5 MISTAKES Beginners Make When Soldering Copper Pipe | GOT2LEARN
Here are 5 common mistakes that beginners make when soldering a copper joint and how to prevent them.
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Amazon affiliate links to all the products I used in this video:
AutoCut Pipe Cutter 1/2": amzn.to/2XlyqAn
AutoCut Pipe Cutter 3/4: amzn.to/3gPmhhz
Superior Tool 1/2" Cleaning Attachment: amzn.to/2kwBMBK
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Propane gas(Blue bottle): amzn.to/3tpWAOo
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Lead-free solder (Sterling): amzn.to/3ZT6Jzn
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Abrasive pads: amzn.to/2XaY6kT
Pencil reamer: amzn.to/2tBuhKW
All-in-one deburring tool: amzn.to/3B9dLUv
DISCLAIMER: Got2Learn is NOT responsible for any damage done to a property of which the plumbing wasn't done by a professional, I do not recommend doing your own plumbing if you are unsure about what you are doing, always hire a LICENSED contractor when doing any type of plumbing so you can be covered by insurances if something does happen, these videos are for entertainment purposes only!
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This is the most random video I’ve ever been recommended 🤷♂️👍 but still keep up the good work
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But 1 month later... Shit...
I'm not a plumber, but so much of my copper soldering experience came from my dad taking the time to teach me when I was younger. Most importantly, he would have me practice many times on scrap pieces so I would learn the "art" of soldering. There's no shortcut to doing it correctly. It really takes practice. It has saved me a lot of $$ over the years by DIYing so many plumbing jobs around the house. Your videos are awesome!!
Yes, it truly is an art, thanks for your positive vibes Burt!
Nice
Nice job. Clear, concise and no jazzy music to dustract from content. Thanks and greetings from Spain.
Heck who needs plumbing school when you have these kind of videos here on youtube : )
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Mmm, because there's codes and inspections 😶
I've been plumbing for 38years and the coronavirus has forced me to watch this 😂 a few tips 1, if you accidentally over heat the fitting, remove heat and brush a little flux over the joint. 2, make sure there is no water dripping through the pipe whatsoever.3, always make sure you have a open end somewhere to take away any pressure built up by the heat. 4 don't knock the joint while it's cooling. The bigger the joint the longer it will take to cool.
All 3 are good tips, thanks Philip!! :)
Is there any reason NOT to use tinning flux? It seems like an extra layer of safety but is there any downside to it?
@@jdr03272 what I been wondering
@@Got2Learn can you comment on this? I can't find the answer anywhere?
It can give a false sense that the joint is properly soldered, this paste doesn't replace a bad soldering technic if that makes sense.
Yesterday, I was DIY-ing a repair on my main water line. You videos literally just saved me thousands of dollars! I used your tricks and your preparation steps and got a perfect joint with no leaks! Literally thank you soooo much
Awesome, glad to hear, please share if you can, it really helps!
@@Got2Learn absolutely man! thanks again!!!
@@stevenwolf2647 Thanks again Steven!
i hope you dont have use copperpipes for fresh water which you drink.
@@GRyder261 copper is save lead is the one that was not save.(and in my country even forbidden to use for water.
Learned how to solder when I was 10 by my father . He was a licensed pipe fitter . And still solder now as part of my work
God bless.
Good
I’m actually an electrician who’s wanting to get my downstairs loo (toilet) refurb finished by first fixing new runs of hot and cold pipes. I’m in the UK but I am certain all the principles are exactly the same, it’s just about using your common sense and making sure you don’t apply too little flux, heat, solder and vice versa. Very useful information and educational to the newbies who haven’t really done much plumbing.
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Ex plumber here. I would move the torch around on all size fittings, not just the bigger sizes. Great video btw! Good diagrams and graphics too.
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Plumbers these days dont use copper pipes anymore. Unless they are 70 years old
@@savebandit1017I used SharkBite connectors and pex, to connect new shut offs to the copper lines in my laundry room (pinhole was spraying water 4 ft). It’s true-it’s not used in new construction-but it’s crucial to know how to repair copper properly, since there are millions upon millions of homes with copper. If you don’t want pex, don’t have enough grip to replace all your existing lines or even call a plumber for $200/hr, you gotta know how to fix that sh*t right. I thought the video was really helpful, you can never know too much information. 💚
can't get enough of these! you are soooo good at making sure these techniques are understood.! bravo
Wow, thank you so much Thor, I really appreciate your comment!
Just performed an emergency repair on mixing valve that was bumped during my remodel effort. I was intending to cap the lines and replace the mixing valve later but it turned into an "emergency, do it today" situation so I watched this video (and one other of yours) and managed to cut the two supply pipes leading to the mixing valve and cap them without any leaks. My solder joints look better than I was expecting but far from pro level. Just glad there are no leaks. Thanks for the amazing content on your channel. You've saved me tons of money already
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Thank you !!!!! I am spanish and there is nothing better than this chanell for learning plumbing. Thannk you a lot !!!!!
You are welcome 😊
I'm not even doing any plumbing and I found this video exceptionally informative! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your kind comment ;)
Very good video. Especially the tip about half inch fitting half inch solder. Always wondered about that when I used to sweat copper a lot.
It may seem a lil' OCD, but I always tape up or cap my un-used tubing. Less cleaning is required when I need to use it. Another excellent video.
Cool trick man..!
At first you sounded like my wife when you said Let me show you five things you might be doing wrong! Then it got better 🤣. Your vids are always educational and informative. Keep up the great work mon ami.
Thank Viper6, that made me laugh hehehe, have a good one )
Great video. This was very helpful to me as a DIYer. One other mistake is not making sure the pipe is totally dry. I got into a mess on my first attempt because my stop cock wasn't shutting off properly and was letting a small amount of water by.
Short and to the point, just how I like my youtube videos.
:) thanks!
Yet another piece of knowledge that I will never use, thanks KZhead!
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Well if you have a leak and confidence you might do it. If not at least you'll know if the guy who does the repair is making these mistakes and you can call a better plumber.
@@johnforrest2654 Only issue is that in my country and maybe the entire continent nobody uses copper plumbing :D
@@baivulcho Ah you got me there. Still free education is never useless in my opinion. What do they use where you're from?
@@johnforrest2654 I'm no plumber, but indoors they install mostly PP pipes for the cold and hot water, as well as PP pipes with some metal lining inside for the heating.
I recently installed my own water heater and tip's from one of your videos helped me achieve clean leak free solder joints, thanks ! 👍
Nice work!!!!
3:57 That's a great idea, thanks.
Thanks cat ;)
Clicked on the video just to see the comments about ytb recommendations
same 😭
Excellent tutorial, thank you so much for sharing I found this very insightful on several different counts. I especially appreciated learning that flux can potentially eat a hole through the line. I was recently on a job that they had a leak in the middle of a line and we couldn't understand why. Thanks again, take care and God bless🙏
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In lab at school I always had a hard time getting the hang of soldering but did well with brazing. Guess I always felt as though I didn't use enough then would end up overheating. I like how you do the half inch bend, I'll remember that.
My 2 cents: as heating goes I always start with a little heat on pipe first as this will expand & hold to fitting, then move heat all around fitting (as stated, soldier will flow to heat) I believe it's best to draw the soldier to the top of the fitting (heat top & apply soldier to bottom & draw up) For cleaning (as was taught to me by old schooler) & works well, no problems yet, is to give a small wipe of flux to joint & before it completely cools wipe with a damp cloth.
JOHN McGINLEY you my friend are right
Or use press couplings with rubber ring who always seal 100% without problem
best tip from this complete amateur is to flux the inside of the fitting/sleeve only. use a very thin even coat. heat from underneath mostly and always have the flame on the opposite side of the fitting when you're applying solder. the tip of the flame should be pointed away the fitting so you don't melt the solder with the flame. also it takes around 10 seconds to heat the joint appropriately. first one sucked but after using this advice it looks a LOT better the second try.
I'm amazed I had no leaks having done this before seeing this video
Your videos are great, thank you for the clear simple explanation, i noticed after watching many of your videos about soldering, they have practically the same information in all of them.
Thanks man! Yeah i'll try to explain one particular thing more in detail or a different way sometimes so it could be understood by more people ;)
Sou do Brasil, mas esse vídeo é esse canal irá me ajudar muito. Parabéns
Great video! The solder measuring trick is ingeneous, will definitely be trying that
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This video just convinced me to get a few practice pieces before I replace the sweat valve under my kitchen sink.
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Очень интересный и полезный был урок! Спасибо вам!
Just soldered 25 elbows after a 50 year gap in soldering copper pipe. The first and most important thing of all is to get a pwerful light shining on your joint, so you can see when the solder runs. Get it clean, including the END rim of the pipe, put the flux on, push the pipe in, heat the joint, apply the solder to the joint when its hot enough, clean up, pressure test - job done. The BIG problem with real life plumbing is often the joint is inaccessible, so if, like me you leave 50 years between plumbing jobs, practice on a few joints on your workbench. Always shield your flame from any nearby wood as you could start a smoulder fire without knowing it. Don't breathe the fumes from solder/ flux. When you talk to your mates about soldering, remember its got an 'L' in it!
Good video.... I have been soldering for 20+ years.... nailed it
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Thanks to you for your advices!
Great straight forward video I work with brass , photo etch In hobby models , i have no tried soldering brass parts yet, just super glue, i will now in some cases. This was a great video Thank you
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Haven't soldered in a long ass time but watching videos like these assure me that I still remember.. .. my brother has a leak in his restroom sink that I'll probably have to fix when he asks me.. but awesome video :)..
Awesome, have fun with the fix ;)
Watching people soldering is satisfying.
Hehe, ASMR kinda ;)
I am an electrical engineer. Soldering pipes is apparently very similar to soldering PCB :D Also, I can relate to the "the solder follows the heat - the same is true for PCB"
Videos like this are SO helpful!
Flux can warns against ingesting it, solder warns against ingesting it, but we put both in our water system? Pex for the win!
Agree on FLUX, but the metallurgy of SOLDER is complicated. Got any lead-mercury fillings? I do. I WAS afraid... but I'm not any more. Amalgams not associated with blood metal levels! Lookin at PEX, it better be PHTHALATE-FREE!
True but our water supply is treated with heavy chemicals to begin with. All I can say is just don't swallow it while brushing your teeth and make sure you use soap in the shower. Lol but if you are extremely worried, they have filters you can place in your faucets, so you can do that and change them monthly if you want. 🤷🏾♂️
Until we find out that pex has been leeching all sorts of weird stuff that mimics hormones or messes with our endocrine systems... no free rides, in my estimation.
If the copper is clean enough, you don't need flux...
You always need flux when soldering copper, always.
Great video. Thank you for all the great tips and valuable information. It certainly has helped my understand the concept. I'm in the process of replacing a copper line in my crawl space.
You're very welcome!!!
Nice! Thank you for your awesome demonstration.
Thank you for your kind comment Joua!
You have shared a knowledge very extensively. Much thanks!
My pleasure 😊
Love nowadays recommendations but actually really interesting and good video!
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So very clear and great presentation. Thank you.
Great, thorough video, thanks!
Stay safe Bro’ Thanks for thé video.
Same for you man!
It's amazing how many people out there believe that copper and drain pipes do not need to be deburred and reamed.Great video as usual dude,plumb on.
I know it's crazy, oh well ;)
@@Got2Learn It certainly is,I recently saw a youtube video where a guy had a pin hole leak in one of the copper pipes under his kitchen sink and I couldn't believe what the guy said.The guy was using a compression union because of course it's not a good idea to solder copper pipe in closed areas such as under kitchen sink cabinet.What shocked me is how the guy was ignorant enough to claim that copper pipe does not need to be cleaned when using compression unions and he shocked me even more because the guy failed to ream the copper pipe after he cut it to put the compression union on the copper pipe.It totally sucks how people with very little to no experience/knowledge come on here and post videos supposedly to help others.Granted,people take the time to make videos and their time and effort should be appreciated but when you have people with little to no experience/knowledge making videos saying that they do not agree with what is standard installation procedure that's a really bad situation.Those of us with experience know that when pipes are not reamed there is a great possibility that pin holes will develope in the pipes in question but I guess "extra special" people feel they do not need to do things properly because they really don't give a shit.It's a crying shame and waste of time and materials.
if it was a great video, he would have mentioned that
@Stella smith huh?
@ The man repeats the importance of deburring and reaming copper pipe before soldering it in other videos.You can't expect the man to keep repeating what he has already stressed in other videos.Anyone that's truely interested in proper copper pipe preparation before soldering can search for that information.It's not as if proper copper pipe preparation before soldering is a government secret.
Great video to me! Thanks for making it.
You're welcome 😊
lots of great tips bro, even for somebody thats been doing it along time but just wants to get better
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Now if I'm held hostage and the only way to get away is to share some soldering facts I guess I'm solid.
;)
Always been told to start from the bottom of the joint since heat rises usually dont require much solder on commercial Vavs and heat the pipe before the fitting.
I appreciate your videos. Thanks again.
Thank you so much Pedro!!
Re. correct heat: I use regular propane / butane torch gently (have done for decades) to avoid overheating & burning the flux, its slightly slower, slightly cooler, so guess what? The solder in the joints cools & solidifies quicker, less risk of crystallisation if you wipe it too soon. And its a whole lot cheaper than MAPP gas. Nice vid as usual, thanks.
PS: And using the flame too close, so the joint is in the oxidation zone. I only use MAPP gas on big fittings. Gently does it every time.
Smart approach, I have discovered the same thing. No need for anything more than propane if you are working with typical residential size plumbing (1/2 - 3/4 - 1"). Over that, I would recommend an air-acetylene torch because the MAP/Pro gas they sell today is not worth 2x the price of propane (only 3.6% hotter). You cannot buy real MAPP gas in the US anymore, which was much hotter than propane, as manufacturing stopped in 2008.
Great video I shure remember my younger days.
Hehe, it's always fun to go back hehe, thanks Tuna )
Good video. Most important thing not mentioned WIPE THE JOINTS TO REMOVE ANY LEFTOVER FLUX. Takes many years but it eventually eats the solder away and the joints leak. I have a house like it, it’s a real pain to deal with.
You should all do your own plumbing, it's super easy. 👌
Just getting a house and the upstairs wastewater pipe has a leak so I'm going to have to fix it.. this was a really informative video on how to solder and sweat joints thank you.
Thank you. ❤
Works for me thanks for the helpful hints
this info is more than valueable than money...thank you
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Never knew the 1/2 solder for 1/2 pipe trick. Thanks.
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The residual water is what killed my attempt at repairing toilet quarter valve on the first floor. I let the water drain for 20-30 minutes by having the water valves open throughout the house. There was no water in the pipe, but when the joint was prepped and ready, then heated, the water kept getting pulled to the joint and then boiled- the flux all would then burn off. I cut my losses and went with the sharkbite quarter turn ball valve and had it installed in about 10 minutes after following their directions for prep. I had a similar problem with my laundry box upgrade, but was able to get it all soldered properly 9 months ago. I would have done the bread-trick, but didn't know whether it would have come out through a quarter turn ball valve. This is a 50 year old house with some excessive plumbing runs instead of planned out T-offs the main circuit, so maybe that has something to do with it.
Great Video, Great Job, so detailed, thank you so much.!
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i can feel like i'll be good at plumbing with these kinda video very very soon.
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Just bought a pro-press, hopefully won't have to sweat anymore, but any contractor worth their weight in copper should know these points. Good vid, thx!
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Excelente vídeo, thanks 👍👍👍👍👍👊👊👊👊
excellant tips just replaced my water heater and this video was a great help. t.x.
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Number three certainly helps me.
it is an art! this goes deep
Hi you it’s me you … need some G2L merch
So good 🙌🏻🙌🏻👌🏻🎉 always very informative 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 thanks!!!
Thank you :)
Always interesting Thank you sir for your good advice
Pleasure is all mine Gilbert!
the first time i tried out soldering in school i had no leaks. honestly i found it one of the funniest thing that I learned in electrical technology
Your video tutorial skills are on Parr with your soldering skills.,.this is an awesome video👍. Loved your use of graphics and sectional views in explaining what happens during the soldering process. I imagine these videos must take quite a bit of time to make so thank you bro - 10/10
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Should you put flux on both the mail and femail or just the mail end?
Being a plumber size of copper pipes matter, larger pipes you need to heat up all around smaller pipes you don’t need to. Bottom line is heat up whole joint then place your torch into one spot then start touching solder to the pipe on opposite side of torch flame once solder is melting move solder all around the joint 360 degree and remove heat while doing it. Amount of flux doesn’t matter as long as you smear both pipe and joint, what matters is how clean your pipe end is and the fitting. Works best, no leaks. 🤔👍
Thank you 🙏
You are most welcome :)
#6 Do not run copper pipe through metal stud walls without grommets to keep the copper from touching the metal stud.
Absolutely, a must!
I have not had issues soldering but great video
Good job man ;)
You are so right about that
"If you see a green flame, you've passed the point of burning off the Flux and solder, and are now burning copper like a candle"
Thick metal areas take more heat energy to get hot than thin metal areas. This is one reason to concentrate heat on the thicker side of a joint (especially vales or other thick bronze castings). The thicker side will heat the thinner side by conduction much more evenly than the reverse. A razor blade can be heated to a controllable temperature by placing it on a hot cast iron stove. If you try to heat a cast iron stove buy placing a hot razor blade on it you will melt the blade before the cast iron stove even gets warm.
Sage advice.
Thank you for the great video! I always had problems with heat distribution on 3/4" copper pipe- awkward angle. Next time, I'm going to use Map-pro, higher temperature gas (yellow can). The sharkbit adapters are a great alternative too. I didn't know if my brazing was good enough, so i switched to sharkbite fittings on my water heater. It turns out, my brazing was fine and i should have left it. Yet, there was no way for a novice, like me, to know for sure if my brazing worked. Practice is fine, but in an awkward, confined space, it's tough.
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Thank you so much
You're most welcome!!
Amazing knowledge
Thanks a lot!!!
You use to be able to get a product called Fluxsolder. It was grey in color and contained solder. Just heating it activated the solder and was suppose to be an adequate amount but we always added more solder.
Still available, called tinning flux 👌
Ofcourse it's very helpful. Ty
You're welcome!
Great advice Sir
Thank you so much Steve!
Very good!!!
Thank you, don't forget to share :)
Thanks will keep in mind. Im new with it. I have soldered a pipe but fir small project. Probably too much solder. But for what im doing it wont matter.
;)))
Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure ;)
This weekend I replaced a broken bathroom faucet. The supply line valves were the worthless kind with the rubber gasket that deteriorates within a few years, so they completely failed and I had to turn the water off for the entire house to do the work. Therefore, I decided to replace the supply valves as well, with 1/4 turn valves. I had soldered copper pipe joints a couple of times in years past without leaks, but this time it took me three tries to get the valves soldered on correctly. After try #2, I looked up this video. I think I did 2 things wrong: first, my flux was years old and had turned a much darker color than new flux (and had a gritty looking texture). When I saw it I thought, "can flux go bad?" Well... yes, apparently. Also, I was so afraid of starting a fire or damaging the valve that I think I just didn't heat the joint enough. After seeing your video, I tried again and it finally worked with no leaks. A two hour job ended up taking all day, complete with several trips to Home Depot (did I mention I bought the wrong size supply lines as well?) Thanks for posting this.
I feel your pain 😞
This is just satisfying to watch
;)
That's so specific, but I like it
Thank you !
You're welcome!
As a plumber that only put in copper piping and the biggest mistake leading to leaks is...not stirring the flux.flux is made up of defferent metals that pull away from itself.everytime you use flux..stir it
I have a video coming on that soon, cheers!
Little tips are always the ones that help the most.
Yedss
Good teacher .... thank you
Thank you! 😃