Solder inside pipework

[Guest123]

Last 3 jobs, I've used cheaper solder ring fittings from Screw Fix instead of usual Yorkshire and on all 3 jobs, solder is getting into the pipework and causing blockages at taps and showers. It appears to me that these fittings may have too much solder and the excess is running inside the fitting. Pulled out a complete ring of solder from a compression elbow connected to a shower. Never had this problem before and I always flush out pipework of flux and debris from the water supply but never rings of solder! The finished joints are however fine with a nice ring of external solder.

 

[dancinplumba]

could it be bigger/looser fitting than york ones...mebe a thou or to ?

 

[Guest123]

could it be bigger/looser fitting than york ones...mebe a thou or to ?

Thought that too, but they felt as tight as the usual Yorkie ones I normally use.

Well for 2012, all cheapo fittings are getting binned, whether supplied or not. Had enough of cheap trap seals, waste fittings and pan connectors and copper pipe fittings. With plumbing materials you do get what you pay for.
It's back to old faithfuls such as:
Kuterlite for compression, Yorkshire for soldered fittings and Mcalpine for all things soil and waste.

 

[WaterTight]

It's a good new years resolution as long as the price increases doesn't lose you too much work.

Out of interest system do you have a brand of isolation valves you'd recommend? Preferably one with less than a 2mm insertion depth say for use on plastic.

 

[Guest123]

Kuterlite are the best in my opinion but expensive but at least they wont leak from the screw after a few months when you switch one off. Either that, use the Speedfit chrome ones on the link I posted on the other thread. Low cost and very effective and they look good, but don't use them with chrome pipe without filing off the chrome first.

 

[tamz]

I rarely use yorkies unless i can't get in with 2 hands. All end feeds. They are less than a quarter the price and with the amount of fittings i buy in a year that is a big saving.

You can't beat a quality kuterlite 900 tho. The imported ones are junk. Even the quality of yorkshire fitting has gone down. I worked in an old plumbers house and he had a few boxes of fittings from the 70's. They are about twice the weight of the ones we buy now.

Btw your local scrappie will sell fittings (brand new) for around £7.50/kg if you ask him :wink:

 

[tamz]

Genuine ballofix valves are the best iso valves you can get but they are expensive. You can use them on gas too.

 

[mcniven]

Genuine ballofix valves are the best iso valves you can get but they are expensive. You can use them on gas too.

You can use ballofix fittings on gas? Thats a wind up isnt it lol ..

 

[WaterTight]

Yes. But only you. You are the chosen one.

 

[mcniven]

Magic, what about those droplets of dripping water that come out the front of them when there goosed .. nothin watertight about it!

 

[tamz]

You can use ballofix fittings on gas? Thats a wind up isnt it lol ..

Gas Ball Valves & Filters

 

[anz]

Gas Ball Valves & Filters

It looks similar to the ones you get on Vaillant boilers for the gas connection.

 

[tamz]

Not to be confused with the junk £1 chrome ones. You will know one if you see it as it has a hole for a 2.5mm allen key in the middle of the slot. They also have ballofix maked on the body.

 

[dancinplumba]

Not to be confused with the junk £1 chrome ones. You will know one if you see it as it has a hole for a 2.5mm allen key in the middle of the slot. They also have ballofix maked on the body.

deffo not suitable, believe o ring round ball reacts with ng and leaks

 

[mcniven]

thats the ones i meant, the ones that sometimes drip with water through the screwdriver slot

 

[dancinplumba]

thats the ones i meant, the ones that sometimes drip with water through the screwdriver slot

lol yeah

 

[tamz]

If you are not sure of what they are and come across a slotted isovalve on gas just change it. The std ones are definitely not suitable for gas, i would even go as far as say they are not suitable for anything other than the scrap bucket. They are junk.

 

[Best]

Some of the solder fittings are definitely a lot slacker than Yorkshire & will let more solder in the pipes. They also mean the fittings will spin around when heating them. Scrap them. Yorkshire are better, but still not great. As Tamz says, when you get unused older Yorkshires, as I did a few months ago, the weight, length & quality is miles better. Good quality end feed are best & are cleaner & cheaper.
Cutting copper pipe with pipe cutters, as we all do, tends to let solder run into pipes, but it is unavoidable anyhow.
Cheap ballofix, all gatevalves (unless for heating), cheap rad valves etc, are better avoided. Use lever valves instead of gatevalves for hot & cold supplies. Trouble is, you will still encounter other people's work using crap materials.

 

[dancinplumba]

mebe de-burring pipe may help..flare out end a bit ??

 

[PlumbBobBob]

but if you flare it too much it wont fit in the fitting. maybe cut with hand adjustable cutter nut autocut putting less of a chamfer on the end

 

[Best]

Or do it the old fashioned way, use a hacksaw to cut the copper pipe & then slightly file the rough edge of pipe. Tighter fit in fitting, but pipes full of fillings & takes forever to do the work! :grin:

 

[Guest123]

Had a look inside one of the cheap Floflex solder ring bends. The pipe when inserted actually potrudes further than the bend by about 2mm, while on Yorkies you get proper pipe slip then the axis of the bend without any of the pipe potruding. This will definately reduce water pressure if a number of them are used and the way the pipe goes past the bend is a sure way of trapping every bit of junk in the water supply on a new install and will prove very difficult to remove without cutting the pipe and bends out.
Definately binning these and giving them to the apprentice for soldering practice and replacing them with Yorkies and end feeds.

 

[stevetheplumber]

dont you just hate it when you get a job all finished flushed running and inhibitor added your just showing the customer the controls and suddenly a bit of solder finds its way to the pump tink tink tink tink