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Cool Gel ??

NY_Rob
NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
edited August 2017 in THE MAIN WALL
I'm planning on little bit re-piping this weekend to eliminate a couple of awkward bends in my spaceheating loops near the boiler. Of course it will require soldering right up against dry 50yo floor joists and drywall... again.

I've read a few posts regarding the "Cool Gel" spray product, and watched their video's on youtube. It looks like really handy stuff that will make the job easier and much safer. I've used heat blocker pads and water from a spray bottle in the past but "Cool Gel" looks way better than both of them.
Is the "Cool Gel" really that good? Does it work as shown in the videos? They show a guy soldering almost right up against drywall with no protection except for the gel...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i88bKlY0t0

Comments

  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    I've found those pastes to be a big mess & not really all that much protection, at least when brazing linesets. Plumbing solder may be different, but I seem to dry out the stuff in contact with the pipe & then I don't think it'll work, as it starts to pull away from the surface. Wet rags and a spray bottle of water, or the woven flame shield and a spray bottle, or the ceramic insulation on the aluminum backer if I know I'm going to have flames directly on it.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    Usually having some smoke pipe laying around, I cut what I need and wedge it between the pipe and the combustible. Works every time for me.
    Boon
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,162
    From to time I have to do a little pipe soldering near really dry, often 150 to 200 year old wood. I use one of these gadgets:
    http://www.garrettwade.com/copper-pipe-soldering-tool-gp.html
    It's pricey. However, personally I would never, ever wave a torch around -- even carefully -- anywhere near wood that old, or even as old as you are talking about, unless I had a dedicated fire watch team, with a charged hose, backing me up -- and they stayed on watch for a couple of hours after I finished, to make sure the flame didn't somehow get into the wall.

    As I say, the gadget is pricey. So is a fire...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,022
    Got a pipe thawing machine, or smaller welder?
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    Gordy
  • NY_Rob
    NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
    Thanks for the input fellas!
    Once the pipe is cut I'll pull a couple of clamps off down the line and pry the ends that I have to solder down and away from the joists a bit, then I'll spray the wood and drywall cavities with the Cool Gel and use the welders blanket too.

    @Jamie... that electric soldering tool is really neat! If I had known about that device this time last year I probably wouldn't have used any PEX at all on my install.
  • j a_2
    j a_2 Member Posts: 1,801

    From to time I have to do a little pipe soldering near really dry, often 150 to 200 year old wood. I use one of these gadgets:
    http://www.garrettwade.com/copper-pipe-soldering-tool-gp.html
    It's pricey. However, personally I would never, ever wave a torch around -- even carefully -- anywhere near wood that old, or even as old as you are talking about, unless I had a dedicated fire watch team, with a charged hose, backing me up -- and they stayed on watch for a couple of hours after I finished, to make sure the flame didn't somehow get into the wall.

    As I say, the gadget is pricey. So is a fire...

    You sir are so correct...I was so careful..and afraid of fires....Been lots of fires in these parts lately....I stayed way away from gas dryers on the second floor...It's amazing how there are not more incedents with them...Like boilers not a lot of people look at them until it's a wee bit to late
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,022
    what about press fittings?
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • NY_Rob
    NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
    Just to finish off this thread...

    All went well Saturday, no problems- started at 9am, finished at 8:30PM.
    Pried the old pipe hangers off the framing a few feet before where I needed to solder- pulled the pipes off the framing and held them in place with bailing wire, sprayed the area behind the pipes with the Cool Gel and no burning occurred during soldering.
    Even remembered to remove the smoke alarm from the basement before soldering this time :)

    Ended up changing out two 3/4" PEX elbows for much less restrictive 1" CI elbows and 3" nipples, replaced two other PEX elbows with SideWinder Steel Bend Supports replaced two 3/4" copper EL's with slightly longer straight pipe. Removed three unnecessary globe valves in the PEX piping.
    Before mods max flow with all three zone valves open was 6GPM@43 watts as displayed on the Alpha. After above mods max flow now 7GPM@43 watts.
    Added a new 3" Watts Pressure & Temperature Gauge in an easy to see location.

    Swapped out about 22' of FIne-Line 30 for low-temp Heating Edge2 a couple weeks back.

    Swapped out 16' of FIne-Line 30 for 19' of Cast Iron baseboard in July.

    I think I'm done w/heating upgrades for this year!
    :):):)