What is the soldering of copper pipes

Soldering is the process of joining elements made of different materials by introducing solder between them. In addition, this material has a melting point lower than that of the remaining parts. This operation is widely used as the most qualitative method of fastening. Brazing of copper pipes allows to extend the life of such a joint, the tightness of its joints under the influence of pressure, to provide high resistance to corrosion.

Before you start an independent work, it is advisable to get acquainted with their main components in order to avoid the occurrence of undesirable errors and get a quality connection as a result.

Copper pipes are brazed with a soft or hard solder. The first material is used at a temperature of about 425 ° C, and the permissible temperature of the second can reach 560 ° C. Determination of the type of solder depends on the amount of copper and other materials that are available in its composition. In the case where the solder for soldering copper pipes contains silver, the melting point must be lowered.

In order to obtain a better connection, it is best to use copper-phosphorous elements, but their melting point is much higher compared to silver ones. For copper-bronze and copper-brass melting materials, flux for soldering copper pipes is used. Its use is equivalent to mechanical cleaning of parts before carrying out a procedure that prevents the appearance of an oxide film, which is quite important for this process. Basically, a flux is used, having the form of a paste, due to which the brazing of copper pipes will be greatly simplified.

In order to avoid errors in joining parts, you also need to follow certain rules. The connection must be cleaned with a dimming flame, which will create maximum heat. It is necessary to degrease the metal surfaces. The gaps between the elements and their relative positioning must be carefully checked.

Brazing of copper pipes involves applying a small amount of flux from the outside of the joint. In addition, the space for this should be evenly heated to the required temperature. The solder can then be applied to the joint and evenly distributed therein using a soldering torch. In molten form, it will flow towards the joint site, which is more heated.

After soldering, the flux residues must be removed. It is rather important to adhere to one of the main rules: the heating cycle should not last too long, and overheating is completely ruled out during operation. In addition, you need to ensure the proper level of ventilation to prevent the emergence of a very harmful to human body smoke, consisting of cadmium vapor.

Adherence to the above recommendations will greatly facilitate the execution of works, save time and help achieve the desired result.