Often, copper pipes are used to organize water systems. In addition, such elements are often used in the design of residential premises in the steampunk style. Regardless of the purpose of using such elements, copper pipes must somehow be connected to each other. The easiest way to do this is with copper-phosphorus solder. In this case, the joint will be neat and tight. After the joints have hardened, the structure will be as strong as a solid pipe. However, before you start soldering with copper-phosphorus solder, it is worthwhile to find out some features of the material with which you are going to work.
Useful information about copper
Soft metal alloy began to be used in ancient centuries for minting coins. Today, this material has become a little less popular, but heating and water systems made of copper pipes are still the most durable reliable and durable.
Installation of such lines is carried out by soldering. In the process, metal elements are connected to solder - a specially selected material, the melting point of which should be less than what the workpiece has.
The soldering process itself is simple. The main thing is to choose the right connecting material. In our case, this is copper-phosphorus solder. It is also worth deciding on the method of soldering. There are several of them.
Methods for brazing copper
There are two ways to independently connect a trunk of copper pipes:
- Low temperature. This method is the simplest and most often used at home. In this case, soft solder made of tin, lead or alloys of these metals with the addition of part of silver is used. During low-temperature processing, the melting point of copper-phosphorus solder is not more than 450 degrees.
- High temperature (solid). Such soldering is quite difficult and expensive to organize at home, since in this case the melting temperature of the material should be from 600 to 900 degrees.
What tools will be needed
In order to qualitatively connect the trunk, you must immediately prepare the following tools:
- Pipe cutter. Without it, it will not be possible to exactly cut the elements of the line. Using a pipe cutter, you can make the perfect cut.
- Fascinator. This tool is necessary for rounding and stripping the edges of the cut pipe in order to carry out high-quality joining of parts.
- Pipe expander. If during the work it is planned to use couplings and fittings, then thanks to this tool it will be possible to quickly expand part of the pipe to the desired size.
- Ruffs and brushes. After soldering, the pipes must be cleaned of oxide formations.
- Reflector. It is mounted on the nozzle of the burner in order to direct the flame to a specific area. If you do not install a reflector, there is a risk of damage to surrounding objects.
- Gas-burner. With its help, copper-phosphorus solder is heated.
About the last working tool it is worth telling a little more.
Gas-burner
In order for the pipeline to be properly soldered, care must be taken to select the appropriate burner. Devices are:
- With disposable cylinders (household).
- With a stationary balloon.
- Acetyl Oxygen.
The latter type is optimal for connecting copper pipes. It is such a burner that needs to be purchased.
Also, devices differ in the strength of solder heating. The higher the heating temperature, the more powerful the device is. Respectively:
- For soft solder, a cheaper and less powerful burner is suitable. Therefore, you can safely purchase a semi-professional tool with a hot air gun. Such a burner is capable of developing temperatures up to 650 degrees. The main advantage of this tool is the ability to control the intensity of the flame. Thus, it is possible to choose the optimal temperature mode of melting.
- Hard solder will require a professional tool, the cost of which will be several times higher. Therefore, it makes no sense to spend money on it, but if you really want to, then why not.
Solder
Before soldering copper-phosphorus solder pipes, you need to purchase a material that will act as a binder component. Solder can also be of two types:
- Solid. Such solder is made in the form of long rods. The composition of the connecting materials of the Cu94 P6 and Cu92 P6 Ag2 brands of solid type includes a 6 percent addition of phosphorus, so the maximum allowable melting point is 750 degrees. Other types of solders do not contain substances that reduce the possible heat treatment, so they can be heated up to 900 degrees. Carbide materials are most often used to connect gas supply, air conditioning and domestic hot water pipes, as well as during the installation of high-pressure pipes.
- Soft. This type of solder is available in the form of a thin wire, the diameter of which rarely exceeds 3 mm. Soft material is more suitable for use in everyday life, when organizing water supply networks.
Additionally, it is recommended to purchase a flux for copper-phosphorus solders. This paste-like substance sold in cans is necessary in order to quickly and efficiently clean pipe joints. The flux removes oxide well from the seams, due to which the characteristics of the solder are significantly improved. In addition, this component enhances the adhesion of solder and copper surface.
The paste is available for soft and hard solder. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a flux based on the selected pipe connection method.
In addition to solder, torch and other tools, it is also recommended to prepare fittings. They will be needed if you have to make turns of the water main. These items are inexpensive.
Copper-phosphorus solder for brazing copper: features
If we talk about this material, then it is worth paying attention to the fact that it is characterized by good fluidity. It can be used not only for copper, but also for its other alloys.
Since phosphorus, which has corrosion resistance, is a part of this material, the flux can not be purchased additionally.
Copper-phosphorus type solders are usually used to connect elements in equipment experiencing moderate vibration loads. If the composition of the connecting material includes silver, then the plasticity of the components increases.
Varieties of solders for copper
The following materials are suitable for processing pipes from this material:
- 102. This ternary solder of copper and phosphorus contains not more than 2% silver. Due to the reduced ductility, the composition slowly spreads. Suitable for soldering elements that do not experience strong shock or vibration loads.
- 105. Copper-phosphorus solder with silver (5%) also spreads rather slowly, but is characterized by higher ductility. The seam obtained with its help will be able to withstand minor loads from vibrations.
- 115. Another three-component solder, which in addition to copper and phosphorus contains 15 percent silver. This is a fairly ductile material with which you can create seams on highways experiencing fairly strong loads.
Having selected all the necessary components, it remains to begin work.
Soft soldering
Low-temperature soldering is suitable for mounting a heating or water supply network if the temperature of the coolant does not exceed 130 degrees, and the diameter of the copper pipes is not more than 10 cm.
To perform soldering, you must:
- To clean the connected surfaces.
- Apply flux to them.
- Insert items into each other.
- Heat the connection area with a burner to 200-250 degrees.
- Apply solder to the very edges of the parts.
- Constantly moving the burner, heat the connection for 15-20 seconds.
- When the flux darkens, you need to put a little more solder on the soldering zone. As soon as the material is on a hot surface, it will immediately begin to melt and fill the space between the pipe and the bell.
Brazing
This method of connecting pipes is necessary if the operating temperature of the pipeline exceeds 110 degrees. In this case, the soldering is carried out by the gas-flame method and annealing of the working material is supposed.
When using solid material, there is no need for surface treatment with flux.
To make a connection, you must:
- Assemble and warm up the docking station.
- Introduce solder into the area where the bell and pipe are interconnected.
- Soften the material with a gas burner. Care must be taken that the product does not overheat, therefore it is recommended that the burner be constantly moved.
- When the primary cohesion of the elements of the line occurs, turn the pipe and wind the molten solder to an adjacent area.
This method of soldering is more complicated than the previous one, but it has several advantages:
- The seams are more durable and reliable.
- It becomes possible to slightly reduce the joint width, making the seam look neater.
In addition, this method is applicable for the installation of systems that operate at rather high temperatures.
Brazing of copper-phosphorus solder is carried out according to the same technologies.
Possible errors that can be made when soldering
In the process, some people do not take into account defects on the surfaces of the connected elements. Very often they appear after cutting pipes. If you leave these defects unattended, the seam will not be as reliable as necessary.
The flux must be applied evenly, without gaps. If it doesn’t exist in any section, the pipeline can begin to rust quite quickly.
If the pipe overheats, the flux paste will simply burn. This is also not very good.
In the process, it is easy to get serious burns (not only from the flame of the burner, but also in contact with chemically active substances), so before starting soldering, you must wear protective gloves, glasses and clothing.