How to stop copper from oxidizing

Bud_14

free of all the flux and acid from the hands with hot soap and water...I hate it when I go on a job and they don't wipe the pipes down. Its the beginning of keeping it clean and not green.

Bud
Thesheetmetalshop.com

Jason Proctor

How to stop the copper from oxidizing

I am in the final stages of completing a Hydronic mechanical board in my home. I would like to know what people use to stop the copper from oxidizing. I normally insulate all the piping but this time I want to leave the piping uninsulated. I will be showing clients the mechanical room from time to time.

Any help would be appreciated



Thank Jason

Ed Wallace_2

oxidizing

regular treatment with brasso polish

[Deleted User]

dont know if this will work

you'd have to try it on a scrap,,,clean the pipe then use spray polyurethane or spray laquer..just a thought.

Wayco Wayne

I was told by

an old plumber that he used Wish laundry detergent. One shouldn't argue with 50 years of experience. WW

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Mad Dog

As the joint is cooling.......................

wipe it off really well with a wet rag and get all that flux off the joint and pipe. After it cools a little, I wipe it again with a dry clean rag to get all the black residue off. After all is leak tested, I hit the joints with WD-40. Even after going back 2 years later - no green. Mad Dog

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hot_rod

Clean or shiney?

I use those wet ones with lemon to clean the pipes after soldering. Wait till they cool! This will keep them from turning green from flux residue.

If you polish them and want the shine to stay, try car wax, or polish.

hot rod

Arthur

Keep pipe shiny

Why do you have to remove the flux from copper pipe? If you use silfos you do not need flux, flux is only needed when you join copper to brass or brass to brass, Make sure the copper is clean and the silfos just flows on like magic. If the copper is a bit dirty and in a position were it can't be cleaned then a bit flux helps but on new work/new pipe flux is a waste of time & money.

Mad Dog

What the heck is Silfos Arty?

Mighgt have heard of it but what is it solderr with flux in it? Mad Dog

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hot_rod

Silfos

might be a brand name. Actually Silver phosphorus is the alloy used to make the solder, if you will. The phosphorus act as a flux. It is available in many different %'s of silver depending on the application, and money you have to spend More silver, more money!

All these types of solder alloys work in the 1100- 1000F range, and are usually more than you need for basic water or hydronic piping applications. Typically seen in refrigeration work.

You also soften the copper with these high temperature solders. Not always desierable when you have to thread connections onto Silphos connections.

Check out the new silicone alloy solder "Blockade" a bit lower working temperatures than the silver phosphous alloys and nice flow workability.

www.jwharris has plenty of good info on various solder types and applications.

hot rod

Arthur

Silfos

Silfos is a Silver copper alloy, Melting range is 645-700 Dgree Centigrade, Typical analysis is AG 15% Cu 79.9% P 5% CD 0.05% Zn 0.05%, Also known as Comweld S.B.A 115, It has the best high shear strength combined with the lowest operating temperature for the flux free brazing of copper and copper alloys. From the analysis it doesn't appear to have very much phosphous in it (5%)?
It is not suitable for steel (ferros metals), aluminium, magnesium, or zinc based metals.
There would not be a plumber or heating guy here in NZ who would not know how to use Silfos,It is absolutely marvelous stuff. just heat up the joint and it just flows around and by capillary action down into the joint. the joint is stronger than the original copper pipe. you do need flux when joining to brass but if you quench it while hot after the joint has gone black that takes most of the flux off. I've used it for over 40 yrs and wouldn't be without it.
Yes, It does soften the copper but then you hold the brass bit while screwing the other fitting on so that you don't twist up the copper it's just a matter of using your scone. but unless you use a mechanical joint or a yorkshire fitting, what other way of joining copper to copper or copper to brass have you, What are you guys using that requires flux?
That must soften the copper too?
Mind you most plumbers are getting into plastic in a big way.
On most school heating we are welding steel pipe or if the consultant will let us use Unipipe, which is a pex-al-pex pipe.
If you want to join ferrous metal there is stuff called easyflo, This does require flux. It is a silver/cadium/copper/zinc alloy. (also known as Comweld S.B.A.245.)