Copper Soldering Iron Use

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.

Copper soldering iron use. 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. Lead free solder is better for the environment and has other benefits and they function more or less the same way. A soldering iron supplies the heat that melts the solder. Here s a rundown of some of the supplies you may need to use including a soldering iron for a soldering project.

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. Heating is often achieved electrically by passing an electric current supplied through an electrical cord or battery cables through a resistive heating element. Wipe off any solder clogging the threads. A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering it supplies heat to melt solder so that it can flow into the joint between two workpieces.

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. This article is about how to use a soldering iron but the iron itself isn t the only item you ll need. Use tinning flux instead of standard flux. Excess solder restricts water flow and sometimes forms small balls that break loose and damage the faucet valves.

Apply the right amount of solder e g half inch of solder for half inch copper pipe. Clogs make it challenging to create a good seal. A dielectric union which is similar to a regular union used on iron.