Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
You gotta wonder why people like him do junk like that. What's in it for them? Thanks though. At least I can stop worrying that I just didn't look hard enough.
Can I have help finding a Wi-Fi controlled ON/OFF Timer for my water heater's recirculator pump?
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You gotta wonder why people like him do junk like that. What's in it for them? Thanks though. At least I can stop worrying that I just didn't look hard enough.
Lead paint and lead solder in water piping.
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
I gave it some thought after you said "just buy a torch and ...". I know I could do it just by watching a few You Tube videos. Heck, I taught myself to arc weld back in the late '70s before the internet even existed. I didn't read anything either. I just messed around.
I had a big lawn care business in Indianapolis and sometimes things needed to be welded back together.
But I'm getting too old for that. Don't need anymore tools like that. I'm 62.
That guy replying to your post was a spammer from Ukraine. He was quickly posting trying to reach the number of posts where we in the back end relax. Once this happens, he will spam blast our forum with some BS marketing crap. I killed him permanently.
In the future, if you see a questionable response, that doesn't pass the spell test, please just click on the "report" triangle, which notifies us immediately, so we can correct in seconds, rather than 10-15 minutes.
In the future, if you see a questionable response, that doesn't pass the spell test, please just click on the "report" triangle, which notifies us immediately, so we can correct in seconds, rather than 10-15 minutes.
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
Not that it matters, but here's my photo of the stream shooting out of the pinhole. I guess I'm lucky that the pinhole wasn't inside the insulation since this way it just sprayed the water heater and ran down into the drip pan and we found it pretty soon after it started.
Do they sell alarms that warn you if the drip pan is filling up? If they don't, they should.
Do they sell alarms that warn you if the drip pan is filling up? If they don't, they should.
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Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
How much of a torch would I need to solder these little copper pipes? If you wouldn't mind, could you give me Amazon links to what I'd need, including the solder & a striker, to do it?
Darn, you've got me think now. I'd want to have one & know how to use it before I needed it when something was leaking.
I guess I'd also need some pipe & fittings to learn with, but ACE has that or I could find them on Amazon.
Bernzomatic TS8000 - High Intensity Trigger Start Torch , Black
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019CQL60/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_8WB12X7HTHBS3SNK1SDF
It has a button to strike it on the torch itself.
You’ll need a bottle of Mapp gas ( burns hotter) or propane.
Here is the solder and flux kit.
Oatey 50683 1/4lb Silver Safe Flo Solder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002N6NT/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_1NT8V13HX8SS8WCH6DEX
Here’s some sand cloth to clean the copper.
LASCO 13-3240 Open Mesh Grit Cloth
LASCO 13-3240 Open Mesh Grit Cloth - - Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019CQL60/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_8WB12X7HTHBS3SNK1SDF
It has a button to strike it on the torch itself.
You’ll need a bottle of Mapp gas ( burns hotter) or propane.
Here is the solder and flux kit.
Oatey 50683 1/4lb Silver Safe Flo Solder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002N6NT/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_1NT8V13HX8SS8WCH6DEX
Here’s some sand cloth to clean the copper.
LASCO 13-3240 Open Mesh Grit Cloth
LASCO 13-3240 Open Mesh Grit Cloth - - Amazon.com
When you pick up the gas bottle at the hardware store get you a 3/4” and 1/2” fitting cleaning wire brush’s.
Everything must be clean, dry, fluxed, and the proper amount of heat applied in the proper manner. Light/thin coat of flux.
Not too hot and not too cool, there’s a sweet spot. Let solder joints cool naturally for best results.
Everything must be clean, dry, fluxed, and the proper amount of heat applied in the proper manner. Light/thin coat of flux.
Not too hot and not too cool, there’s a sweet spot. Let solder joints cool naturally for best results.
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
What are you talking about? I don't understand.
I don’t either. So, are you going to learn how to solder ?
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
So, only about $87 total could get me going ($50 + $25 + $12) plus a bottle of propane & some pipe & straight pieces (sleeves?) that fit over it. That's not too bad at all. Less than even 1/4 of what I just paid Biard & Crockett here in Orange, California.
I've got the time to learn since I'm at home everyday, on federal disability after an ugly motocross accident back in 2007.
>>> Looks good
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Jeff Handy
Pro Handyman, NOT A Pro Plumber
Watch a few Youtube vids on learning how to solder.
AND, have a fire extinguisher and a five gallon bucket of water right there.
Insulation, drywall, framing, siding, can all catch fire and spread fast.
You can also get small fiberglass cloth flame shields, about a foot square, to put over areas that will be too close to avoid.
Also, wet down anything flammable with a spray bottle of water, just damp is good enough.
And practice on some scraps of pipe and a few cheap fittings.
Start out soldering horizontal.
Then vertical, solder going down.
Then vertical, solder going uphill into the fitting.
Look inside the joined fittings afterwards, if you see more than a smidge of solder inside, you are putting too much in.
I like to heat the fitting, never the pipe, till I see some bubbling of flux, touch the wire to the joint, it should start melting, take torch off and move the solder all around.
It melts fast and the wire will quickly shorten, so keep moving it in.
On a big fitting, I might torch a little on the opposite side as I add the final solder.
If you can’t access 360 degrees to add solder, 270 is usually enough.
If you are soldering a fitting with anything flammable inside, like a valve with rubber washers, take those parts out first.
This will all be in videos.
AND, have a fire extinguisher and a five gallon bucket of water right there.
Insulation, drywall, framing, siding, can all catch fire and spread fast.
You can also get small fiberglass cloth flame shields, about a foot square, to put over areas that will be too close to avoid.
Also, wet down anything flammable with a spray bottle of water, just damp is good enough.
And practice on some scraps of pipe and a few cheap fittings.
Start out soldering horizontal.
Then vertical, solder going down.
Then vertical, solder going uphill into the fitting.
Look inside the joined fittings afterwards, if you see more than a smidge of solder inside, you are putting too much in.
I like to heat the fitting, never the pipe, till I see some bubbling of flux, touch the wire to the joint, it should start melting, take torch off and move the solder all around.
It melts fast and the wire will quickly shorten, so keep moving it in.
On a big fitting, I might torch a little on the opposite side as I add the final solder.
If you can’t access 360 degrees to add solder, 270 is usually enough.
If you are soldering a fitting with anything flammable inside, like a valve with rubber washers, take those parts out first.
This will all be in videos.
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Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
I don't know yet. Sorry. We hope to sell this house sometime next year and I don't know what to do.
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
OK thanks
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry if I end up just letting this go for now after you guys looked so many things up for me on You Tube and Amazon.
I'll keep track of what you said and I wouldn't doubt that I'll be back with a question or 2 if I do start trying to learn soldering pipes with a torch.
I can solder wires with a soldering iron but that's as easy as gluing them with molten glue.
I'll keep track of what you said and I wouldn't doubt that I'll be back with a question or 2 if I do start trying to learn soldering pipes with a torch.
I can solder wires with a soldering iron but that's as easy as gluing them with molten glue.
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
I don't know if I should try this myself. You've all given me a lot of help here, but still, I don't want it mess up if I don't do it right.
What are the 2 sizes of fitting cleaning wire brushes for, to fit inside the pipe or around the outside or what?
To clean the inside of fittings.
Jeff Handy
Pro Handyman, NOT A Pro Plumber
Stop asking questions, videos will show you all these things.
Jeff Davis
Well-Known Member
I'm thankful everyday about my learning in this thread about Aquastats. I love how that thing works. It was so cheap and easy to install myself. I sure wish I'd known about them a long time ago since I was stuck just using a timer on my recirculation pump.
Thanks
Thanks
