If you're a DIYer and want to take on plumbing tasks, one of the essential skills you'll need is knowing how to sweat copper pipes-also known as soldering. It's not a difficult task, and even a newbie can master it in about 30 minutes. You only need to have some basic tools and follow some guidelines. However, the internet is filled with various guidelines with different instructions, which can be confusing. Don't worry; we're here for you. This article is all you need to sweat copper pipes properly.
Things You'll Need:
When you're soldering, you'll need some tools as well as safety equipment to ensure that the entire process is carried out efficiently and safely. You can easily find such tools in any hardware store. You'll need the following list of tools and equipment:
- Insulated Gloves
- Striker
- Fitting brush
- Fire extinguisher
- Flame protector cloth
- 120 grit emery cloth
- Propane torch
- Face glasses/ face shield
- Clean rag
- Acid/flux brush
Step By Step Guide
Step 1: Gather All Your Tools
The first thing you need to do is gather all the required tools in one place. It's highly recommended that you keep them organized in a hardware toolbox. Make sure that you're wearing flame protector clothes and insulated gloves at all times. Additionally, ensure that you're wearing safety glasses/face shields when you're soldering the pipes. This is critically important if you're a beginner and will prevent injuries and accidents.
Step 2: Cut The Copper
Step 3: Eliminate Any Remaining Burr
Inspect the inside of all cut copper pipes to ensure that there are no burrs remaining. The burr is a ridge of copper caused by the cutting wheel where the cut was made. This allows the water to flow smoothly through the pipe.
Step 6: Soldering
You must first heat the bottom of the joint. If you flame the top first, gravity will cause your solver to move downwards but will have nowhere to go since the joint's bottom will be too cold to melt the solder. You must always start from the bottom and work your way up. Continue heating and check your solder routinely to see if it gets sucked in or not. After some time, your joint will be hot enough to accept the solder. After soldering, you must always examine the joint. If it's not heated properly, the joint will have some voids. If this occurs, you only need to reapply the flux, flame the joint, and solder the section again.
Step 7: Clean Up
If you're certain that the joint has been soldered properly, you just need to wait a few minutes for it to cool down. Some plumbers prefer to use flux to clean off the joint while it's still hot, but we don't recommend this step as it can cause the temperature to drop rapidly, fracturing the joint and causing it to leak. After your solder has been properly solidified, wipe off any remaining flux using the rag to prevent it from destroying the pipe in the long run. After that, you're all done.
Safety Tips
Whenever you're not using it, make sure that the propane torch is shut off. The tank is tippy, and if you're not careful, the torch can fall off and burn something. This can be hazardous.
Temporarily place a steel plate or hand a flame protector cloth over flammable materials such as wood if you're soldering nearby. You must always have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby whenever you're soldering to prevent a fire from starting.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our article on how to sweat a copper pipes. It's not a challenging task, and with the right equipment and steps, you can start soldering in no time. It's a very useful task, and if you like tinkering around your home, it'll prove to be very beneficial. However, always make sure that you're practicing all safety measures when you're soldering copper pipes.
