How to Weld Copper Pipe
Copper is of the most popular metal and used for various purposes. This metal used to manufacture copper pipe for a long time. It has many good sides like durability, flexibility, and easy to install. Copper pipe uses plumbing for a long time, and it is also resistant to bacteria. This metal does not harm the environment, and you can recycle it easily. In this article, we are going to learn how to weld copper pipe.
Copper pipe welding is not the same as standard copper welding. To welding a copper pipe, you should have experience and require some copper pipe welding kits. Copper pipe welding is known as copper pipe soldering. In this article, we try to find everything about how to solder copper correctly.
If you have any questions about this topic, then I hope you can get all the answers by reading this review. Just stay with us until the end of this article, and we are going to demonstrate one by one. We try to explain what you need to know before performing copper pipe welding, what you need to solder copper pipe, etc.
Copper Pipe Welding Tools
Before soldering copper pipe, you need the correct copper pipe welding tools. And here is the list of the copper pipe welding equipment.
Copper pipe welding torch
The first tool you are going to need is a good torch. You can find this kind of torch at the local hardware store, and the cost of this item is under your budget. If you want, you can get an expensive one to do professional work, but if you are doing DIY work, then you do not need the best torch for soldering copper pipe.
Check this budget-friendly torch for soldering copper pipe on Amazon.
Copper pipe welding gas
The next essential thing you are going to need is welding gas. You need gas to heat the copper pipe to make a leak-free joint. Two kinds of gas can be used to perform copper pipe soldering. First one is propane gas and the second one is MAPP gas. You can find these gases on amazon.
Both gases work fine to solder copper, but the main difference between these two is MAPP gas creates more heat than propane gas. To flam the torch, you can use a regular lighter or a striker.
Copper pipe welding rod
You are going to need a welding rod to do copper pipe welding. This one is also known as solder, and you can find many filler materials to do soldering copper. But two types frequently use one is lead-solder and lead-free solder. Lead-free solder also is known as 95/5 and commonly used for the portable water line. To do copper drains, you can use lead-solder, also known as 50/50. You can consider these two best solder for copper pipe.
Flux and other tools
Another essential thing you are going to need is flux or paste. Flux is used to prevent oxidation of the base and filler materials. Without flux, the copper pipe soldering is not possible.
You can Buy this Regular Soldering Flux Paste on Amazon.
Besides this, you are going to need a wire brush to clean the copper pipe and sandpaper to polis the pipe. If you have all copper pipe welding material, then you can start welding the copper pipeline.
Copper Pipe Welding Procedure
And here is the copper pipe welding procedure you need to follow.
Clean Inside the copper fitting
First, you need to make sure that the inside of the fitting is clean. Because if it has any dirt inside, then the joint can leak and you cannot get a satisfying result. Use the wire brush to clean inside the fittings.
Copper Pipe Cleaner a 4-In-1 Plumber Brush Tested and Proven by Plumbers To Prepare Pipes To Solder by TOFL
You can Buy This Tofl Copper Pipe Cleaner on Amazon.
Clean the copper pipe
After cleaning the fitting clean the outside of the copper pipe. Use the sandpaper to clean the pipe and take out the upper layer of the copper. Because a clean surface makes the best join.
Use flux
If you are done with cleaning with both parts of the pipe, then use some flux on the tube. You can use a little bit of flux before assembling the join. The purpose of the flux is to prevent oxidation of the join.
Heat the pipe
Now light the gas torch and use the flam to heat the middle of the join. Hold it until the flux begins to sizzle. Heat every side of the pipe and wait for the unit to get the proper heat everywhere. And this is how to sweat copper pipe.
Solder the pipe
After heating the joint, now is the time to use the solder. If the solder melts by touching the pipe, then the tube is ready to do soldering. Use the solder to fill every side of the join and remove the flame. Now, wait until the joint cools down.
Clean the join
Do not clean the joint if it’s too hot. Because you can get hurt and you can spoil the joint. Some people use flux while the joint is warm and clean extra soldering from the join, but it can lead to a mess. So wait for the join to get cool and after that clean the join by using a cloth. And this is how to weld copper pipe together.
Copper Pipe Soldering Problems
There are some other techniques to weld different positions of copper pipe. And you may face some soldering copper pipe problems. So, now we are going to explain some questions asked by some users.
How to solder a vertical copper pipe?
It is not the same to solder a horizontal and vertical copper pipe. The preparation process is the same, but it is hard to solder a vertical copper pipe joint. Make sure your tube does not have any water inside. Now cut the pipe in the proper size to join two parts of the copper pipe. After that, clean it and use flux on the tube and assemble the pipe.
Now heat the middle of the joint to solder the pipe properly if the tube is hot enough then the solder to join the pipe. First, solder the upper side of the pipe and then the lower side of the pipe. To keep the copper pipe in place uses support if necessary. After soldering the pipe, clean it and check for the leak if you find any then solder again and repair it.
How to weld a hole in a copper pipe?
The copper pipe can have a pinhole caused by corrosion inside the tube. And a pinhole can spoil the whole pipe if you do not take action. To repair this kind of pinhole first off the waterline and drain all the water from the tube. Then use sandpaper to clean the area of the pinhole and use a little bit of flux on the pipe.
After that, use the torch to flam the pipe and wait until the solder area gets enough heat. If the area is hot enough, then use the solder to fill the pinhole and wait until it cools down. Then wipe the soldering area, and it will fix for temporary.
You can fix this kind of whole by using the soldering tools, but it is not permanent. If you want to fix the hole permanently, then you have to change the damaged part of the pipe.
How to cut and weld copper pipe?
If you want to cut and weld copper pipe, then you are going to need some extra tools. To cut a copper pipe, you need a tubing cutter, reaming tool, propane torch, and thick cotton cloth.
First, use the tubing cutter to cut the copper pipe and smooth the inside of the tube with a reaming tool. You also need to clean outside of the pipe with sandpaper. After cleaning both pipes use flux on the pipe and assemble the pipe.
Then use the propane torch to heat the joint and wait until the pipe gets heat enough to solder. Uses the solder to fill the joint and remove the flame. After cooling down the temperature, use the cloth to clean excess solder from the pipe.
How to Weld AC Copper Pipe?
You cannot usually solder copper pipe like the stander way. To weld AC copper pipe you are going to need more heat than the normal propane flame. And to create more heat, you need to use a braze way to weld AC copper pipe. In this way, you need to use oxygen-acetylene gas instead of MAPP gas or propane gas.
And you need to use an oxygen-acetylene torch to perform this process. The brazing rods need to be used in this process and this rod is made of the copper-phosphorus mixture. It also contains six percent of silver, and this rod needs about 1190 degrees Celsius temperature.
First, use the sandpaper and wire brush to clean the pipe. After that use a thin layer of flux on the tube and heat the pipe and then the join. Now use the rod to check if the heat is enough to weld. If the rod melts then fill the join and remove the flame. After completing the whole process, use a cloth to clean the area. And this is how to brazing copper pipe properly.
How to solder copper pipe with water in it?
It is possible to solder a copper pipe if the water comes out from it. To solve this problem, you can use some extra tools to solder the copper pipe. You are going to need white bread and a vacuum machine to stop the water flow. Before doing anything makes sure all other tools are ready, and the fitting pipe is clean. Because this process only buys you a few minutes.
First, put some white bread inside the pipe and wait a bit then vacuum it out. After doing this use brush and sandpaper to clean the pipe. After that use some flux on the tube and solder it, this is how to weld copper pipe with water on it.
How to solder copper pipe to brass fitting?
It is easy to solder a copper pipe to brass fittings. First, clean the tube by using sandpaper and brush, then clean the brass. After that use a little bit of flux on the pipe and assemble the pipe and brass. Now heat the join by using a propane torch, when the temperature increases use the solder to fill the join.
After filling the join, remove the flam and wait for cooling down. Then use a cloth to remove extra solder from the join.
How to unsolder copper pipe?
It is effortless to unsolder copper pipe, and the process is straightforward. To unsolder a soldered pipe, you are going to need a propane torch to heat the join. By heating the join, the solder will melt, and the copper pipe automatically loses the join. There is nothing else you need to perform.
How to solder copper pipe without Flame?
You can join two copper pipes without using a flame. This process calls solderless copper bonding or cold welding. You can use a liquid durable polymer to the pipe to join the fittings. Before using the liquid, clean both parts of the copper pipe and apply the polymer on the pipe. Then assemble the pipe and rotate the tube 360 degrees and wait for a few moments to make the join reliable.
By using solderless welding, the pipe can take 200 pounds of pressure per square inch after only 7 minutes. And the join also can maintain -40 degrees to 120 degrees temperatures.
TheFAQs Related to Welding a Copper Pipe
How do you weld copper?
Answer: The copper is not the same as other metal and to weld copper the consumable needs to be the same materials. Copper pipe TIG welding machine is an option. You can use a TIG welding machine to weld copper, but it’s a bit risky.
What kind of solder do you use for copper pipes?
Answer: Two types of solder used commonly, but there are other kinds of od solder in the store. You can apply a 95/5 or 50/50 rod to weld your copper pipe.
Can you Resolder a copper fitting?
Answer: Yes, you can, and the process is easy to perform.
How do you soften solder copper pipe?
Answer: You can use the heat to soften the solder copper pipe. Use propane or MAPP gas to heat the copper pipe.
Conclusion
The copper pipe welding is not that hard, but you can also get copper pipe welding machines from the store if you want. If you want you can use your TIG welding machine to solder Copper pipe, but it is not the correct way. In this article, we add everything we find about how to weld copper pipe plumbing.
If you read every instruction carefully, then I hope you already know how to weld copper pipes. By practicing more and more, you can be a pro one day.
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