No lead brass

[usetobefast]

I am a plumbing contractor with 30+ years of experience but this new no lead brass is giving me the fits. I consider myself pretty accomplished with a torch but I just had a nasty leaker. I installed a Gerber 3 valve faucet on friday, and the customer called 24 hours later to say it was leaking. It certainly wasn't leaking when I left. When I got there the leak was not just a little dribbler but looked like a pressure washer. When I installed the faucet I soldered the 1/2"copper lines in the brass body upside down & had 2 very nice looking joints with good flow when I was applying the solder. After the massive clean up I took the joint apart & observed even & complete solder coverage on both the faucet body & the copper stub.I used Oatey solder with Utility flux ( zinc chloride) and a #5 turbo tip. Any help you can provide would be appreciated

 

[frodo]

have you tried c-flux http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KPJOt03cL.jpg

I have had good results with it. I also use solder called nick

The Harris Products Group - Nick
www.jwharris.com, 2 April 2011 [cached]
Nick Solder The Harris Products Group - Nick
Harris Products Group
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Nick Solder
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Nick is a lead-free plumbing solder having been specifically formulated as a replacement for the tin/lead solders. It has a wide melting range (291F-144F) that allows operators to fill small tight-fitting pipe connections and also to bridge gaps in large, loose-fitting or non-concentric pip. Its ease of application in all types of copper joints, makes it the preferred solder of experienced operators and is the most forgiving in the hands of the less experienced. Nick is a patented alloy, which meets all U.S. Federal requirements for lead-free solders mandated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986. (Public Law 99-339).