How To Sweat A Copper Fitting

I believe that any plumber would tell you that the key to successfully soldering or "sweating" a copper fitting is properly making ready the pipe and fitting for the soldering process. Cleaning the pipe and fitting is valuable to get the solder to flow properly and insure that the pipe and fitting have been soldered together. I just refinished my bathroom and used the existing lines that brought the water up from the main to the bathroom. I supplanted all the branches or "feeds" for the shower, toilet, and sink. When using existing pipe and new pipe together, cleaning and making ready are valuable to insure good soldered fittings and joints. I'll use my bathroom as an example.

The feed for my bathroom is 1/2″ copper pipe but because my shower and toilet position would be slightly different, I decided to route my hot and cold pipes differently to adapt the changes. I needed to put a 1/2′ copper tee on the cold feed so I could run the cold water for the shower and toilet. I turned the main off in my basement to stop the flow of water. Once I had the water off, I could sweat the fitting properly. If you are a novice at sweating pipe, you need to know that you will never get your fittings soldered properly as long as there is water in the pipe. Even if there is the sligtest amount, it will be enough to keep the copper from heating up to the right temperature. Using a tube cutter, I cut the existing copper pipe back to its desired length. One thing about tube cutters for beginners, gradually growth the pressure on the blade as you rotate it. Putting too much pressure all at once can cause your pipe to deform while the cut. Once the pipe is cut and clear of all water, it is time to prepare the pipe and fitting for the sweat. Existing pipe will regularly have a darkish brown tarnished look where new pipe or fittings will regularly be shiny.

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Look at the existing pipe and make sure that there aren't any burs on the end where the fitting will go. Use a small file to debur the pipe if necessary. Next take a piece of emery paper and work it colse to the pipe from the end to about an inch in until it is shinyand free from tarnish. I like to take a piece of clean cloth and just wipe the pipe off when I am straight through with the emery paper. This cleans any dirt or dust off of it. Next, take a 1/2 " pipe brush and run it straight through the fitting. If you don't have a pipe brush, you can use a piece of emery cloth. Apply flux colse to the end of the pipe and inside the fitting. Place the fitting on the end of the pipe until it slides all the way on. When sweating a tee, I like to prepare all three pipes and sweat them all so that I don't have to reheat the pipe and disturb the parts of the fitting already finished.

How To Sweat A Copper Fitting

Once you have your fitting in place, it is time to light your propane torch. Adjust the flame until it is a nice, steady blue flame. Remember that the solder will all the time flow in the direction of the heat so you neeed to place your torch in a position where the solder will flow evenly colse to the pipe and fitting and be drawn inward toward the heat. On a tee, you would want to place the torch in the center of the cross bar and heat from the bottom. That way you will heat all three pipes at once and the soldler will be drawn inward toward the heat bonding the pipes to the fitting. In the case of a 90 or 45 degree fitting, place the flame from the lowest on the curved part of the fitting. Once you have the flame on the fitting, you will observation the flux start to bubble. Keep watcching until the flux seems to dry up and the color of the pipe and fitting turn dull. Take your solder and start at the top of the pipe where the end of the fitting is. Touch the solder at this point and when it melts, keep feeding solder as you go colse to the pipe in one direction and stop at the bottom. Then come back to the top and do the same in the other direction. By placing the heat at the lowest and beginning your solder at the top, you will fill in the area where the pipe goes into the fitting because the solder will flow toward the heat. Be sure to do this colse to all the pipes in the fitting. Once you are done, remove the heat. If you used to much solder, you will have a few seconds where the solder will still be wet. You can take a rag and gradually wipe colse to the pipe and fitting to remove the excess solder and flat it out. Now let the fitting and pipe cool down without disturbing them. Many solder joints come to be cracked because they are not allowed to cool properly. I recommend doing some custom in the garage before you effort the real thing. If you know whatever who has done it before, why not ask them to come over for a beer and share their experience.

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How To Sweat A Copper Fitting

Installing Fly Screens - Builders Tips

Making and fixing fly screens
Fly screens are an easy and very satisfying fix-it job, especially if you have a lot of openings nearby your home.

Most timber window frames will have a small rebate in the moulding to allow for the installation of screens. If not, you can setup the screens flat against the outer outside of the frame. If you have sliding, sash or inward-opening windows you'll find the rebate for screens on the outside. If your windows open outwards, however, like casement or awning windows, the screens will have to be fitted on the inside. Inside screens will present you with the added complication of having to add mechanical winders to open the windows without removing the screens. For sliding aluminium windows, screens are fitted into an outer track.

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What You Need
Tape measure
- Aluminium fly screen frame
- corner connectors, four per screen (plus screws to fasten these)
- Fibreglass screen mesh (the most common, but there are other kinds) a toggle clips (to hold screen in frame)
- Plastic fly screen
- Hacksaw
- Utility knife
- Cordless drill

Installing Fly Screens - Builders Tips

Grab a tape portion and make a just note of the space between the inside edges of the rebates, then allow a integrate of millimetres clearance all round to rule your screen size. If the screens are to fit into aluminium tracks, the vertical estimation starts on the upper inside outside of the top track but stops on the top edge of the lower track. Subtract a further 3 mm from this estimation for tolerance and you'll have a screen size that that can be fitted by lifting it into the top track and pushing it past the edge of the lower track before dropping it into place.

Once you've measured all your windows, make up a quick diagram of each of the screens to be made before heading down to your hardware store for the supplies. - Set up a sturdy, flat work outside and then measure, mark and mitre cut the aluminium frame stock to size, with the aid of the hacksaw and mitre box. Small mitre boxes specifically for this job are available for a few dollars and can be found in the same area of the hardware store as the rest of the fly screen materials.

Assemble the fly screen frame using the corner joiners. Use a piece of wood or a mallet to gently tap corners into position. When assembled, test on the window to ensure correct size. If the window or your handiwork is slightly out of square, a diplomatic push on the corner of your frame will adjust it.

Place the frame on a flat outside with the channel side up. Use the floor if your bench isn't big enough to ensure the frame i supported all the way around. Cut a piece of fibreglass mesh with a 50 mm over-hang on each side. Place this piece over the frame and then diagonally cut the corners of the piece of mesh.

Cut a length of fly screen spline slightly longer than required. The ridges on the fly screen spline are designed to catch and pull the mesh into the channel. Before starting to insert the spline it can be soaked in a dish of hot water to make it more pliable.

Start about 100 mm from one corner and push the spline in with your finger initially, and then result through with the spline roller; this will force the spline and mesh deep into the groove. Continue this all the way round the frame, Keep a little bit of tension on the screen but not much as you work nearby with the spline roller the screen will come to be taut.

Trim off any excess mesh with a sharp blade.

The screens can be held in place with the aid of four (two each side) small plastic toggle clips. These are secured to the surrounding window-frame with a singular screw each to allow them to pivot back and forth to release the screen for hereafter cleaning and maintenance.

Installing Fly Screens - Builders Tips