What did i do wrong?

[Luggsey]

So, first plumbing job in years, bought solder, flux and MAP gas as shown.
15mm copper pipe, shined up, fluxed, absolute failure!
I'm a sparks by trade and solder a lot but not with a flame.
Am I right to assume map is far to hot for an amateur to work with, I cooked the pipe!
Advice where I'm going wrong please, I cant afford a plumber!
Cheers.
Paul.
[automerge]1587827746[/automerge]

So, first plumbing job in years, bought solder, flux and MAP gas as shown.
15mm copper pipe, shined up, fluxed, absolute failure!
I'm a sparks by trade and solder a lot but not with a flame.
Am I right to assume map is far to hot for an amateur to work with, I cooked the pipe!
Advice where I'm going wrong please, I cant afford a plumber!
Cheers.
Paul.

As a follow up, these bits are for a shower mixer, can I use JG speedfit for the link to the shower head with the supplied compression fitting or must I use a plastic fitting?

 

[oz-plumber]

With your Electrical License, Legionnaire disinfection qualification, and your DIY Plumbing Skills, you should have no problems in completing the tasks that you require.

You also have a knack of reading and interpreting manufacturers specifications to suit your requirements - which is different from the way that plumbers read and interpret them.
A simple phone call to the pipe manufacturer would answer your 'doubts'

Good luck with the project

 

[Roy_66]

I'm also a kind of sparks by trade, but retired.

Used to be fine years with lead and propane.

Took me much longer to learn again, and only managed it with the kind help of all the folks here on the forum. See you have lots of answers, I've only scanned those, but suggest:

1. What torch are you using for 15mm copper. If it's a Rothenberger Superfire with turbo "swirl" tip, then that standard tip is too powerful. There is a smaller "fine tip" one you can change to for 15mm work.

2. With lead free it's much harder to get into the sweet spot of melt but not burning. Buy a bag of elbows and practice. Warm up gently by moving the torch around, then (the tricky bit) learn to back off the torch, to stay in the melt zone while you wipe on the solder to each side. Left handed torch may be best if you are right handed.

3. (The one that fooled me) I still got porous looking joints until I switched solder brand to Fry's powerflow. Don't ask what I was using.

4. Wash out with hot water afterwards, and clean flux off outside (you know all that)

The alternative "blast it" method may work if you are lucky, but it's worth learning the careful method. Pros are skilled enough to do either method, as the job requires.

For the plastic, I wouldn't use on the shower, assuming rest of house is copper. I noticed the burned mats (too much heat). Put an old piece of tin behind the work, but burn off the paint outside first standing up wind. Perhaps you can make soldered assemblies on the bench, then fit to house with compression fittings (ok, we think we can do clanky stuff too).

Best of luck,
Roy

 

[Luggsey]

I'm also a kind of sparks by trade, but retired.

Used to be fine years with lead and propane.

Took me much longer to learn again, and only managed it with the kind help of all the folks here on the forum. See you have lots of answers, I've only scanned those, but suggest:

1. What torch are you using for 15mm copper. If it's a Rothenberger Superfire with turbo "swirl" tip, then that standard tip is too powerful. There is a smaller "fine tip" one you can change to for 15mm work.

2. With lead free it's much harder to get into the sweet spot of melt but not burning. Buy a bag of elbows and practice. Warm up gently by moving the torch around, then (the tricky bit) learn to back off the torch, to stay in the melt zone while you wipe on the solder to each side. Left handed torch may be best if you are right handed.

3. (The one that fooled me) I still got porous looking joints until I switched solder brand to Fry's powerflow. Don't ask what I was using.

4. Wash out with hot water afterwards, and clean flux off outside (you know all that)

The alternative "blast it" method may work if you are lucky, but it's worth learning the careful method. Pros are skilled enough to do either method, as the job requires.

For the plastic, I wouldn't use on the shower, assuming rest of house is copper. I noticed the burned mats (too much heat). Put an old piece of tin behind the work, but burn off the paint outside first standing up wind. Perhaps you can make soldered assemblies on the bench, then fit to house with compression fittings (ok, we think we can do clanky stuff too).

Best of luck,
Roy

Thanks Roy, the whole house will be pretty much plastic, I know plumbers hate it but unless I use it I cant proceed...
I got some propane for my copy Rothenberger torch so I'll try as you suggested.
Cheers.

 

[Roy_66]

Thanks Roy, the whole house will be pretty much plastic, I know plumbers hate it but unless I use it I cant proceed...
I got some propane for my copy Rothenberger torch so I'll try as you suggested.
Cheers.

Will be interested to see how you get on (others also use propane, and for 15mm copper its prob the best choice formus amateurs). I went MAPP because I wanted to be able to solder things like brass drain valves and larger sizes e.g 22mm, 28mm etc. which I have done. Hope you can progress the project. I do have plastic in the garage (with drain system for any freezing weather. It does need more pipe support. The clever thhing for new houses would be not to bury pipes behind fixed walls, then it would not matter. Good plastic prob better than badly fitted copper.

 

[gmartine]

As an exercise split a length of copper pipe cut into fitting sized sections, clean and flux then slide onto cleaned pipe to simulate fittings, practice heating with your MAP or propane torch dabing the pipe with your solder to get a feel for when the pipe is hot enough.

It's very easy to cook the solder and overheat the fittings with MAP, very easy...as an indicator the copper tends to tarnish as it reaches temp so it's very useful to look out for. Don't worry about making it super neat, just ensure you've got a good capiliary action by feeding the joint with enough solder at the right temp.

Don't forget that the solder will follow the flux so you dont want flux much outside the joint and it can help to use the end of the solder wire like a brush by wiping it across the lip of the fitting, that can initiate the solder melting into capiliary when dabbing on the one spot doesn't. Hope that helps.