Why is my solder not sticking to my copper pipe?
Most likely the copper wires are not clean enough or not hot enough. Mechanically clean the wires by abrasion. Chemically clean the wires using alcohol or other solvent. Use a flux compound or flux-cored solder.
Can you use too much solder on copper pipe?
Don’t feed too much solder into the joint. It’s tempting to melt a few inches of solder into a joint as extra insurance against leaking. But excess solder can puddle inside pipes, restricting water flow, and can form small balls that break loose and damage faucet valves.
What kind of solder do you use to sweat copper pipe?
lead-free solder
Buy lead-free solder that’s designed for copper water pipes; you’ll find it in the plumbing section of the store. Solder with lead is still available, but the lead can leach into your water supply, so don’t use it.
Why does my solder stick to my tip?
Is there any dirt on the tracks? The solder is sticking to the tip of your iron because of lack of heat transfer usually caused by oxidation . 1. Everything should be clean and shiny and tinned-the iron tip, the pads or whatever your soldering to and the leads of the part.
Can you use too much flux when soldering?
One, using much more than needed will basically drown your joint making it hard to heat to the right temperature, two, flux needs to be removed before a part is returned to service so every bit used that is more than needed makes for more clean up.
Which solder should you use to sweat domestic water lines?
Copper-tin Solder: Contains 97% tin and 3% copper. Lead-free and safe for water supply lines. Designed for sweating copper and brass plumbing joints.
Can I solder a pinhole leak in copper pipe?
Copper pipes are much different. The most advanced pinhole leak fix involves cutting the pipe in half. But rather than a compression fitting, the plumber will use a solder fitting for the most secure repair. The pipe must be cleaned and free from the water first or else the soldering won’t work.
Does Flex Seal work on copper pipes?
Flex Seal will work on roofs, gutters, skylights, windowsills, flashings, downspouts, foundations, awnings, chimneys, vent pipes, RV’s, campers, trailers. It can be applied to wood, copper and other metals, concrete, masonry, glass, fabric, plastics and much more.