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MPT & FPT Solder fittings....are they considered brass or copper??

JUGHNE
JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
in THE MAIN WALL
As I scrap out things in the shop I always have this thought about threaded copper sweat fittings.
Every scrap yard has different opinions.....#2 copper pays more than brass BTW.

Comments

  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 1,945
    I usually put it with the brass and not the copper. It looks like brass so there's no way to argue with them.
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 1,945
    edited June 2019
    The thing is .....those fittings are a wrot copper. They just don't want to go by that. At least not when I go to the scrap yard. I do it once a year. They just won't budge on the brasscopper thing sometimes. And depends on the guy you get at the scale too.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
    Most scrap threaded/sweat fittings have copper soldered into them. I believe that lowers the quality of the entire brass bucket.

    I am going to try for the #2 copper for these.
    Now, new unused ones will be #1......for instance a full box of 1/2FPT X 3/8od copper sweat from an auction long ago, don't think I ever used one in 30 years. Probably a misorder by the previous owner.
    Intplm.
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,121
    some are brass, some copper Brass could be forged or machined from bar stock Red brass, bronze yellow brass, and now low lead alloy
    Low lead and standard brass needs to be segregated when we machine it at the factory
    Clean copper should go as #2 maybe #1
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,060
    The definition of clean copper to go as #1 for my yard is;
    no solder, no paint, no insulation and no brass fittings.
    Water scale inside pipe can be minimal.
    I chop up a lot of ACR lines and they have never noticed or said anything about residual oil.

    My chop method makes this easy...put one handle of a 24" bolt cutter in the bench mounted chain vise.....then with the cutter stationary there is only one handle to operate.
    Anything larger than 5/8" needs a wrack with a hammer to flatten a little to fit the jaws for 2 bites.
    Hard type L gets the sawall applied.

    I have to go 100 to 140 miles to get to a large yard for a better price. So if taken the SUV I chop to 5 gallon bucket sizes.
    You can telescope pipes in the bucket....about 50 pounds.

    I break or cut all the brass valves to remove the rubber/plastic/steel to pass the magnet test.

    Sounds time consuming, but it is a cathartic method to clean out the shop. :)
    Tinman
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,517
    @JUGHNE
    Your right about cathartic. Sometimes I just need to pound away at something that doesn't require too much brain power.

    But even then sometimes I get into it too much and not paying attention I find myself throwing copper in the brass bucket
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,907
    Depends if they're brass or copper lol. Your typical adapters today are all wrot copper just like elbows unless a drop-ear ell, swt x thrd tee, or monoflo. Maybe yards around the country differ in what they consider what, but wrot fittings here always go in the #2 pile if used or #1 if new. Give em a scratch with a file or blade; copper=copper and yellow=brass. My local yards are calling propress fittings #2 which I would have to disagree with, but oh well

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