Re: [A/S] questions from a newbie...

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'll stick my nose into the fray again and hope I don't end up with my foot
in my mouth.  Anyway, I've done a lot of copper over the years and first
used the typical pencil point propane for sweating copper pipes.  Things
have changed over the years and LEAD solder is bad for your health and must
be replaced where ever the water will be used for human consumption.  I'm
talking about parts per billion!  Even the lead in brass that's used as a
lubricant for machining will contaminate drinking water.  I had to pickle
the brass in peroxide and vinegar to remove the leachable lead.  As an
adult, the lead content might not be important to you; however, it's a
critical consideration for children.  Most all modern brass intended for
water consumption is lead free (I hope).

Blair found that a heat shield is needed to sweat copper plumbing when the
pipe is installed.  I haven't tried this, but I think that several pieces of
sheet rock would be much better than a metal shield that just radiates the
heat.  There are special blankets that are intended to shield flammable
objects.  I also think I read about a spray foam that will act as a heat
shield.

For LEAD FREE solder, the $9 pencil type propane torch is not adequate to
make acceptable joints.  I use a Benzomatic MAPP gas torch heated with
propane.  This will do an adequate job for 1/2 inch copper pipe.  For larger
pipe, I recommend a torch burning MAPP gas or an acetylene torch made for
the purpose.  These might seem expensive, but they are lifetime tools.  I've
done copper pipe up to 2 inches for my circulating water system with these
torches.

Keep in mind that lead solder does not a good mechanical connection.  The
sweat process depends on a uniform gap so the solder is wicked into the
joint.  It is not a welding or brazing process.  If you damage the joint,
you might exceed the ability of the solder to bridge the gap.  If the joints
were broken from freeze swelling, it's likely that there are cracks, etc. in
the pipe that will soon leak.  It's better to cut the old joint out and
install new plumbing where you can be sure of the joints.  I'll be the first
to admit that the old lead solder joints certainly come apart easily.  Not
so with lead free solder.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't!

Third, the copper or lead surface must be polished bright.  I use a special
wire brush that does both the male and female areas of the joint (available
from any hardware store) and don't touch the surface with your fingers.  Use
a good quality flux and coat all contact surfaces of the joint.

Finally, DON'T overheat the copper.  Bring the heat up just enough to wick
the lead free solder into the joint.  An inexperienced person should
practice until the skill is learned before working with critical plumbing or
in unusual locations.  However, be sure that the solder "takes" all around
the joint.  I like to wipe my joints with a cloth and then give the joint a
bit more heat just in case I moved the parts while it was cooling.

Keep in mind that the shore water pressure can reach the 125 psi.  Any weak
joint will pop or eventually leak under this circumstance.  All this said,
I've not seen a properly made sweat ever leak.  Pipes break, get pin holes
from acid, crack from freeze swell, etc.  If I were to see open or leaking
joints in copper plumbing, I'd think that cold joints were made and I would
doubt the integrity of the entire system.  A cold joint can occur when water
is still in the pipe while the joint is made.  The steam prevents the pipe
from heating high enough to form a complete joint.  Or, working in a tight
area, only one side of the pipe is heated enough to complete joint - the
other side is marginal.  Water leaks on the floor, though very small will
destroy the floor over time.

I've changed most of my plumbing in my Safari over to PEX using crimp ring
fittings and a few Quest couplings (these are almost hand tight type
fittings).  BTW, do not use Quest pipe threads for connection to a water
heater!  Use the specially made coupling that has a brass pipe thread for
the water heater and a Quest connection for PEX.  Plastic threaded into the
water heater will always leak.  Use a high temperature thread dope for water
heater connections.

Some have said that the plastic won't break when it freezes and I suppose
this is true.  However, the professional plumbers working with the plastic
pipe in mobile homes, etc. tell me that the copper crimp ring will stretch
when the plastic expands from freezing and this results in a leak.  It can
be fixed by using the crimping tool again, but this depends on access.  When
all my panels and furniture are back in place, it will be impossible to work
on the plumbing just as it was for the original copper installation.

The advantage I see with the use of PEX is that it's very easy to work with
and the pipe is very inexpensive.  I cut it with a ratchet type pruning
tool, it's simple and quick!  Mistakes can be removed with a bit of
difficulty by using a dremel tool and a rotary file.  I made an
extraordinary effort to assure that the water lines will drain when I open
the valves front and aft.  In some places I left the flair fittings, others
I sweat adapters from copper to PEX, and still others I went from PEX to
pipe  to compression so I could match the pipe/tube sizes.  This was
necessary to retain the faucet sets and the shore water entry.  I don't
think the PEX is suitable for exterior applications and a list member
informed me that PEX is degraded by UV.   All this said, the PEX fittings
cost about a dollar each; whereas, copper fittings might cost as little as
$.25.  Overall the cost might be near the same.   I did read where chlorine
bleach will damage the PEX if the ppm content of the water is very high.
Use of shock chlorine treatments with PEX doesn't seem like a wise approach
to sanitation.

Since I bought the $100 crimping tool, I'll carry it with me while I travel.
If I have a problem, I'll be able to do what ever is necessary to fix any
plumbing problem related to hot or cold water.

All these thoughts is based on my experiences.  I'm sure there are other
opinions; however, I hope some of my experiences help you "work smarter" for
your restoration.

                                                 '69 Safari, Joy