Critique from a plumber buddy changed how I solder copper pipes

My friend watched me sweat a joint and said 'you're heating the fitting, not the pipe.' I was just blasting the whole thing with the torch until the solder flowed. He made me focus the flame on the pipe just behind the fitting, and the solder sucked right in. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a pro completely change a technique they thought they had down?

3 comments

3 Comments

wood.eric25d ago

Is it really that different though? My buddy used to think he had plumbing down pat until his joints kept weeping, and a master plumber told him he was heating the wrong spot. Now he swears by focusing the flame on the pipe itself, says his solders come out cleaner and faster every single time.

susanb3425d agoMost Upvoted

Man, that's funny you mention it. I had a buddy who was bragging about all his DIY plumbing work until his kitchen faucet started leaking like a week later. Turns out he was doing the exact same thing, just melting solder all over the fitting and hoping for the best. A real plumber watched him once and told him he was basically just gluing the joint on instead of actually bonding the pipe. He was so mad but it fixed every issue he had after that.

olivia_moore25d ago

Honestly, is sweating a pipe REALLY that deep? Like yeah, your buddy gave you a solid tip and all, but it's still just melting metal onto a joint. I've been doing it the "wrong" way for years and my pipes haven't flooded my basement yet. You'd think you were teaching someone brain surgery with how serious some dudes get about soldering. It's copper pipes, not a rocket ship. There's a million YouTube videos showing ten different ways to make a joint hold water and they all work fine. Not saying it's BAD advice, but let's not act like you just unlocked some ancient plumbing secret.