I know how to solder. The folks boiler has a 2" T fitting that is leaking. I'm not sure how to go about repairing this leak. The original solder job was not cleanly done and there's some sizable globs of solder all around it. I'd rather not have to disassemble the whole thing and re-solder new copper.

My first thought was to get some of that solder soaker and try to soak up as much solder around the joint as I can, but I'm not sure how to get flux into the joint to draw in the new solder, unless maybe I use acid-core solder.

What's the most reliable way of repairing this leak and are there any solder recommendations?

Will post photo in a few minutes...

I’d say you have to take it apart and re-solder. How do you plan on getting the water out of the pipes?

Heat it up and take it apart. No need for new copper, just clean up the old and re-solder. There's a tool called a solder sucker you can use if you can't let it drip. If you can get a piece of cardboard under it, just let it drip on it. Cut it out to fit the area underneath including right around the pipe.

I'm not aware of a shortcut for your situation and since you're going to have to drain the system to a level below the tee to solder - might as well do it right and disassemble it.

Hanco would be getting a PM from me.

He might see the thread and jump in.

Without someone like him telling me different,
I'm with Pocono Jack.

The hard way is often the only way.
The easy way is going the right way first, not later.

The leaking joint is the one on the horizontal plane on the right side of the "T"

It looks like somebody has already tried to fix it without taking it apart, so you see how that works...

Well, I was going to drain the system and then hope that the heat of the torch would dry things out, but I understand that I may have to disassemble everything. I don't want to remove the gauge from the T if I can help it.

A properly soldered joint should never leak.

Yours has failed and needs to be redone correctly. An attempt to fix in place by weeping flux/solder in the T is going to fail sooner than later if you even get it to hold.

Depending on how it’s plumbed in you may be able to drain enough water to unsweat the fitting and clean and reuse but I’d get yourself a new T and a few no stop couplings and redo it right

*just saw your pic… cut it out and replace the T. If you know how to solder that’s a fairly straightforward repair

Drain it, heat it up, pull it apart, clean it up, resolder, and forget about it for another 20+ years

That gauge is the first thing I'd take off.

The opening would be a great steam release while you are repairing the pipe.
With water residual in the pipe the steam it may create can easily cause a leak while your attempting to heat the pipe and fitting during repair.

I give it a 98% chance of leaking again if you don't take it apart and clean and flux it. I could be wrong, but 25+ years as a plumber gives me a pretty strong hunch.

Meebe so, but this one is 70 years old.

I don't know....only 25 years?


Maybe we need a second opinion.

That picture tells me that was an OMG amateur repair!
Take it apart, and do it right - is my advice.
Anything else will just make things worse, Kevin.

Looks to me like the previous repair was done without draining the water out, cleaning up, and going through the whole procedure to get it right.

Is there anywhere else to install the gauge?
If so cut that tee out and reinstall 2 -45's or a street and a regular. (unless you have a little pc o 2" copper )
Then you could use a new tee and a coupling.
Looks like the copper is a little corroded,make sure it is clean.

I think Dad must have done that repair years and years ago, 'cause that's what he wants me to do again. I'm sure I'll end up taking it all apart.

The reason it looks corroded is due to some very old insulation that adhered to the copper. I cleaned it all off with a wire brush on a drill.

I'm reasonably sure I can figure out a different place for the gauge.

Tire inner tube and a hose clamp.

Don't need to cut the gauge out - it's in a threaded adapter.

Just found another leak. Whoever did these repairs did a piss-poor job. This other joint doesn't even look like it was soldered:

I would replace the parts in question and sweat them properly.

For those sizes of copper (2" or so) you're going to need quite a bit of heat.
Possibly, someone didn't get it all warm enough for a good joint.

That viega is a crimp fitting hence no solder. That means it also must be fairly new

ProPress. One of the new no heat pressed connect joints, problem is the pipe has to be in near perfect condition no linear scratches through the leak path.

He said he didn't want to lose the gauge,never said to cut it out. I suggested cutting the whole tee out if he could move the gauge.

This,,also the copper needs to be in fairly descent shape,if it's old it may crush a little and not seal.
Fittings are about 3x's the cost,but labor savings make up for that.

I've got an acetylene torch.

MAPP gas not enough?

Acetylene, with your turbo torch is plenty of heat for 2” soft solder.

Gotta' get that sukka refilled.

yes, would work. propane also if you took your time.

Yep. Cut it back to clean copper, install a new tee, and sweat it the right way.

Too much heat is just as bad as not enough. That tee looks like the result of too much heat the first time, and then someone tried to skim over the joint to stop the leak. If you took that fitting apart and wiped it out you would find a big black void near the top where the flux burned off on the original sweat job. 2" is going to take a different technique than 1/2 or 3/4. It must be "filled" from the bottom up both sides, without getting the entire fitting hot enough to flow solder. Also, the Viega press fitting has an O-ring in it that may be ruined by sweating real close.

Get new parts, plus two slick couplings( no stop in the middle of coupling) to repair the leak. You will need a turbo torch to heat the two inch reliably. If you haven’t soldered before, me thinks you should get a plumber to repair it.

That is a pro-press fitting. That’s on the same unit?
It slides on, squeezed with a tool, has o-rings seals. If you use a pro-press fitting close to a solder joint, it can crack the solder joint causing a leak. That looks like what happened in pic above.

Dad had 2 plumbers out to take a look. The first one wanted $800.00, the second, a grand. Ridiculous.

I do have experience soldering, but it's not something I do every day.

Yes, the pro-press fitting is on the same line - towards the right side of the photo - coming out of the air-handler:

It's a Carrier system from 1952. 3-phase.

So far there's two leaks and extra joints on that short length of plumbing. I would pull it all apart and start with new if there was any question on the integrity of the pipe or fittings. Do it once and do it right.

Where in Texas are you? Damn plumbers don’t work cheap. Damn parts and a 20’ piece of pipe probably cost 400 bucks, that’s a wild guess. The green fitting with 3/8’s tubing looks like an auto air relief valve.


I sent this to a friend that does side work, curious what he says he would charge

Old copper fittings and tubing can get to the point chemically that no kind of solder will seal properly. I'd suggest replacing the entire run of pipe from the threaded elbow on with new pipe- - - -copper, PVC, or shark bite, your choice. There are far too many joints in a few inches there to worry about.

I see 4tf pieces of 2 inch on Ebay for $100, add on the needed parts and you'll be pushing hard on $300 on a good day.

Hard to tell what you might get into behind that cover where the crimped fitting has failed.

All new end to end and be done with it..

My friend says they are giving you a good price, material will blow up 500.00, he would charge 800.00 for labor. It will take time to drain, make repairs, bring system back up.

By the time a guy picks up material, executes the work, gets out of your driveway will kill 6 hours. They probably charge at least 80 an hour.

I am in Big D at the moment.

Every time I see what plumbers charge, I wish I was one.

Every time I'm doing a plumbing job, I'm glad I'm not one!

Every time I do a plumbing job around the house I gain about 8 pounds.

First trip to Home Depot around 7:30 for some fittings, gotta stop by the food cart out front and grab a Polish dog with grilled onions.

Second trip to Home Depot an hour later to exchange what I got the first time for some different parts, grab another dog.

Rinse and repeat until Home Depot closes around 10:00.

Sounds about right.

The most important inventory item to start any plumbing job is a full tank of gas in the truck.

Ah, you can do this stuff in about 3 trips, if you do it right. Each trip, buy everything you MIGHT need, not just what you THINK you need. Return all the unused stuff once the project is finished.


Well, maybe 4 trips.

+1

The acetelyn is a good way to go on larger fittings as it heats them quickly, propane can be problematic if using nolead solder. I assume this is not a domestic line, which should be no lead. 50/50 can be hard to find in some area's.

Mapp gas is hotter than propane, which is typically needed for no lead solder, has to be clean, fluxed and not in a bind.

Word.

If using C2H2, is a rosebud necessary/reco’d, or just a welding tip?

I’m glad I’ve retired from that plumbing cshit!

Me too! You wanna help but it is a nightmare or a "jackpot" and the poor guy wants to save money. Once you patch something, you own it! Better to start over.

Awww cmon you guys you know you miss it….

Its best not to put things in such tight situations, and think maintanence from the beginning....

Phil

You’ll put over $800 00 in your own time and materials cost into the project if that’s the way you choose to go.
The system is 70 years old?

No we don’t😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😎

The last shower I did for A buddy I got my plumber buddy to give him a price for plumbing in all the new fixtures, Carlos quoted him a grand. I ended up doing it for him, didn't even charge him, and took me about two hours. Randy bought the parts. I did tile in his whole house

Yes, system is 70 years old - residential system. We're on our 3rd water/cooling tower, which was damaged in the tornader of 2019. I repaired it with figerglass - it's a fiberglass tower.

For what it is, at 70 years old, $800 sounds cheap.

Ha Ha a thing of beauty is a joy to behold. I got electrofied by one one those!

All new copper. Did away with the pro press fitting where the copper goes into the green air handler on the right:

Future reference... try this flow (assuming I have the flow direction correct).

Easier on your pump (i.e. don't deadhead a T)...



EDIT... Better than previous suggestion

In the pic it doesn't look like the attempted repair was hot enough.
Propane on a 2 inch pipe is not a good combination.

Ether use MAP gas which I my self do not like.
Or
Oxy /Acet is the best if you know how to control the heat.

I have used Oxy/Acet on 3/4 inch copper pipe when water was still in the pipe and made the connection seal with solder.
Not very fun but i worked after 3 other people made the attempt with Propane

Holly Crap
Someone should have installed some Couplers on that thing

Did they Flame it out Soldering or did it Flame out on it's own

That is some scary stuff right there.

Whoever tried it before cooked the crap out of that fitting. Maybe they tried it wet. Steam will screw it up.

Three things:

Clean the crap out of it.
Use 50/50 solder
Use tinning flux.

Keep the heat behind the actual joint.

It's done. Should hold for 50 years or so.

What type of insulation do y'all recommend for that 2" copper pipe?

This looks good and is very similar to the original insulation:

Grainger 2" Pipe Insulation

How long did it take and how much did it cost? . I have learned to do my own plumbing now days. I just fixed my outdoor wood boiler. I had to remove a thermostat and when I did a pipe popped right out and I had to fix it. It took 2 times to the store. I found out real quick 1" copper solders real good when there is no water in it. It took 4 hours and $20 bucks or so. The next day the hydronic pump went out and that was another $400 and 3 hours. That went really easy though. I would have a plumber do it cause I know very well what it takes to do something right the 1st time, being a carpenter for 41 yrs. a home owner will very likely do a job that is not good , or will fail with a short life . Plumbers are no different. I will do my own water heater soon. I will take my time and do a good job, only cause I just can't hardly find someone to even call me back . A good friend from church just does not have the time to run 60 miles , and i am willing to pay him with a meal to boot like last time. Just cant find anyone that is not over loaded with work these days.

SupplyHouse.com is a great place to get plumbing supply's.
Granger's Rapes their Customers if you are not a big spender.