Today I will teach you how to desolder or unsolder copper pipe and fittings. This process is useful for fixing a leak in a soldered joint, or replacing an old fitting without cutting the pipe.
Question. Can I put a compression shutoff valve in place of the old soldered on valve? I'm wondering if the thin coating of solder left behind would cause a compression valve to not seal properly.
As long as the solder is smooth to the touch then your compression fitting will be leak free. Desoldering will leave a solder stain behind but as long as there is no raised edge then you are ok. When I desoldered my old shut off valve I put a shark bite valve in its place and it’s been holding well. Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe
That's easy because you're a mile away from an elbow or coupler. How do you desodler a valve if you have an elbow a half of inch away and not melt the pipe at the elbow? Thanks.
You focus your flame to where you want to desolder. If the valve is a 1/2 inch away from the elbow then aim your torch so it doesn’t hit the elbow. If you don’t know how to control the flame to only the joint you are working on then I guess you would have to re solder the elbow that you messed up. But it isn’t very difficult to focus the flame on a very specific spot with vital components nearby.
Yes that’s correct. And dial your flame back. Too much flame can overheat larger areas and cause problems to the neighboring joint. Low and slow is key
