Sweating Copper Pipe

Soldering copper water supply lines is not a difficult skill.  Even a rookie can learn to solder leak-proof joints in 15 minutes. The process is simple—if you follow a few basic guidelines. In this story and video I will show you how to solder copper quickly and easily. First cut your copper pipe to the desired length to fit your plumbing project using a pipe cutter. You can buy a pipe cutter and all of the supplies for this project in a hardware store or online.  Next once you have your pipe to your desired length use emory cloth or sandpaper to clean the copper pipe. You do this get rid of any of the tarnish on the copper pipe.  Apply a thin layer of lead-free soldering paste (flux) to the end of the pipe using a flux brush. The paste should cover about 1 inch of pipe. Insert the pipe into the fitting. Make sure the pipe is tight against the bottom of the fitting. Twist the fitting slightly to spread the flux.  Unwind around 8 inches of solder from the real, then proceed to heating the pipe up with a propane torch.  Once the pipe is hot touch the solder to it, there does not need to be direct contact from the torch for the solder to melt. Capillary action will draw the liquid solder into the joint. A properly soldered joint should show a thin bead of solder around the fitting.Wipe away the excess solder with a rag. The pipe will be hot, so be careful while handling it. After the pipe and fitting have cooled, turn on the water and check for leaks. If the joint leaks, take it apart and resolder it.