Fixing copper soldering leak

[Ray D]

Any hints on how to repair a leak in a copper joint without starting completely over?  I have one that will be a real mess to start over again.

Ray D

[FloridaCliff]

Ray,

No special tip other than to evacuate the area of fluid, clean the outside of the joint with soldering flux and heat and apply some solder.

Many times I have just heated up a joint and the leak went away.

Sometimes the only way is to start over, but try the easy route first.
 
If possible, rig up a fitting and use air to test your repair.

Feeling lucky?

Cliff

[Melbo]

A little trick that sometimes works is to drain the space and use a vacuum cleaner to create a vacuum and then heat the joint when things heat up apply flux and then solder and turn off the vacuum while you keep it hot.

Saved me from taking things apart lots of times

HTH

Melbo

[Sojourner]

Just For Copper

I would clean the leak using electronic or flux cleaner in spray bomb version. Squirt some cleaner in the leaking area with vacuum in copper line to draw the "Just For Copper" glue in. Then quickly remove vacuum to let the leaking hole sealed and harden. I believe strong shop vac would be strong enough for vacuumize copper line. Make sure no valves are open other than to the hook up to the shop vac.

I have never use this product because it new on me.

I have seen them in Lowe's.

A photo of your problem would be helpful to pin point a remedy to fix it.

Sojourn for Christ, Gerald

[bobofthenorth]

I wouldn't try to argue with Melbo cuz he's likely forgotten more about plumbing that I will ever know but for me soldering pipe comes down to two things: clean and dry.  Dry can be a real bear in an existing line but what I have done is to create a high spot where the repair is.  Spring the line lower on both sides of the repair so that any residual water in the pipe will run to the low spots.  Heat on the bottom, put the solder on the top and let it wick into the joint.  I always use flux core solder for pipe because I'm too lazy to flux the joint and then solder it.

[Chopper Scott]

Repairing a leaky soldered joint can be tough as stated. Pretty well the advise of getting the area free of any liquid is a priority. With a new joint you can get it clean and flux it before soldering. With an already soldered joint it's not so easy and getting flux into the joint is hard to do. Heat the joint up and with a small brush and some flux try to melt some of the flux into the joint. If you are able to spin it a little bit that would help. You'll have to heat it more to get the solder to melt. As previously stated heat one side of the outside joint and apply the solder to the other side on the inside part of the joint. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. You may have to try several times. I would try the basic acid core solder and flux before I would resort to some can't miss new product. Just my 2 cents. Later and good luck..

[boogiethecat]

Oooo, acid flux...bad.... only good for roof gutters !!

All of the above techniques are good suggestions.  Well I disagree with using acid flux...

A couple more...

Use an acetylene/air torch and it "may" be hot enough to do the soldering while there's water in the pipe.  But the pressure generated by the inside steam will blow the joint out if it's a sealed system.

So maybe notso good... but it is done....

last resort if you just can't bring yourself to take it apart and do it right, drill a .082 diameter hole thru the joint exactly where the leak is (ie drill thru the leak)
...that'll let the water out, then later when it's all dry flux the heck out of the hole, stick a piece of #12 copper wire thru and solder it in well.  That oughta fix the leak and seal the hole !

Ok I'm weird.  But I'm also the guy that notched a styrofoam cup down both sides a few inches, siliconed it to a copper water pipe that could not be shut off, and when the silicone dried, poured liquid nitrogen into the cup thus freezing a nice ice plug inside the pipe... two feet downstream I then cut the pipe and installed a valve... worked perfectly.  Screw the landlord that wouldn't let me access the main shutoff!   Shoulda patented it 'cause 8 years later somebody figured it out and made it into a product although they used CO2 instead...

'nuff for tonight....


Meow

[Chopper Scott]

Just curious as to why you wouldn't recommend acid core solder for this repair boogie? I've never used anything but acid core except for electrical soldering (rosin core) and silver solder (which is entirely different). Not argueing. Just willing to learn. Later

[boogiethecat]

Chop... I've found that over the years a good non-acid flux does just as good a job as acid does (the "self tinning" fluxes do even better), and acid flux tends to get in places you don't want it, just to corrode the heck out o' stuff later.
Another thing that I've encountered in the past,  If you get a pound roll of acid core solder, once the label disappears 'cause it's rolled around in your dirty toolbox for a few years, you're not sure what it is anymore and if you inadvertently use it for electrical stuff there could be trouble...
  In general there's not any "real" issue with it other than, at least for me, it's an old technology that's not worth messing with.  Not to mention, get a whiff of the smoke that comes off it and you'll be a really unhappy camper....
As usual it's mostly my opinion but since I've been in that part of the tek-world most of my life and had the problems happen... well I just stay away from the stuff.

Meow!!!

[JohnEd]

I have had a nightmare situation I figure is common but none of you have even heard of it till this post. 

I went absolutely NUTSO with a leak just like the being described here.  First I couldn't get it hot enuf to melt solder to either repair OR dissasemble.  WATER in the pipe.  I solved that by CUTTING the pipe and letting the water drain.  I then unsoldered the "T", cleaned everything up pretty and pressed the joints back together.  I have soldered hundreds of joints in my life.  i understand heat and flux and being in electronics didn't hurt me a bit. Well I worked for hours trying to get that T back together.  Not a chance in Hadies.  No flow and no stick.  Went back for more acid flux and a new role of "solder".  The clerck, always a great help in the past was out of ideas.  A plumber standing nearby asked how old was the plumbing I was working on?  "1973"....he smiled.  He said this new solder is "LEAD FREE" and will not stick to the old solder.  "Oil and water, man."  The clerck started bobbing his head and saying "sorry John, I should have caught that".  I sanded all the old solder off and being clean it went together like God intended.  Hu knu?

Before it was done I had hours in that "little" job.  Have better luck than I.

John