[TheForge] Soldering copper tubing in an AC unit

[Ron Childers]

Andy, master of subtlety that you are, you certainly called this one.
Boss finally got tired of saving all that money and hired a real HVAC
man. He is clean, doesn't stink, has a decent service truck and will
probably have the repairs done in a day. I know he's a genius because he
agrees with us. Bozo ruined the new reversing valve with too much heat. 

You outlined the procedure we use to silver solder guards onto blades-
just enough heat on the work to make the solder flow into the joint. I
have heard sticking the blade through a potato makes a good heat sink to
keep the blade from getting too hot; sounds reasonable, has anyone tried
this?

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andrew Vida
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2012 10:36 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Soldering copper tubing in an AC unit



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?
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