Home Repair Tips For Joining Pipe and Tubing
There are four basic ways to join pipe and tubing:
o Pouring lead in the joint
Teflon Tubing
o Screwing together threaded pipes and fittings
o Soldering
o Gluing or cementing
At one time plumbers sealed the joints of black iron pipe with hot, liquid lead. Today, however, sewer pipes are joined with clamps and neoprene gaskets.
Most galvanized pipes are threaded. They can be screwed together without any preparation, but the joint will leak until it rusts shut. It is also very dif
ficult to turn the pipes. Teflon tape makes the job easier and seals the joints as well. Be careful though. Teflon makes the threads turn so easily that you can tighten them too far and break the pipe.
Copper tubing is usually soldered. Clean the joint with steel wool or sandpaper. Do not touch the joint after cleaning. Your fingers may leave some grease that will repel the solder. Apply a light coat of noncorrosive soldering flux to the ends to be joined, both inside and out. Assemble the joint exactly as it will be when finished.
Now light a propane torch. When the flame settles down, move the torch so the blue tip of the flame is 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the joint. Heat the entire joint and along the tubing for 2 to 3 inches in all directions. Watch where you’re pointing the flame. Heat until the flux begins to boil. Do not overheat.
Remove the torch and touch the solder to the end of the joint. If the joint is clean and fluxed and has been heated to the right temperature, the solder will melt immediately and flow through the whole joint. Do not move the joint until the solder has cooled. If the joint is too hot, the solder will not stick. In this case, use pliers to pull the flame settles down, move the torch so the blue tip of the flame is 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the joint. Heat the entire joint and along the tubing for 2 to 3 inches in all directions. Watch where you’re pointing the flame. Heat until the flux begins to boil. Do not overheat.
Remove the torch and touch the solder to the end of the joint. If the joint is clean and fluxed and has been heated to the right temperature, the solder will melt immediately and flow through the whole joint. Do not move the joint until the solder has cooled. If the joint is too hot, the solder will not stick. In this case, use pliers to pull the hot joint apart. Let it cool, clean it, flux it, and start again.
It is impossible to solder a wet joint. Even a drop of water is too much. If you’ve turned off all the valves and opened every faucet, and water still trickles through the line, stuff some bread uphill in the line. This will stop the water long enough to solder. Later when you turn on the water, the bread will dissolve and be flushed out the nearest faucet.
Plastic pipe joints are the same as copper tubing joints except they are cemented instead of being soldered. After cutting and cleaning the edges with a file and knife, brush cement around the outside of the pipe and the inside of the fitting. Plastic cement is really a solvent that dissolves the plastic surface. When it evaporates (in about 10 seconds) the joint is fused. This doesn’t give you much time to position the joint and wipe away the excess cement. After plastic pipe has been glued, there is no way to take it apart except by cutting.
Use plastic cement with great care. Avoid breathing the fumes and keep it away from eyes, mouth and skin.
Before soldering copper tubing, clean the ends to be joined. Use sandpaper, steel wool, or a wire brush. Then with your finger or with an old toothbrush apply flux to the surfaces being joined. Use a light coat, but cover the area completely.
To join plastic pipe, cut the pipe, clean the cut edge with a pocket knife, a file, or sandpaper. Brush cement on the outside of the pipe and the inside of the fitting. Join and hold for 10 seconds. There is no way to pull this joint apart again.
Home Repair Tips For Joining Pipe and Tubing
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teflon tubing | | 21 April 2011 |
