Expired flux keep it bin

[al.dente112]

Evening all, Found 6 tubs of flux but they’ve all expired last year can you still use it or shall I just them away ?

Cheers

 

[townfanjon]

Flux has a date on it !!!

Every days a school day

 

[SimonG]

No idea. Doesn't last long enough round me anyway.

 

[Last Plumber]

I've got a jar of Vick's vapour rub that expired in Sep 2005. It still smells minty and it still works.

I'd use it, the flux that is.

 

[Gasmk1]

I have had flux for years it still does its job

 

[Ric2013]

Tin of Fluxite at college. Gone thick, lid missing and rusty nail in the middle for some reason (the Level 1 students ?).

Worked very well.

 

[marvoni]

I don't do plumbing very often so all my flux is at least 10 years old, some of it could be old enough to vote and get married. It all works fine and I haven't noticed any decrease in its performance over the decades.

 

[Gasmk1]

Its main purpose is to stop the oxidation so I would have thought it shouldn't matter about shelf life if you think back to lead soldering wipe joints we used to use tallow,

 

[townfanjon]

No idea. Doesn't last long enough round me anyway.

I always thought you were a pressfit wan&er lol . We all wished you happy birthday a few weeks since but you just ignored us

 

[SimonG]

I always thought you were a pressfit wan&er lol . We all wished you happy birthday a few weeks since but you just ignored us

No just a Leeds wanchor.

Missed it. Hadn't been on in a while.

Cheers.

 

[Jim Goodenough]

While we're on about flux - what's the best??
1) Laco
2) Powerflow
3) do you remember that Yorkshire one in the green & white tub - it had a distinctive smell? Is it still available?

 

[Jim Goodenough]

... and how many of you use lead solder where you can i.e. for gas and heating?
I remember lead solder performing so much better than todays 'lead free' with silver alloyed in

 

[SimonG]

Powerflow and will use leaded on heating if I have it.

 

[townfanjon]

Laco , thats the one for gas . Lead free solder .

 

[ShaunCorbs]

laco and unleaded, i was a powerflow guy but its too bitty on the fittings when your trying to fit them

 

[al.dente112]

I prefer everflux but does kill when it’s on a cut haha

 

[jtsplumbing]

Its main purpose is to stop the oxidation so I would have thought it shouldn't matter about shelf life if you think back to lead soldering wipe joints we used to use tallow,

OMG ! How old are you ?? Ok me to ancient oldie ,Still got some Moleskin around somewhere, Ah the good old days When Plumbers were real men !!

 

[al.dente112]

OMG ! How old are you ?? Ok me to ancient oldie ,Still got some Moleskin around somewhere, Ah the good old days When Plumbers were real men !!

Hahaha I’m 21 my hands are like velvet soft and smooth lol

 

[Best]

There is still the old type Fluxite or similar Yorkshire “grease” based fluxes available. Still one of the best fluxes you can use IMO.
I still use it. Old and well proven.
I have a tin of Laco I must test though.

 

[Stigster]

Laco all the way for me. It works very well using the thinnest of smears and therefore doesn't run out of fittings or make any mess. One problem I see with our students (and lecturers unfortunately) is that whatever flux they are using they put on way too much. The stuff is flowing out the fitting during soldering and dripping all over the place. The lads argue that they always clean their fitting up afterwards so it doesn't matter. I showed them a job that was a week old and indeed the fittings had been cleaned after soldering but there was green streaks all over the older pipework below from them using too much flux. I also cut out soldered pipe work and regularly find the flux runs all down the inside of the pipe and baked into the fittings, even after the systems have been flushed.

As a demo to prove a point, I cleaned a tube and fitting with wire wool, and applied an almost imaginary amount of Laco to the pipe only and got them all to solder this way successfully. I told them not to use such a small amount in reality as I was just demonstrating their excess but it did show they were all routinely using an excessive amount. There seems to be a real lack of finesse in some of the most basic plumbing skills with too many apprentices and even time served plumbers. I do my best to encourage skill and professionalism with all our lads.

I realise I've just gone off on one again but it's something that drives me nuts seeing floods of the stuff dripping all over the place plus it makes right mess of all my heat mats.

 

[Daniel Hall]

Laco is the dogs bollocks

 

[quality]

Anyone used Bakers flux ?

 

[plumbandplumber]

There is still the old type Fluxite or similar Yorkshire “grease” based fluxes available. Still one of the best fluxes you can use IMO.
I still use it. Old and well proven.
I have a tin of Laco I must test though.

Templars Telux (grease based) for me. Just have to make sure you clean both pipe and inside fitting, as it's not self cleaning. Though for some reason, Laco seems to work better on solder ring if I use that type of fitting. Don't know why.

 

[johnduffell]

@Stigster that's very useful, I just slap it on like I do solvent cement then try to wipe it all off afterwards, clearly I have a lot to learn - thanks!

 

[sammathias]

Laco , thats the one for gas . Lead free solder .

Laco on gas, i was told to steer away from laco on gas due to it being corrosive? Cant really be flushed? Used to use powerflow but its a bastard to get fittings.on with the slightest bit of water in the pipe.