Here’s part 2 of how to solder copper tubing.
If you haven’t seen part 1, check it out here: How to solder copper tubing – part 1
In part 1 I took you through preparation process and laid out the necessary tools and supplies for your soldering journey. In this video I demonstrate how to solder one horizontal and one vertical joint using 1/2″ copper tubing. As a rule on the smaller diameters (1/2″ & 3/4″) I’ll leave my torch tip on one area of the fitting and because I’m using Mapp fuel along with my Turbo Torch STK-1 tip the job gets done fast. One step often missed in the the soldering process is not reaming or d-burring the inside of the copper pipe. This step you don’t want to miss as it will cause turbulence resulting in noisy plumbing.When I solder I always heat the fitting which will insure that the solder will flow freely into the joint. Their seems to be many opinions on whether you should heat the pipe or fitting, but I was taught this way at an early age and to date it’s my opinion that heating the fitting will insure a leak free joint 100% of the time.
One other very important step I want to point out is that when your through soldering and the joint sets, it’s important to grab a damp cloth and wipe off all that excess flux. Did you ever see a nicely laid out series of water lines that were lined up perfectly both horizontally and vertically but was covered in crusty green gunk? Horrible! That’s the left over flux someone forgot to wipe off. The soldering process is not to difficult to do and if you take it slowly, you should have no problem with it.
If you didn’t watch part 1, I recommend you check it out first.
Remember you can always reach me at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com if you have any further questions.
HAPPY PLUMBING!
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