Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [soldering]

For questions about soldering both electrical and plumbing joints.

Soldering is the process of joining two or more bits of metal together, by melting a filler material over/into the joint, and then allowing it to cool. Soldering is used to make both electrical and plumbing joints.

Electrical

In electronics and electrical work, soldering is used to join two pieces of metal, often to insure electrical conductivity. This process is accomplished by heating solder with a soldering iron, allowing the molten solder to flow over the joint, and then allowing the solder to cool and harden.

Plumbing

In plumbing, soldering is used to create a leak free joint between two fittings. The joint is heated using a torch. Once hot, solder is melted into the joint where it cools, hardens, and creates a solid leak free joint.

Soldering VS. Welding VS. Brazing

Soldering is different from welding, because the materials being joined to not melt. It is closely related to brazing, though brazing uses a different filler material that melts at a higher temperature.

64 questions
18
votes
8 answers

What is your advice on repairing this PCB trace?

This is a PCB from an induction cooktop. It runs on 400v. This trace blew because the wiring was crossed during installation of the stove. Compared to the exacto knife, the area is quite tiny. How would you rebuild this trace; with what sort of…
Ryan Imported
  • 191
  • 1
  • 4
17
votes
2 answers

Scientifically speaking, how and why does sweating (soldering) copper pipes work?

A few years ago I remodeled my bathroom and learned how to sweat copper pipes. I've always been able to do it successfully since then, but I've always wondered exactly how and why it works. I've done some searching on the web but most of what I find…
Mike Willis
  • 297
  • 1
  • 4
  • 8
13
votes
10 answers

Should I solder stranded wires when connecting them to a plug?

I'm about to perform a few electrical changes in my house in order to be able to control lighting fixtures (230V, 30 to 200 mA) from a PC. I have some doubts about the way stranded wires should be connected to the plugs. For instance, I suppose the…
Arseni Mourzenko
  • 435
  • 1
  • 5
  • 11
10
votes
8 answers

Are SharkBite plumbing connectors as reliable as soldered connectors?

Are SharkBite plumbing connectors as reliable as soldered connectors?
Nathan Adams
  • 101
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3
8
votes
3 answers

Can I solder 12/2 Romex to extend wire 5 ft?

I'm sure this is going to be lambasted by the code gods, but is it SAFE to solder the wires in a Romex cable to extend it? Obviously I would ground the circuit as normal, just trying to avoid another junction box. Would I heat shrink each individual…
BigLake
  • 972
  • 2
  • 12
  • 27
5
votes
3 answers

resoldering copper waste pipe

I've soldered new copper pipe but have never resoldered it. A shiny band of silver solder remains on the end of the copper pipe after an elbow has been removed from it. Does that shiny band have to be sandpapered away, to get down to bare copper,…
mrblint
  • 249
  • 2
  • 5
4
votes
3 answers

Soldering copper pigtails to aluminum wire

As I prepare to remedy my parent's 1965 home's aluminum wiring I have investigated Copalum and Alumicon. Copalum appears to be unavailable. I've tried a few Alumicon connectors but they take a lot of space in the box and basically add more…
Craig Nelson
  • 71
  • 5
3
votes
3 answers

Is it ok to unsolder a fitting and solder back a new one without cutting the copper pipe?

I am trying to replace an old outdoor spigot that is soldered to a copper pipe. I will put in place a fitting that will give me a thread so I can attach (screw in) a ball valve. All the instructions that I see show either how to remove or how to…
MiniMe
  • 3,255
  • 14
  • 74
  • 113
3
votes
2 answers

Should I use a wire or soft sponge to clean a solder tip?

I will be buying something to clean my soldering tip. I think my choices are either bronze looking metal wire sponges or yellow soft sponges. Which one is the right tool to clean soldering iron tips? Which one should be used when? Currently I'm…
Phil
  • 253
  • 1
  • 4
  • 12
3
votes
1 answer

Can I route a copper pipe bypass like this (and drill a stud)?

I finally found the water leak in my condo. I cut and cap a 1/2in pipe and the hissing sound of water went away. Now I have to figure out how to install a bypass because I lost the cold water in both the bathrooms sink. I still have hot so no hurry…
Rodo
  • 465
  • 1
  • 6
  • 20
3
votes
3 answers

How would you patch such a coaxial low-power cable?

Short story How would one solder, or in general patch, these two pieces of the same cable? Can I just separate the inner from the outer cable, solder and properly isolate one from the other? Longer story I bought a power cable for Google Nest…
usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
  • 291
  • 1
  • 8
3
votes
3 answers

Do water lines that contain lead need to be replaced if it doesn't flow out of a valve that I normally drink out of?

A plumber had came to my house to sweat pipes to install a water valve which controlled water going to the garden spigot. Upstream to the valve is a t-joint. The other output to the t-joint went to the kitchen faucet. Now, he suggested to me that…
AndyAndroid
  • 31
  • 2
2
votes
2 answers

What is the proper way to solder two different gauge stranded wires?

How does one properly solder a 10 AWG copper stranded wire with an 18 AWG copper stranded wire. There are plenty of tutorials on how to solder same gauge wire, but what is the recommended way to solder wires that are significantly different AWG?
Ryan Lazuka
  • 301
  • 1
  • 5
  • 10
2
votes
4 answers

soldering pipe with mapp gas

I am trying to open up some solder joints on a 1/2" residential cold water line, and I am having trouble doing so. I am using a propane torch, and I confirmed that the pipe was evacuated. My brother says that some plumbers use solder with a higher…
mreff555
  • 1,162
  • 1
  • 11
  • 25
2
votes
1 answer

How close can soldered and threaded joints be?

I would like to extend this pipe (outdoor sillcock) with copper by soldering a female adapter on the extending pipe and then putting this threaded male into it. Then, I would like to continue on from the other end of the extending pipe (roughly 6")…
amphibient
  • 7,095
  • 42
  • 115
  • 182
1
2 3 4 5