Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

You can see the ball valves in the bottom of the attached picture.

Thanks,
Sean

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Yes, it can be done.
I just don't know if you can do it.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

To me it looks like you have some short pipe stubs coming out of the valves already...
If stubs are there its easy
I would just wrap the closed valve with a damp paper towel and solder away.

You should try to find the guy that did the work..he did a nice job for you

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Yes it can be done. Just wrap the valve with a wet rag.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

sean, looks good. i think those stubs were not soldered, but just pushed in to allow for proper strapping?

here's the method i use. most importantly, make sure there is actually liquid up to the valve. no air pockets an air pocket against the valve can create enough heat to cause a leak or worse a blow off

so make sure that the valves have liquid against the ball.

i would also heat from the copper tube and allow the heat to transfer up to the valve first. this will keep the direct flame off the valve packing and teflon seals. start approx 2-3 '' from the valve and allow the heat to travel up. as it gets hot, then move the flame onto the valve socket. keep the flame moving around just long enough to draw the solder up into the valve socket. use a dry rag to wipe any excess flux and solder. wipe the flux as it runs and without flux the solder won't drip down onto the tubing. makes for a cleaner looking job.

post pictures of your finished work

and most importantly, don't burn down your own house

the guys at the station will never let you live that one down

rick.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

When I see pictures like the one of this guy's basement, I am so glad to be a carpenter. I mean, the most complicated thing I've done lately is a compound miter for crown molding. That guy's spaghetti of copper makes my head spin.
Looks like a government regulation flow chart.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

If you're a little nervous about it, you can use heat sink paste and a wet rag.
I get a little tense when brazing in a reversing or TXvalve. The heat sink paste is a little extra insurance.

James

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Rick is correct we left just slipped those pieces of pipe into the ball valves so we could clamp them, thus I will be soldering the valves themselves and not the copper stub outs. The fella who helped me accomplish the project is a friend from the firehouse and he is currently laid up post knee surgery, plus I hate to constantly bother him. Many of the joints in the heat system I soldered myself and I plumbed the entire domestic water system for the house in copper. My point being that I am just on this side of dangerous with a torch and some solder!!! We did not bleed the air from behind those valves but I can accomplish that fairly easily. So I am gathering that once the air is bled I can solder with just water on the other side.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Yes.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Looks nice and orderly to me, no spaghetti in there that I can see (most people I know would consider that a negative remark).

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

real nice job . wrap the valve with a wet towel

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Rick,
Thanks for all the advise. Did it exactly as you advised and it worked flawlessly!!! I do not have my camera available right now, but I will post a couple pictures as soon as I can. Again, thanks for all the advise!!!

Sean

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Yes, you can solder them as stated, but sometimes if the ball has water in it it may not want to heat up enough to create even heat to draw in the solder very well, or it may steam up and create pinholes in the cooling solder joint.

Re: Can I solder a closed ball valve with water on the other side??

Wow Bob, you reeeeeally missed my point.