FLUX in new system install - how to get rid

[Guest123]

And what is the best brush to use? Most cheap brushes fall apart.

Laco has one built in. Try a piece off a sponge, that works too.

 

[tamz]

Well i use my finger. Have done for near 40 years and its still there.
Hate using brushes as it slaps too much on and i ain't got the time to play at being Picasso.

 

[jase158]

Laco has one built in. Try a piece off a sponge, that works too.

My last tub of La co didnt have one? but it did come from screw fix.

 

[Halesowen1]

I get Rothengerger brushes from city plumbing, but as long as you dont do what i do( put some more flux to a soldered joint, to make the solder run again) they will last a while, the best ones are the ones with no metal holding the brush hair on as these rot away.

 

[samh]

Well i use my finger. Have done for near 40 years and its still there.
Hate using brushes as it slaps too much on and i ain't got the time to play at being Picasso.

College used to go mad at me for using my finger, didn't do it again after picking up the stuff that cleans the pipe and fitting itself!

 

[Guest123]

My last tub of La co didnt have one? but it did come from screw fix.

The big tubs dont have one but the smaller standard ones should have one. I got mine from Screw Fix too but that was last year.

 

[Halesowen1]

Well i use my finger. Have done for near 40 years and its still there.
Hate using brushes as it slaps too much on and i ain't got the time to play at being Picasso.

You dont do much 8 or 10mm work then?
A mate I know uses his pinky too, must admit I much prefer a nice fine flux brush.

 

[kirkgas]

I would say thats what we all do, I warm up a bit of copper pipe though, saves getting bits from the drill in the flux.

in this day and age you need to do a risk assessment before you do this in case the heat causes toxic fumes, you also need a hot work permit to heat the pipe with a blow lamp

 

[jase158]

I get Rothengerger brushes from city plumbing, but as long as you dont do what i do( put some more flux to a soldered joint, to make the solder run again) they will last a while, the best ones are the ones with no metal holding the brush hair on as these rot away.

so something like this, but without the metal?

 

[AWheating]

as an apprentice i copied the guy i worked with and used my finger to apply powerflow. After a few weeks the skin on my finger/s started to peel off. i now use my solder, only use a brush on 28-42mm.

 

[tamz]

You dont do much 8 or 10mm work then?
A mate I know uses his pinky too, must admit I much prefer a nice fine flux brush.

Just smear it around the pipe. No need to do the fitting. Brushes are just not my thing.
Painting flux on a joint while doing it or to cool it does my nut in. I once sacked a guy for that.

 

[Halesowen1]

so something like this, but without the metal?
View attachment 4460

The ones I use are all plastic so no rotting away.

 

[Halesowen1]

in this day and age you need to do a risk assessment before you do this in case the heat causes toxic fumes, you also need a hot work permit to heat the pipe with a blow lamp

You also need to do a risk assessment when you get your drill out to drill the lid, I hope you are also putting your goggles on too when drilling the lid.
Does soldering using the flux cause toxic fumes too and does it also need a hot work permit??

 

[kirkgas]

You also need to do a risk assessment when you get your drill out to drill the lid, I hope you are also putting your goggles on too when drilling the lid.
Does soldering using the flux cause toxic fumes too and does it also need a hot work permit??

see you are learning the rules,
risk assessment on drilling the lid is: use hand drill as it is safer, goggles AND gloves, a vice to hold the lid (i know risk assessment on the heavy vice)
read safety list for flux and it says suitable to use on copper pipe for soldering, so no risk assessment required as it is fit for purpose, its heating the lid that is risky as we dont know the type of plastic the lid is made of, and again safety first, do all soldering outside and take pipework sections back in and fit with compression fittings (no joke this appeared in an amendment to the EAGA contract when a couples house got burned to the ground when getting their new free heating)

 

[AWheating]

im bloody fed up of hot work permits, i soldered 3 fittings inside a house today. took me a few mins, it took me 20mins to get the hot works signed off.

 

[kirkgas]

im bloody fed up of hot work permits, i soldered 3 fittings inside a house today. took me a few mins, it took me 20mins to get the hot works signed off.

and obviously you also included a 1hr wait time/inspection after the last fitting was soldered

 

[tamz]

You also need to do a risk assessment when you get your drill out to drill the lid, I hope you are also putting your goggles on too when drilling the lid.
Does soldering using the flux cause toxic fumes too and does it also need a hot work permit??

If everyone did an honest risk assessment while sitting having a coffee at 7 in the morning we would just go back to bed.

Getting from the house to the van in the snow
Risk....... trips and falls
Severity...Minor to fatal
Control.....Back to bed!

 

[tamz]

and obviously you also included a 1hr wait time/inspection after the last fitting was soldered

2hrs on my insurance!

 

[AWheating]

well sort of , i had to fit the svp which took about 40-50mins after i had soldered. I do always walk thought at the end of the day to make sure i have not left any tools lying around.

Its a wonderful excuse to pack up your tools early....... i cant do it tonight as i have to wait an hour after soldering, but the site closes in half an hour!

 

[Halesowen1]

see you are learning the rules,
risk assessment on drilling the lid is: use hand drill as it is safer, goggles AND gloves, a vice to hold the lid (i know risk assessment on the heavy vice)
read safety list for flux and it says suitable to use on copper pipe for soldering, so no risk assessment required as it is fit for purpose, its heating the lid that is risky as we dont know the type of plastic the lid is made of, and again safety first, do all soldering outside and take pipework sections back in and fit with compression fittings (no joke this appeared in an amendment to the EAGA contract when a couples house got burned to the ground when getting their new free heating)

That ammendment was for all loft work, nobody working on once known as Warmfront scheme is allowed to solder in a loft, it must all be push fit or compression, EAGA were once the main contractors.
I know all about these rules as I inspect Warmfront (EAGA) work 2 days a week.

 

[AWheating]

If everyone did an honest risk assessment while sitting having a coffee at 7 in the morning we would just go back to bed.

Getting from the house to the van in the snow
Risk....... trips and falls
Severity...Minor to fatal
Control.....Back to bed!

my old firm had a risk assessment for driving in the winter, which basically said if you felt it was unsafe to drive you could stay at home and you would still get paided........ of course non of the employees got to see that one.

 

[Halesowen1]

A good little tip to help with this, I always have a water spray bottle in my solder tray, give every fitting a spray and a clean once soldered, plus handy with those little fires due to hidden paper under floorbaords etc.

 

[AWheating]

I know all about these rules as I inspect Warmfront (EAGA) work 2 days a week.

i wished you had inspected the eaga install that was done at my mothers house, i spent two days refitting and repairing the damage.

 

[Halesowen1]

Why didnt you fit her system in the first place?

 

[tamz]

Why didnt you fit her system in the first place?

Probably because they are pensioners and entitled to it for free..........even if it means they have 2 rads less than they had because the spare rooms are unoccupied.
What is that one all about?