Basic Plumbing: Soldering a Ball Valve

[rbattelle]

I'm getting ready to solder some 3/4" ball valves into copper pipes (no water in them during the soldering).



Anyone have any tips on how to do this without melting the seals inside the valve? It doesn't appear I can conveniently remove the guts of the valve before soldering (or do I have to?).



Ryan

 

[klenger]

I usually just prep eveything very carefully and then work as fast at practical. Never had a problem.

 

[HOBrian]

Ryan, I take the handel off the ball valve so I can move the torch where I want it without lighting the handel on fire. I also keep a wet rag near by so when I finish one side I can cool the joint off and take some heat out of the valve.

 

[rbattelle]

Okay, I figured it must be pretty simple and fool-proof. Thanks for the advice guys. Good idea removing the handle (it would be just my luck to set the handle on fire).



Ryan

 

[rbattelle]

This past weekend I was talking about plumbing with my dad, who replumbed my house growing up with copper (originally was iron).



Anyway, he mentioned that when he plumbed it (around 1980, I was 3 or 4 years old) he used tin/LEAD solder! And he said he used a lot of it!



Me, my parents, and 2 siblings all drank that water for well over 20 years. My parents are still drinking it. None of us have any signs of lead poisoning (that I know of).



I just thought that was interesting. Is the FDA scaring us needlessly with the "no lead solder" thing?



[Obviously I'm not going to use lead solder on my own pipes].



On edit: not to mention the entire heating system in that house is wrapped with asbestos. I guess people were just hardier back then. :-laf



Ryan

 

[daveshoe]

Solder

I never had trouble soldering until the lead stuff became illegal. I really have trouble with the lead free stuff. However,silver solder seems to flow much better. It takes special flux,which has a gray tint. This stuff comes in kit form,with the flux,but I just buy a bigger roll of solder,and get the same kind of flux that is in the kiy[for economy] ----But I like pex,so take my advice for what it is worth

 

[The patriot]

I cant add anything other than try to use the least amount of heat needed, and heat the area that you want the solder to be in.

Pretty obvious, but you'd be suprised at how many people want to heat the whole pipe/valve/system.

A wet rag will clean up any excess boogers, make the solder look professionally done, and cool the valve.

FWIW I'm told that if you have any excess water in the pipe, put a few pieces of bread in the pipe. This will absorb the water long enough to get the solder job done. I know this isnt your case, just thought I'd add it here.

 

[rbattelle]

I think I did it! My solder joints don't leak (it was my first high pressure solder connection), which I find amazing. I heated only as much as I needed to get the solder to melt, but that valve still got wicked hot!



Of course, I forgot to wet a rag before starting work and since the water had to be shut off at the main there was no going back. So I let the valve cool on its own after soldering the one side.



Of course, it's hard to tell whether it leaks internally so I'll obsess over it for awhile. The lever seems to move much easier now that it's installed and has water flowing through it. I hope that's normal.



Ryan