Members slapthefunkyfour Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I have no running water in my house until I get these pipes back together. I've been working all day, and finally everything is done. For some stupid reason, I cannot get the last solder joint to work. This is the joint that brings everything back together, and there is a little bit of water in the system. I figure it would take longer to heat up because of the water, but I cannot for the life of me get the solder to melt. I've cleaned the copper pipe very well and used tons of flux. I am using a propane torch, "nokorode" flux, and silver bearing lead free solder. PLEASE HELP! My family has no running water, and I really have to poop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drunkinminer Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 why not call a local plumber? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slapthefunkyfour Posted November 21, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 why not call a local plumber? First of all, because I have no money. Second, I have a problem that I have to do everything myself. I've done tons of plumbing/pipe fitting/soldering in the past, and I've never had this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slapthefunkyfour Posted November 21, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I'm about ready to go dig a latrine in the backyard. That's where my cats go anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drunkinminer Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 First of all, because I have no money. Second, I have a problem that I have to do everything myself. I've done tons of plumbing/pipe fitting/soldering in the past, and I've never had this problem. Was just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sludgebass69 Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 You've gotta try to get the water out. If you can't stop the water from seeping into the area of the joint there are 2 "easy" fixes. 1st solution: you can take some bread (plain white bread works best) and shove it back into the pipe on both sides of the joint then working quickly reassemble and solder. the bread can soak up the water long enough to get the joint to hold, then flush it out thru the nearest faucet. 2nd solution: Get some MAPP gas (the yellow bottles) and heat that sucker up good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sonic1 Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I love that "sludge" bass knows plumbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BigPigPeaches Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 You've gotta try to get the water out. If you can't stop the water from seeping into the area of the joint there are 2 "easy" fixes. 1st solution: you can take some bread (plain white bread works best) and shove it back into the pipe on both sides of the joint then working quickly reassemble and solder. the bread can soak up the water long enough to get the joint to hold, then flush it out thru the nearest faucet. 2nd solution: Get some MAPP gas (the yellow bottles) and heat that sucker up good! I agree, with the exception of the MAPP gas. If you heat the copper too long, you can actually melt it with MAPP. I think you probably have a slow trickle of water coming into the joint, so continually heating it won't make the problem go away. I'm also assuming you have the water off to the whole house. Find the spigot/faucet that is at the lowest point of the house and make sure that that one is open, and hopefully the remaining water will drain out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassman1956 Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I agree with the notion that a trickle of water may be getting down to the joint. Not only will it work against heating, but it may also turn to steam in the process, which will work against getting any solder into the joint. As well as SB's suggestion to block the water, If you have the room, a second torch, and someone to hold it, have the second torch aimed directly opposite of the first torch. The idea is to get more heat into the joint area quickly. Too little torch lets the heat be absorbed too quickly by conduction down the length of pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slapthefunkyfour Posted November 21, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Thanks for all the suggestions. All I needed was more heat. I've got it working. I can't wait to wash my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sludgebass69 Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Thanks for all the suggestions. All I needed was more heat. I've got it working. I can't wait to wash my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slapthefunkyfour Posted November 21, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Always wear gloves when soldering pipes. It hurts like hell when molten solder drips on your hand. At least my hair was pulled back this time. Last time I burned off a ton of hair when I turned my head and the torch torched my beautiful hair. Every time I learn something new. I've learned to do just about anything. I learn the same way that lab rats learn. Drip hot solder on your hand? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Get shocked doing electrical work? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Grab a hot piece of metal when welding? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Sooner or later, I'll be the smartest guy on the planet. Unfortunately, I'll have so many injuries, I won't be able to do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaveAronow Posted November 22, 2009 Members Share Posted November 22, 2009 Always wear gloves when soldering pipes. It hurts like hell when molten solder drips on your hand. At least my hair was pulled back this time. Last time I burned off a ton of hair when I turned my head and the torch torched my beautiful hair. Every time I learn something new. I've learned to do just about anything. I learn the same way that lab rats learn. Drip hot solder on your hand? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Get shocked doing electrical work? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Grab a hot piece of metal when welding? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Sooner or later, I'll be the smartest guy on the planet. Unfortunately, I'll have so many injuries, I won't be able to do anything. I was doing the same thing you are a few years ago. I accidentally took my eye off the ball for a second, and turned the blue hot flame directly on the tip of my index finger on my fretting hand. It stayed there for what seemed like plenty long to do some serious damage. I felt heat in the area, smelled burnt flesh, and felt a cold shiver run up my spine. I KNEW I had just {censored}ed myself up but good. I waited for a couple seconds for the shock to wear off and for the impending searing excruciating pain that I knew was only a second or two away. I waited, and waited, and waited some more. The end of my finger was burnt to a crisp, and now I was panicking that I might have done some kind of nerve damage, because I still felt no pain. After waiting, for a long time, I realized the pain was never going to come. Not the next day or even the day after that. It never did come. The only thing I could conclude was that the callous on my fingertip was SO thick from playing bass, it must have almost been like a crusty leather shield which protected the soft tissue and nerves underneath. I was relieved yet somehow wierdly dissapointed that I spent all that energy waiting for pain that never came. Funny thing is, my finger tips look absolutely normal. You cant tell by looking at them that there are thick callouses there. The skin is hard and thick, but it looks completely normal like someone that doesnt tear their fingertips up playing their bass hard everyday. Youd never know just by looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassman1956 Posted November 22, 2009 Members Share Posted November 22, 2009 Always wear gloves when soldering pipes. It hurts like hell when molten solder drips on your hand. At least my hair was pulled back this time. Last time I burned off a ton of hair when I turned my head and the torch torched my beautiful hair. Every time I learn something new. I've learned to do just about anything. I learn the same way that lab rats learn. Drip hot solder on your hand? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Get shocked doing electrical work? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Grab a hot piece of metal when welding? OUCH!! Don't do that again. Sooner or later, I'll be the smartest guy on the planet. Unfortunately, I'll have so many injuries, I won't be able to do anything. And you'll be among a vast army of friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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