2 Simple Questions

Paul_28

Is it recommended or necessary to disassemble plumbing components when soldering?

In the WM instruction manual for the Ultra Boiler the Make UP Supply and Expansion Tank are shown in the Secondary Piping. Can they be placed in the primary loop?

jim lockard

paul

The 1st part of your question I do not understand. Just clean the pipe and fittings well, then flux and solder, Do not burn the house down with the torch.
The Primary loop in a p/s piping system is the loop containing the expansion tank and the boiler water is fed in at or close to the expansion tank. I do not have a W/M manual to look at. Hope I could help. J. Lockard

K.Black

soldering

I would say it depends on what you are doing. Shower valves, some control valves (heating),and balanceing valves (with schrader ports) should be dismantled before soldering. Do you think you use too much heat when soldering? If the fitting looks the same color when you are done you probally not , but better safe than sorry.

Paul_28

loops

> The 1st part of your question I do not

> understand. Just clean the pipe and fittings

> well, then flux and solder, Do not burn the house

> down with the torch. The Primary loop in a p/s

> piping system is the loop containing the

> expansion tank and the boiler water is fed in at

> or close to the expansion tank. I do not have a

> W/M manual to look at. Hope I could help. J.

> Lockard



Some piping diagrams show the expansion tank amd the water feed in the secondary piping. I'm wondering which is best?

hr

Soldering, these days

has gotten a bit tricker. The new water soluable fluxes have a VERY tight temperature range. It is real close to the melting temperature of lead free solders. There is only a 25- 50° difference in flux burn point and solder liquid state, often.

As such it is easy to overheat the flux. If the flux goes black or starts showing a rainbow of colors, good chance you have ovwerheated and burned it!

It will not provide a good leak proof joint once you exceed the safe operating temperature

Some parts do require disassembly before soldering. instructions will generally indicate this. Pex fittings with o-rings close to the solder joint need to have the rings removed. Moen T/S valves with plastic cartridges in them are a challange for beginning solderers

If in doubt disassemble meltables, before soldering. The more soldering experience, you have, the more you can push the "meltable "envelope

hot rod

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