Someone here asked: "How much solder do I use?" Until you get a true "feel" for soldering I'd recommend this - use about 1/2 of the diameter of whatever fitting you are soldering. Thus if you are soldering 1/2" pipe, use about 1/4" of solder. If you are soldering a 1" pipe - use about 1/2" of solder. And how do you know how much solder you are actually using? Well, if you need 1/2" of solder, bend a 90 degree angle at the tip or your solder so you physically have 1/2" of solder after your bend. If you need 1/4" of solder, bend the tip of the solder so that you have 1/4" of solder past the bend. It is VERY easy to add too much solder (and as this video showed) where you end up puddling the solder inside the joint. Truly, you need VERY LITTLE solder to make a sealed joint. When I was a novice I was installing a boiler and had soldered a 3/4" vertically mounted gate valve - and because of the mass of the valve I REALLY soldered that valve to make sure it didn't leak. Problem was - I had used so much solder that when the valve was opened (the gate was pulled back to open the valve) I had completely sealed the valve closed. I had created a solid solder plug! Yup - played hell finding that little error when the system wouldn't work. And that's when boss-man taught me the 1/2 the diameter of the pipe trick.

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@@kevinr4454 Just get away from soldering! Use only compression fittings. They are easy to install and never leak.

Do you have videos on the sewer line that connects to city main? Thanks

Why use an auto cutter you'll need your trusty rigids reamer anyway. Always ream! Lol

Thanks a lot buddy ;)

Does this mean , you only use this technique for all your work ? Where do you work ? Never used the technique of leaving a thin neat but visible line of solder just barely around the joint ?

This channel needs more subscribers like you ;)

Yeah "detailed" until you pay for shit that is a giant waste of time.

@@russscott8650 ?

@@russscott8650 Dont be a jerk, no one likes a jerk!

Niceeee!!!

As I was watching another video it occurred to me that wearing gloves might be a good idea to prevent contaminating the copper as you clean it,

@@charleswilson4598 The disadvantage of wearing gloves is you don't get that attractive dark staining on your skin(my body chemistry?, I know very few that get this) and that unique, I've been running copper all day smell. Ok, may not a disadvantage after all. I prefer leather for cutting and deburring, better gription. Never really thought about it before, but next time, I may wear leather on my left and cotton on my right hand. Just had my eureka moment. BTW, the gloves are the cotton poly blend yellow ones. I always thought they were just cotton, but just checked. Handy Andy gloves. They haven't changed much in 50 years.

@@mikemorgan5015 I haven't changed much in 50 years either.

True…. Enough Said

True, but planning a route goes a long way

Lol

@@LeeroyPaladin And that's when the motto of, "Sometimes you gotta not be afraid to fuck someone's shit up" comes into play

Yep. Agree 💯

This is a professional showing us how to do a good job. You need to account for camera angles. If the demo pipe is too close to the wall the camera cannot get in

That's fine.

NOT weird. That's one way you know the solder has reached the back of the joint, taking into consideration you had the solder on the joint in the first place, which I believe you did.

Same with glued joints. If you can see the glue you know it's glued. As an apprentice (and ONCE as a Journeyman) I forgot to glue a joint. Easy to do. Visual cues save you from digging down 3' to find out why it's not holding during the test

Agreed. I also knock the bead off with a flux brush.

Exactly. Or “degree of certainty”

Wow, I feel honored, thank you so much for the feedback!

Thank you Tom, share if you can :)

Got2Learn plumbers save lives throughout the day! Every day! That is why it's better to take a few extra minutes and make sure each job is correct and safe, and not be rushed by our bosses

Our bosses are not always out in the field, some of them are sitting behind a desk and counting the money that we make for them, but I can go home and sleep with a good conscious if I do it correctly and safely for the customer

😆😆😆

Stopping strangers, made me chuckle. I know what you mean

Wow what a joke tbh. I can use used sand paper or a "f" ed up brush and visibly see if the pipe isnt cleaned well. U r a joke. Find a new profession u dum fk

Good comment, good tips!!

Thank you for commenting !

Would there be a situation where you should not use this flux? I can't see a reason to buy the regular stuff except the expense. For a DIY that's negligible.

Glad it helped!!! :)

100% agreed 🙏

Yes. With this and literally every other contractor grade project.

I used to do almost all my joints like this and we would run 120psi hydrostatic tests. I won't be a liar, some would leak, but that's because of where they were placed (very hard to reach), the others would do just fine.

Hehe, that's cool, have fun bud ;)

I tried during my osha 40 class but the drool messed up the screen..

Still have my OSHA 10 card from high school! Good for life.

Good work bud, and thanks for the nice comment ;)

Awesome man, $$$ ;)

Thank you very much for sharing that, key thing to know.

I enjoyed and will try your tip as well. I do the samething, I worry too much about leaks that I use too much. Ty

My question would be, with what thickness of solder does the rule work?

No one ever mentions this on you tube lol. In Mexico we all do this 😂😂😂👍👍👍

Exactly! Yes, I mentioned somewhere in the video that I personally only use this for radiators and towel warmers and stuff like that where you have 1 or 2 joints that are exposed, other than that, there's no use for this method, unless you want it to look clean inside the wall..

@@Got2Learn pretty cool that I was able to learn a new technique after so many years in plumbing. For exposed joints all I've ever done is wipe the flux and try to control heat and just have a thin bit of solder showing. Never pulled off a flawless joint like that. Good video.

I've recently learned that mapp as we knew it hasn't been produced since 2008. The stuff that they sell in the yellow bottle isn't actually mapp. They intentionally call it map/pro to mislead the consumer. It only burns 100 degrees or so hotter than propane. Nowhere near what the old mapp was. The torch tip is far more important than buying today's yellow bottle. There are a couple of great videos that demonstrate this. I am no longer going to pay the premium price for a marginally better gas.

It might have been right for you but I just checked the price of one and for that amount of money I'd redo half of my house's plumbing with all materials included. It is totally not worth it, I paid something like $12 for my torch.

Was about to say, literally no "professional" or homeowner cares about how the solder looks on a pipe that's inside a wall. These videos get made for people who have never and will never do this kind of work.

😂😂😂

🤗🤗🤗🤗

Am I missing something? Are you suggesting that after 40 years you're ready to take it to the next level? 😆

😇😇😇

Thanks for watching! :)

Glad I could help Ninja ;)

Thank you very much, and yeah....people don't take the time anymore to do stuff nicely, oh well...

I agree. Also will add that who cares what it looks like. Won't be seen inside the wall. If exposed to view then yes I'd want it to look good.

;) this is the place, have fun bud ;)

@Hans Fuchs no, it's not.

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I used to work for plumbing company as laborer helper. It's easy enough to solder. Prep work is very key. Don't over use flux. Don't overheat it. " Write " once around the joint that's it. Wipe off excess if need be.

Thx buddy, really appreciate it ;£

Hehe, there's multiple ways to get it done right, don't worry ;)

Wooohoooo thx @ghost, glad you liked it bud!!

@@Got2Learn pleasure as always bro, keep doing what you do best 😜

Natural gas lines should never be soldered joints, rather they should be flared to adapt to iron pipe main. If by “Gas Lines” you are referring to Medical Gases, these should also never be soldered joints, but brazed with a nitrogen purge.

@@richardhy6931 Here in the United kingdom & Europe we use different thicker gauge copper. As the methanethiol added to gas to make it smell is lesser in content. The natural gas reacts very little with the copper. So Gas safety and use regulations states we can use copper. As it states appropriate fittings should be used. We cannot swage gas lines. Outlet gas lines from domestic meters are such low pressure and copper is actually the most common material used here. You have a different climate to us. So gas has a different thermal expansion to UK and Europe. Long gone are the days we used cast iron or steel for gas installations. I work commercial & domestic tiv & meter volumes can be extremely high in some cases. So the gas purge machine comes out quite often too.

It’s always interesting to see how things are done in other countries. Thanks for the explanation ghostman 👍🏼

And I apologize if I offended anyone with my comments. I am a grumpy General Contractor.

Hehe, at all ;)

s o l d e r = solder in UK, home of English language

@@stephensomersify Population Britain 66 mil. Population US 328 mil. "sod-der". More plumbers.

I used the acronym MAPP generically as well as everyone else does these days when in reality and to be specific it is MAPP-Pro. It is the only thing you can buy for small single bottle torches bc real MAPP went out of production a decade ago. I loved the real thing. Burned hotter and faster than any single bottle gas. Did not need any type of "turbo" torch to use. Now with MAPP-Pro, one needs to upgrade their torch. I tell everyone to use the Benzomatic TS8000 when using MP. I do use a propane torch to bring cast aluminum up to high heat before welding to avoid cracking. Funny thing, on a job last year, customer says I was welcome to use what ever was in their supply room. I discovered 4 pristine and unused bottles of real MAPP. I took them all and gave customer back new bottles of MP.

You are most welcome. Yeah the thumbs down are mostly plumbers who don't like me giving away tricks lol.

👌🙏

Absolutely, thanks buddy for the positive comment ;)

Thats not what its from. Its from residual flux (highly acidic) oxidizing the copper. To prevent this, wipe your cooled joint with isopropyl.

@@thatf_inguy8220 Can't say I agree with you. While the flux is indeed highly acidic due to the fact it chemically cleans the copper, it isn't going to cause a properly soldered joint to leak because it wasn't wiped properly. If soldered joints were this susceptible to leaks because of them not being wiped properly, I'd guess this technique of piping would never be accepted in the field of plumbuing and would have died in its infancy..

Very much appreciated, thx so much OldsXCool!!!

@@Got2Learn Bury the treasure in a copper box, and solder it tight with a pretty, no drip seam.

Awesome man, hope it turns out nice ;)

Thanks bro :)

And using a clean cloth to wipe after sanding the copper. Thanks for your comments !

Awesomeee!!! Thanks a lot buddy ;)

Thx Viper6, always enjoy reading your comments ;)

Tinning flux will almost seal joint by itself but will also cause voids if over heated

weirdfish weirdfish 👍

🤜🤛

It takes the same amount of time, just a different technique.

I call them dog balls

Lollll

Oh dear...

I always say solder is cheap . In a hard to reach spot I will let it drip . Finesse does not apply in this situation.

👍👍👍

Pretty sure I was taught to ream inside of the tube, and NOT the fitting. The purpose of reaming has not so much to do with the strength of the joint, but the torpidity of the water after the joint is done and the H2O is flowing. Torpidity at the joint will cause the joint to fail over time. Water will cut through rock with enough directed agitation - you want it flowing nice and smooth over the joint.

Not to put too fine a point on it but I believe it’s called cavitation, when a pipe starts to decay from inside due to uneven eddies and currents from a pipe that wasn’t reamed

@@62Cristoforo Not to put too fine a point on it, but cavitation is the result of torpidity at the joint.

Yeah give it a try, your boss will love ya ;)

If your in the USA you cannot use acid based flux on potable water lines. It is prohibited in the IRC & UPC.

Thanks man!!!

Yup i wipe joints with a scotch bright pad after soldering and joints like great everytime

It’s such a good feeling knowing all your joints look beautiful and do the job right.

Thanks so much Mike!

😉

Thanks man, glad you liked it ;)

@@Got2Learn The quality of my work is improving thanks to your great videos. Enjoy watching them.

Thx so much 2002, I really appreciate that ;)

💯

Depending on the flux, leaving flux on a pipe will result in it turning green, although it may look good initially. Most plumbers I know consider fluxing after soldering to be extremely bad practice for this reason. I suppose if you want to grease your pipe, though, a silicone grease could be used for this purpose. I don't generally use an abrasive to polish a joint, although copper, whether oiled or not, is generally extremely durable when exposed to air, so I can't really see what harm it would do (except that you are wearing away the wall thickness very slightly).

🙏🙏🙏

Are you brazing, or soldering with oxy-acetylene and/or MAPP ?

So it takes you 20 minutes to solder a joint

John I actually solder very little, I bend 15/22/28, and as a maintenance engineer, use copper tectite sprint fittings, very expensive but don’t have to worry about raising “hot works permits” and waiting 45 mins after last soldered joint before I can leave site. And my soldering method is very quick, no blobs of solder or flux to clean up from my work space.

CerealKiller wrote: "Measure a piece of solder equal to the pipe circumference" If you follow that procedure, you will have a joint with three times the solder needed!! You should have said: Measure a piece of solder equal to the pipe diameter.

lacro I’ve gone off ‘Yorkshire” fittings, not an exact science I know, but it’s served me very well over 30 years.😀👍 I normally use them for every soldered joint, a little more expensive, but worth it for asthetics in my opinion. I never solder anything I can bend, I can pull half a dozen bends in a 3m length with precise accuracy. I use tube expanders to join lengths together having the female joint facing down below my eye-line, and facing upwards above my eye-line giving a seemingly jointless run of tube.

It's always a good time to learn ;)

Believe me... it's an excellent video to watch even if you're not a plumber. This will help you see if the joints are well made in your home. I've prevented a major water damage at my mother-in-law's house by repairing an absolutely awful and fragile joint that could burst at anytime.

I am a tradesman. If our inspectors don't see a ring of solder, they fail joints.

@@PGGraham I do the odd days labour for my brother and every time it's got a couple of mm 45° taper to it, half of these comments are probably still doing their first years apprenticeship... How could you sleep at night when you can't quickly walk around and visually check everything's perfect? KZfaq comments are as full of BS as the real world I've never even attempted soldering and I know that.

Thanks again! Keep those comments comin' ;)))

you aren't allowed to solder gas lines in Canada.

I kno rt

Interesting . In the UK almost all domestic gas lines are copper soldered . The gas regs here are super strict aswell .

@@TheRaceface22 just use John Guest pushfit .......it'll be ok 😂

Yeah I normally put them out on Sunday, but I felt bad to make you guys wait another day ;)

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My pleasure Demon ;)

@@Got2Learn 👍

Yeah, it could be a time bomb for beginners, this is not for beginners as I said in the beginning of the video, this is just to improve an already experienced plumber ;)

Heat doesn't rise though. Hot air rises..

@JasonMontell2501 heat moves from hotter to cooler in any situation. In air, the hotter air rises because it's lighter than the cooler air,causes circulation as hot air rises and and the cooler air drops. When talking about heating a joint with a torch, same thing applies. The hot burning gas from your torch travels upwards. Never seen one yet where the flame comes out straight then heads downwards. You get the idea. Just try it you'll see a difference. Start at the top on one joint then try starting at the bottom. This is how harris taught us at live demos over 20 years ago.

@@HVACRTECH-83 You're correct that heat moves from high temp areas to low temp areas but are somehow hung up on thinking that heat only does so in an upward direction like hot air.. Heat will travel in any direction, left, right, down, backwards or forwards as long as it's from a high temp area a low temp area. So once again, no.. heat does not act like hot air and rise. If that were true then after heating your pipe you'd expect that only the pipes traveling above your work would be hot but no.. the pipes are hot in equal directions away from your work.. And that's because heat does not rise. Only hot air rises.

Thx a lot Desrick!!!

Also how you cut out walls for repairs says volumes. Still waiting to see a square cut out by even 1 plumber. I'm the follow up drywall man, I've seen it all.

Definitely!! It's also more expensive ;)

@@Got2Learn Time is money and redoing a leak cost money as well

Awesomeee!!!!

Thanks Slavenko!

Ya, there's a few things that could be used for this application ;)