Soldering Joints

The main focus of all our Copper plumbing is a procedure known as soldering, and it is not as difficult to do as you may imagine. The instructions below will give a better understanding and also will allow it to be tried by the amateur. This soldering is applied to produce a watertight seal between two metal fittings or pipework.These fittings and pipes are soldered with direct heat from a source like a Blowlamp. Walworth Plumbers use soldering techniques. The Two Types Of Soldered Joints are:

1). Ring Fittings. (which are pre-filled with solder). 2). End Feed Fittings. (solder from a reel). To make a soldered connection, firstly, clean the mating surfaces of the pipe and inside the fitting. This can be done with wire wool or Nylon cleaning pad. Apply a suitable flux to the clean surfaces. Flux is a special paste that is readily available in plumbing retail outlets and is applied in order to keep the area clean whilst the soldering is done and also allowing the molten solder to stick to the copper and flow easily. A Plumbing professional like a Walworth Plumber is qualified to carry out pipe soldering. Make sure that there is no water in the pipe otherwise this will cool the area and not allow the solder to melt and flow. Using a Blowlamp or a soldering machine, apply heat to assembled joint to melt the solder. Apply the solder as soon as it melts so as not to burn away the flux. In cases where solder fittings have been used, the solder will be seen running from the mouth of the fitting so remove the heat source. Allow the newly soldered joint to cool fully after soldering to ensure a good fit. Wipe off residual flux from the pipework after soldering as this will make the pipe green with corrosion if not removed. Visually check for leaking once the water is restored.