Copper Soldering Iron Use

Use tinning flux instead of standard flux.

Copper soldering iron use.

This article is about how to use a soldering iron but the iron itself isn t the only item you ll need. Wipe off any solder clogging the threads. A copper pipe is one of the most common materials used to distribute water throughout the home and copper pipes are typically joined to one another using flux and solder. A soldering iron supplies the heat that melts the solder.

Clogs make it challenging to create a good seal. Lead free solder is better for the environment and has other benefits and they function more or less the same way. Here s a rundown of some of the supplies you may need to use including a soldering iron for a soldering project. Lead free solder is also available though it has higher melting temperatures and less wettability meaning you may need a better soldering iron to use it and removing it can be more tedious.

Soldering iron to copper is not much different than soldering a piece of copper onto a copper fitting. Apply the right amount of solder e g half inch of solder for half inch copper pipe. The only real difference is that you will have to use a dielectric union at the point where the copper pipe joins the iron pipe. It consists of a tip which you apply to the metal.

In the soldering process heat is applied to the copper joint where the pipe and fitting meet and the gap between the joint is filled with molten metal. A dielectric union which is similar to a regular union used on iron. Excess solder restricts water flow and sometimes forms small balls that break loose and damage the faucet valves.