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What is the best solder and flux for hot water heat with plumbing?

eclecticmn
eclecticmn Member Posts: 121
in Radiant Heating
What is the best solder and flux for hot water heat with copper plumbing?
This is not for drinking water.
I am not a professional. I have sweated some copper pipes before. Not well but they did not leak.
Home owner near Minneapolis with cast iron radiators, one non working slant fin now ripped out, and hot water heat.

Comments

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,891
    I like a roll of solder call bra nd name Sterlng and no-corrode for flux , Home Depot crap is crap

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    Kybeans403
  • HomerJSmith
    HomerJSmith Member Posts: 2,549
    edited December 2021
    I like Canfield silver solder, watersafe. I like Oatey #95 flux.
  • DJD775
    DJD775 Member Posts: 252
    50:50 tin:lead solder and Oatey flux. I'm a DIY'er and I've soldered up to 1-1/4" copper easily with them.
  • eclecticmn
    eclecticmn Member Posts: 121
    Is there a brand for 5050 tin lead solder? I see some for stained glass. Does that matter?
    Home owner near Minneapolis with cast iron radiators, one non working slant fin now ripped out, and hot water heat.
  • DJD775
    DJD775 Member Posts: 252
    The role I have is branded from my local Do It Best hardware store. Brand shouldn't matter as long as it an acceptable diameter.
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,702
    Oatey No. 85 is a tinning flux with some solder in it. Green label container.

    In a bind on Sunday I bought solder at Lowes, "Select" lead free. It's made by Harris, one of the top brands. I believe the box stores have small sizes of Oatey flux also.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,208
    edited December 2021
    If it is 50/50 it won't matter much, it is all about the same. The lead free solders have vastly different formulations.

    I got some Silvabrite and rectorseal c-flux tinning flux based on recommendations here and they work much better than other lead free solders and tinning fluxes i have used.
    Larry Weingarten
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,987
    I like Silvabrite solder (it is $$) and "NoKarode tinning flux)

    On heating with a backflow preventer you can use whatever solder you want.

    50/50 is easy to work with flows like water.

    95/5 I hate, almost impossible to fill a gap or hole with it

    I always disliked "utility flux" that's what my shop used to buy.

    I would just go buy my own supply of NoKrode :):):)

  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    Staybrite #8 solder and Nokorode flux.
    Steve Minnich

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