lead or lead-free solder

RoosterBoy

large fittings that you spin in with 95 5 cool evenly as they cool one should be able to put a drop of flux on some 50 50 solder and dress the fitting with a nice clean bead.

wipe quick with cotton rag..its clean and a "full "look to it.... however,i dont care much for lead or 50 50 as it makes me sick .red clover doesnt even make a dent in getting the sick out. if your young dont use 50 50 make like it doesnt exist...i have burned so much pipe with 50 50 i am inclined to use it very seldom if ever...

*~/:) the 4" close spaced 'T's were done in silversolder they are so close together youd think they were a specialty T :) try cleaning the Face of the fitting and not only the cup.. Mark is right about heat also,apply heat on the pipe ,then on the back and belly then the flux pulls to the heat and the pipe is "preheated" making the solder flow evenly to the full depth of the fittings. lower heat is quiet so,if the torch is roaring away your most likely wasting energy especially if it doesnt quiet down while you are applying solder...

Royboy

lead or lead-free solder??

as I was bemoaning a heating system solder joint that leaked on testing the other day I started to wonder about the use of 50/50, which I haven't used in quite a few years but I recall as being much more plumber-friendly than the no-lead solders I've used.

my understanding is that the lead solder is still permitted for use if it doesn't come in contact with potable water ... so I'm wondering what you other pros out there use. I see that it's still sold by my HVAC suppliers, so I'd guess it's used some, if not widely.

and, I guess another question is what your sense of whether using lead solder in a heating system still poses a significant downside by virtue of adding more lead into the larger environs.

curious & curiouser - Roy

jim lockard

I'm good with it

50/50 on heating systems. Not as much fun as propress, but see no reason to change. Best Wishes J.Lockard

[Deleted User]

Why I don't recommend the use of 50-50 on hydronic heating sys

tems...

I've seen systems operated at an elevated temperatue where the 50-50 soldered joints become brittle, and with little shock can literraly be pulled apart by hand.

I've never seen that with 95/5 0r 96/4.

The main reason most people have trouble with soldering has to do with the solderer applying too much heat and frying the flux. Once fried, it will not capillarily attract and will probably leak.

Watch the flux grasshopper... As you heat it it goes through 3 destinct phase changes, Paste, liquidis and dry. As soon as it goes to dry, its ready for solder and you need to start back the heat off. Even heat is extremely important...

Then theres the solderless options, if you dare!

I dare.

ME

Royboy

flux grasshopper?

that one has me flumoxed ...

R. Kalia_6

Has anyone used pre-sweated copper fittings? Supposedly you just heat until you see molten solder come up to the edge, and then it's done.

Rely_2

Leadfree is better than 50/50

I have been soldering for some 35 years and I can tell you this. twenty-five years ago we started using leadfree and have not gone back less leaks was the big reason.50/50 I think had a liquid state 100 degrees lower than leadfree, flux has better chance to clean the pipe and solder bonds better.

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Royboy

95/5 or mystery content?

OK, now I've learned that I'm definitely not the only one doing heating systems with lead-free solder. and there is this variety of lead-frees out there. used 95/5 in the early days, and recall finding it pretty hard to work with with my little propane torch and tried some of the other varieties. at this point I am using the solder most largely promoted by my mail-order wholesaler, Barnett:

Taracorp "solder-safe 100% lead free solder" - "flows like 50/50 and outperforms 95/5" - contents not listed.

Any thoughts on this or other varieties vs 95/5?

Thanks - Roy

Al Corelli

Tried the pre-soldered ones. Too expensive, and you still have to hit it with the solder sometimes.

We do not use 50/50 for anything, except soldering lead pans to urinal strainers in the locality that still requires lead pans.

Um.... We don't make leaks.

Geo_5

50/50

You don't want your guys pulling a roll of 50/50 from there bucket and soldering...say....6 units, had it happen to me,all domestic..if I see a roll of that stuff your out the door.

jeff_51

we use 50 50 on heating

but if you don't like it, than the watersafe or taramet flow almost the same. It is like trying to sweat with water if you haven't used it in awhile. It also makes a differance if you are using an acetylene turbo vs mapp or propidyne. acetylene does get alot hotter alot faster, but I don't like it on the smaller stuff. used Mapp in the 30 lb tanks too long

pitman9

We use SilverBrite for everything