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How to fix a bad plumbing solder joint? This is a question that plumbers are asked quite often. It’s not always easy to tell if the joint needs resoldering because it could just be corroded or simply have too much flux on it, which can lead to corrosion.
In this blog post, we will review 8 steps for how to fix a bad plumbing solder joint, so you don’t have any more problems!
8 Tips On How to Fix a Bad Plumbing Solder Joint
Step 1: Prepare the Surface
The first thing you need to do is prepare the solder joint. This means cleaning off any corrosion or oxidation that’s on it. If you don’t, then your soldering job will never hold water because of how quickly these surfaces degrade when exposed to oxygen and moisture in the air.
Step 2: Apply Solder to Both Joints
The next step on how to fix a bad plumbing solder joint is to apply solder to both joints. This is an important first step before applying heat. You need to apply solder to both the connection point and the pipe. Doing so creates a stronger hold between these two elements, which means less strain on your soldering work when water is being passed through it later.
Step 3: Use a Different Type of Solder Wire
After applying solder wire to each end, use a different type of wire that’s higher in metals content for maximum strength while also not corroding as quickly under stress from regular usage inside your home plumbing system because this can cause leaks over time if you don’t choose wisely here.
Step 4: Apply Heat Slowly
To get the best results from your soldering job, be sure to heat up slowly before touching down your iron or other heating elements firmly to the joint. By doing so, you’ll allow for a stronger bond when cooling because it will have time to mix in rather than just melting one or the other alone.
Step 5: Clean Up Excess Solder
Excessive solder is not good and can cause problems later on down the road if you don’t clean up properly afterward.
Be sure that any excess material has been removed from your connections before moving forward with turning the water back on inside of your home plumbing system again after this work has been done by flushing out all leftover pieces during final cleanup using hot water running through lines until they run clear again.
It’s best to do this outside since solder leftovers are extremely toxic when released into air like vapor which is why cleaning them up properly is important to prevent inhalation of these toxic fumes in your home.
Step 6: Don’t Forget About Ventilation
One more thing you’ll want to do before turning the water back on after this work has been done is make sure that there’s proper ventilation for any excess solder pieces, which means using a fan if necessary like the one shown below in order to get rid of all traces of vapor into the fresh air outside where it won’t be an issue inside your living spaces or other areas around your property.
This will help ensure safety when soldering connections between pipes and fittings too, because inhaling solder vapors can cause significant health issues over time with prolonged exposure, so don’t leave them hanging around!
Step 7: Turn Water Back On
Once everything has been cleaned up and you’re sure there’s enough ventilation, then it’s time to turn the water back on again. Do this slowly at first to test for leaks before turning on all the way and running water through lines.
Step 8: Maintain Your Plumbing System
Just like any part of your home plumbing system, you’ll need to maintain what we’ve worked so hard to solder together here in order to get the longest lifespan out of what was just done.
This means flushing your plumbing system with fresh water every season or two which will flush away any leftover materials that didn’t find their way out through ventilation during final cleanup after soldering work has been completed on your property for best results long-term when it comes to maintaining a healthy home environment inside and outside too!
What Causes A Solder Joint To Fail?
There are three main causes of solder joint breaking. These include:
Cold Solder Joints
A cold solder joint is one that fails because the solder does not melt and mix with the metal. This could happen due to a number of reasons: too much heat (the wire becomes overheated), poor choice of flux, or incorrect application of heat to wire during soldering.
Bad Flux Choice
A bad flux choice is another cause of solder joint failure. A good flux cleans both the surfaces to be soldered and also prevents oxidation by removing it from the metal’s surface, which causes a poor connection between wires, causing them to break apart easily.
Poor Application Of Heat To Wire
This can happen for various reasons as well: too much heat applied during the application or not enough time spent heating up wire before applying solder is just some examples that result in incorrect temperature control, which then leads to a failed solder joint.
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