multi-core.
I really don't know as I have never used LF solder.

 

[PaulAH]

Thanks, Ugh. I'll try this and let you know what happens.

But don't tell Oilman. He needs to drink more of the leaded stuff before qualifying as Deputy Prime Minister.

 

[oilman]

You could try a test on some offcuts to see how the solders react. The fluxes may have an effect too. LMP solder may be something else worth trying.

(It makes good sandwiches, so I'm told by my good friend the DPM)

(For those who need a supply try this )