[TheForge] Soldering copper tubing in an AC unit

[Andrew Vida]

On 4/6/2012 7:14 AM, Ron Childers wrote:
> Greetings all, and happy Easter. I need  to borrow your collective
> brains- What is the consensus on the heat source for soldering copper
> tubing in an AC unit to replace the reversing valve? The boss' "Hac man"
> has burned the copper so badly it has oxidized and burned. He is using
> an oxy-acetylene torch with an oxidizing flame and trying to patch the
> holes he burned in it by dribbling solder in them.

	Sounds like an idiot.  You can tell him I said that.

 > When that leaked he
> cut the tubes back and tried to solder in new tubing he bent with a vice
> and a hammer. Still leaks after three weeks and five tanks of freon... I
> know but little about the esoteric science of HVAC, but Since the
> oxy/ace is too hot for him would it not be better to use mapp gas,
> oxy/air or?

	Jesus... all you need is perhaps 450*.  A propane torch would be more 
than enough.  Mapp is very hot.

	OK, one say to make very good soft solder joints that I learned in the 
aerospace industry is to use solder rings.  Just bend solder around the 
tube to form a ring.  Flux, place ring at the junction of tube and 
fitting, and heat the fitting evenly until the ring wets and sucks up 
into the joint.  Voy-luh!  Done.
>
> I am trying to get the boss to hire a professional HVAC company because
> as Red Adair said, "If you think a expert is expensive, wait 'til you
> hire a amateur".

	Sage advice and eminently applicable when blowing out wells.  Get 
someone who knows what they are doing before your resident rocket 
surgeon wrecks the whole deal.  If boss balks, suggest he price a new AC 
system.  If he still balks, then I might suggest that you work for a 
similar idiot.  But what the hell do I know?