Ok, I know basic plumbing techniques. however, I tried to heat the pipes and then put the soldering on it, but it seems like the soldering is not melting on the pipes, do I need flux? What is flux by the way? Now what I did was cut the bad piece away and I am going to home depot tomorrow to get a new joint piece. I want to do it the right way but I am a step away from buying a flexible tube and using 2 pipe clamps! I heated the original pipe to the right temp. I waited for the flame to go green, then I rubbed the soldering on it but it did not melt. What the hell am I doing wrong!!! Losing my mind! Any help?
Listen to Jamie! Just make sure the copper is shiny clean, and apply water soluble flux to the exterior of the pipe only. Don't apply flux inside the fitting, unless you want the pipe to develop holes in about a year. If you can't get all the water out, then the bread trick is OK, as long as you remove the crust. There is a tool for this, that is inserted into the pipe, and the handle on the end of the tool, rotates, and squeezes a rubber attached to the end of the tool, outward, to stop the water, long enough to solder the joint. When you are through soldering, you unscrew the tool, and remove it. Good luck!
these are older copper pipes and you probably have a little water lying in there. not probably. you DO. if you cannot stop the water from flowing toward the connection, then shove a piece of bread up the pipe away from the area you are soldering. do not worry. the bread will disintegrate when you turn the water back on. make sure copper is clean and resin is applied, heat the pipe, not the solder . touch the solder to the pipe, and it will melt when the pipe gets hot enough. you can also tilt the pipes up so the water cannot get to the area. moral? keep water away from soldering area. do not use acid flux. use resin. and use solid solder. period.
these are older copper pipes and you probably have a little water lying in there. not probably. you DO. if you cannot stop the water from flowing toward the connection, then shove a piece of bread up the pipe away from the area you are soldering. do not worry. the bread will disintegrate when you turn the water back on. make sure copper is clean and resin is applied, heat the pipe, not the solder . touch the solder to the pipe, and it will melt when the pipe gets hot enough. you can also tilt the pipes up so the water cannot get to the area. moral? keep water away from soldering area. do not use acid flux. use resin. and use solid solder. period.
Listen to Jamie! Just make sure the copper is shiny clean, and apply water soluble flux to the exterior of the pipe only. Don't apply flux inside the fitting, unless you want the pipe to develop holes in about a year. If you can't get all the water out, then the bread trick is OK, as long as you remove the crust. There is a tool for this, that is inserted into the pipe, and the handle on the end of the tool, rotates, and squeezes a rubber attached to the end of the tool, outward, to stop the water, long enough to solder the joint. When you are through soldering, you unscrew the tool, and remove it. Good luck!
