Copper Pipe leak at Fitting

Economizer

What is the best way to fix a leak at a soldered fitting.  It is inbetween two pieces of baseboard where I sweated a short piece of pipe and two couplings to join the two pieces.  There isn't enough room to cut out the coupling that is leaking and replace it with pipe and two more couplings.  Is there a way to fix it without cutting it out?

thanks,



Nick

Jamie Hall

No good way

that I know of, or at least not one I'd trust for any length of time.  Problem is, you really need to be able to take the joint apart, clean it very thoroughly, and solder it back together...

LarryC

Is the baseboard Aluminum fins on copper pipe?

Is the baseboard Aluminum fins on copper pipe?  If so, the fins pull off easily. 

Removing a couple of fins should not significantly effect your heat transfer.

Remove a couple of fins, cut back the pipe and this time CLEAN and CLEAN and CLEAN the fittings and pipe before sweating it back together.

Good Luck.

Larry C    home owner

Economizer

Thanks

I will try that.  Problem was that I had borrowed a zero clearance pipe cutter that would walk, so I ended up having a chamfer on the end of the pipe.  I'll get a new one before the next cut unless there are any better cutting options.



thanks,

Nick

jhill

wait a minute

 You got a zero clearance tubing cutter? Where did you get that I want one.

Rufus Laggren

You need to cut the "short piece" in two places

so the middle will drop out. You want the "hole" to be long enough so you can unsweat the couplings and slide them off and remove them. Procedure depends on clearances and the right tools.



You need a piece of sheet metal (about 8"x12" would be good) bent so you can slide it behind the pipe - this helps avoid starting the wall on fire. If you really want to avoid marking the wall you need a piece of heat-proof cloth (sold by real plumbing suppliers) to place behind the sheet metal; if the cloth costs $30 for a 12"x12" piece you're getting the right stuff.



If you have no room at all (behind the tube/pipe), cutting the tube between the radiators will have to be done with a small saw. A fine tooth hacksaw blade in a single-ended handle will work or just hold it in your hand. Use it with the teeth cutting on the pull stroke.   If there's room to swing a close-quarters cutter then use that. Rigid makes good ones that don't "walk".  The cutters come in different sizes, and the smallest on that fits the pipe will need the least clearance.



When you make the first cut you'll dump some water so you want a large towel handy.



Heat the coupling and grab it with a pair of channel locks_gently_ (copper crushes, especially when too hot). When you can wiggle it, start to wiggle it off. I've had a _lot_ more luck wiggling fittings off than twisting them off. Wiggle it front/back as well as sideways. If no joy, get a helper. Adjust the channel locks so they just fit around the tubing (NOT the coupling) and  make sure you can place them on the tubing between the coupling and the radiator. You're going to gently close the pliars on the tube, slide them against the coupling, heat the coupling and tap the pliars sideways against the coupling to force it to slide off the end of the tube. It might be easier with a helper. If there's no "swing" for a hammer, use the straight end of a heavy old fashioned pry bar (not a "flat bar" cuz you need a little heft) to tap the pliars.



Heat the radiator tubes again and use a _dry_ rag or paper towel to clear the old gobs of solder off the radiator tubes; then clean them up with a strip of sand cloth.



Get some new couplings and make one of them a _slip_ coupling - has no stop in the middle so will slide easily and you can slide it all the way over one of the pieces and cut the "short piece" to fit properly; then slide the slip coupling back over the last joint. After you've cleaned and buttered the male pieces with flux, of course. You can make a slip coupling by filing the punches on a punched coupling inside with a rat-tail file; if the coupling has a ring stop, go find a punched type or just buy a regular slip coupling.



Make _SURE_ there is no water sitting around the joint. If you can open something close by in the circuit (like a bleed valve), do it. Any water close to your work will turn to steam and if it can't escape directly and instantly to atmosphere, it will blow out your fresh solder joint. Put the fire stops behind your work and sweat it all up.



If you'd like to reduce the number of joints and if the "short piece" is less than about 12", you can get a 12" long slip coupling from a real plumbing supplier and just use that (cut to the right length) instead of two couplings and a short piece of tube; if you cut the long coupling, you'll have to ream the inside of the cut end.



Well, that took about as long to write as it takes to do it.  Good luck.





Rufus

Economizer

I borrowed it,

but, now I have to find out where to get a good one too.

Unknown

Can you,,,,

"unsweat"  the other end of the bb(on the vertical)?



Perhaps that will help for horizontal movement,,,,as Jamie said, make sure it`s clean!

Economizer

thanks

thanks for the explaination... very informative.  I ended up using a hybrid of advise and cut it on the outside of the two couplings and used a 6" long repair coupling.

digger_2

One more thing

I use Rufus' method. Only difference is I like to use a 10" adjustable Cresent wrench instead of Channel locks. It tends to hit the fitting more squarely. No chance of sqeezing the softened pipe.

Also very important! You must have the system OPEN somewhere to vent the pressure that will build with the heating of the joint. If there is an air bleeding valve on the bb that would be a good spot to vent.

If you did not do this first time around it is likely the cause of the leak.

Patchogue Phil_2

.

Heat the radiator tubes again and use a _dry_ rag or paper towel to

clear the old gobs of solder off the radiator tubes; then clean them up

with a strip of sand cloth.



Personally I wouldn't use dry paper towel on a just torched copper connection.  I use steel wool to do that,  does a better job of grabbing and wiping off the hot liquid solder.  Then a clean wet rag to remove any old flux.  Sanding smooth before soldering the new fittings.