I am about to start a complicated run in copper and it may take me a
couple of weeks before I can get water in to flush out any flux added
when making the joints.

Is it OK to leave flux hanging around in the pipes after soldering for
this length of time, or is it likely to cause any damage?

gg1000 wrote:

> I am about to start a complicated run in copper and it may take me a
> couple of weeks before I can get water in to flush out any flux added
> when making the joints.
>
> Is it OK to leave flux hanging around in the pipes after soldering for
> this length of time, or is it likely to cause any damage?


I wouldn't be too concerned but it's always ideal to flush out as early
as possible. Many new builds don't have water running in them for a
long time or they'll be dead ends full of air left for quite some time.

A British gas fitter who convinced a mate he needed a complete new gas
pipe run waffled on about how the old pipe was going through a cement
wall and this was likely to corrode the copper. He then installs the
new pipe and leaves shedloads of flux dripping down the pipe and
doesn't even bother to wipe it off! Nice one.

In article ,
	daddyfreddy@gmail.com writes:

>A British gas fitter who convinced a mate he needed a complete new gas
>pipe run waffled on about how the old pipe was going through a cement
>wall and this was likely to corrode the copper. He then installs the
>new pipe and leaves shedloads of flux dripping down the pipe and
>doesn't even bother to wipe it off! Nice one.


It's difficult to wipe off the inside anyway...

-- 
Andrew Gabriel

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

> In article ,
> 	daddyfreddy@gmail.com writes:
> >A British gas fitter who convinced a mate he needed a complete new gas
> >pipe run waffled on about how the old pipe was going through a cement
> >wall and this was likely to corrode the copper. He then installs the
> >new pipe and leaves shedloads of flux dripping down the pipe and
> >doesn't even bother to wipe it off! Nice one.
>
> It's difficult to wipe off the inside anyway...
>
> --
> Andrew Gabriel


Of course it is, but there's no excuse for not wiping it off the
outside of the pipes, especially when you've put so much of it on that
it's running several feet down the pipe.

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

>
> >A British gas fitter...
>
> It's difficult to wipe off the inside anyway...
>


Good point - how do you clean the flux from the inside of a gas pipe?

I assume that if it is fine to solder a gas pipe and never flush it out
then leaving my water pipes soldered but not flushed for a few weeks
will not be a problem.

In article ,
	"gg1000"  writes:

>
>Andrew Gabriel wrote:
>>
>> >A British gas fitter...
>>
>> It's difficult to wipe off the inside anyway...
>
>Good point - how do you clean the flux from the inside of a gas pipe?


The answer is to use it sparingly in the first place.
Also, fluxes vary in their acidity. If the pipe and joint are
well cleaned up with steel wool before soldering, you don't
need a strongly acidic flux to burn through the copper oxide,
and you don't need much flux at all. You also need good control
over the soldering temperature and reasonably rapid heating of
the joint, which is something which comes with practice.


>I assume that if it is fine to solder a gas pipe and never flush it out
>then leaving my water pipes soldered but not flushed for a few weeks
>will not be a problem.


Excess flux on pipework usually takes years to do damage. I've
come across many collections of pipework which have been green
with excess flux corrosion for probably 20 years, but not actually
started leaking. If you also started with poor quality copper tube,
that might speed up the failure.

-- 
Andrew Gabriel

"Andrew Gabriel"  wrote in message
news:431ac832$0$38044$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk


> Excess flux on pipework usually takes years to do damage. I've
> come across many collections of pipework which have been green
> with excess flux corrosion for probably 20 years, but not actually
> started leaking. If you also started with poor quality copper tube,
> that might speed up the failure.


If the copper is left in contact with cemnt or stone or whatever and it
does not get damp, there is no likelihood of any corrosion from there is
there?

I rather think the idea of taping the copper if it passes through
concrete or whatever is to stop abrasion taking place should there be
any juddering in the services.

The work done by the fitter referred to in the second post should not
have been done without a pressure test first to see if the plumbing was
leaking.


-- 
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

On 3 Sep 2005 10:18:27 -0700, "gg1000"  wrote:


>I am about to start a complicated run in copper and it may take me a
>couple of weeks before I can get water in to flush out any flux added
>when making the joints.
>
>Is it OK to leave flux hanging around in the pipes after soldering for
>this length of time, or is it likely to cause any damage?

Use a non acid flux i.e not the self cleaning variety.

Better still,run plastic pipe!!



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On 3 Sep 2005 10:18:27 -0700, "gg1000"  wrote:

| I am about to start a complicated run in copper and it may take me a
| couple of weeks before I can get water in to flush out any flux added
| when making the joints.
| 
| Is it OK to leave flux hanging around in the pipes after soldering for
| this length of time, or is it likely to cause any damage?

I once had trouble leaving the flux for some days *before* soldering.  It
took me *ages* the get the joint watertight.   

Flux us supposed cause no ill effects to anything.   If flushes out all
well and good.   If it stays put, all well and good.

-- 
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> 
"Intelligent Design?" my knees say *not*.
"Intelligent Design?" my back says *not*.

In article ,
   tarquinlinbin  wrote:

> >Is it OK to leave flux hanging around in the pipes after soldering for
> >this length of time, or is it likely to cause any damage?

> Use a non acid flux i.e not the self cleaning variety.


Bollox. Best thing since sliced bread.


> Better still,run plastic pipe!!


It melts when you solder it. And leaks when Drivel joints it with his
hacksaw.

-- 
*INDECISION is the key to FLEXIBILITY *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote:

> In article ,
>   tarquinlinbin  wrote:
>> >Is it OK to leave flux hanging around in the pipes after soldering for
>> >this length of time, or is it likely to cause any damage?
> 
>> Use a non acid flux i.e not the self cleaning variety.
> 
> Bollox. Best thing since sliced bread.
> 
>> Better still,run plastic pipe!!
> 
> It melts when you solder it. And leaks when Drivel joints it with his
> hacksaw.


Though if careful, you can join it with a soldering iron.

tarquinlinbin wrote:


> Use a non acid flux i.e not the self cleaning variety.


Is this an appropriate flux then:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=16396&ts=09263#

In article <431ba4df$0$22944$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net>,
   Ian Stirling  wrote:

> >> Better still,run plastic pipe!!
> > 
> > It melts when you solder it. And leaks when Drivel joints it with his
> > hacksaw.

> Though if careful, you can join it with a soldering iron.


Don't let Drivel know. He'll try doing that with his blowlamp.

-- 
*Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together? *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 18:25:00 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
 wrote:


>In article <431ba4df$0$22944$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net>,
>   Ian Stirling  wrote:
>> >> Better still,run plastic pipe!!
>> > 
>> > It melts when you solder it. And leaks when Drivel joints it with his
>> > hacksaw.
>
>> Though if careful, you can join it with a soldering iron.
>
>Don't let Drivel know. He'll try doing that with his blowlamp.



Paraffin one, no doubt.

Talking of DD.....


-- 

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message , Andy Hall 
<andyh@hall.nospam> writes

>On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 18:25:00 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
> wrote:
>
>>In article <431ba4df$0$22944$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net>,
>>   Ian Stirling  wrote:
>>> >> Better still,run plastic pipe!!
>>> >
>>> > It melts when you solder it. And leaks when Drivel joints it with his
>>> > hacksaw.
>>
>>> Though if careful, you can join it with a soldering iron.
>>
>>Don't let Drivel know. He'll try doing that with his blowlamp.
>
>
>Paraffin one, no doubt.
>
>Talking of DD.....
>
>

I heard he moved from Austria to New Orleans

-- 
geoff