Removed ball valve from previously sweated fitting by heatintg it up. Cleaned ball valve and attempted to re-sweat new copper nipple to it. I cleaned it thoroughly, used flux, but could not get fitting to draw totally.
Pin hole leak.
Suggestions?

I have never liked reusing previously sweated fitting because of this. If you have a Dremel try a wire brush inside the valve fitting. It is tough to get every bit of the old solder out. Use emery paper on the pipe and get it clean to new copper, no trace of solder.

Pinhole leaks represent water in pipe or pressure buildup. Is the system open so the pressure can escape? Are you working with water?

Doug's correct. A pinhole leak means that you didn't get all the moisture out of the pipe before you applied heat to the fitting and the moisture in the pipe turned to steam. When soldering a fitting on a pipe that has had water in it I always run my torch up and down the pipe to heat up the water and let it steam out so the pipe's dry when I solder the fitting. Pipes MUST be dry and free of moisture before you solder a fitting. Regards, Tom

Doug's correct. A pinhole leak means that you didn't get all the moisture out of the pipe before you applied heat to the fitting and the moisture in the pipe turned to steam. When soldering a fitting on a pipe that has had water in it I always run my torch up and down the pipe to heat up the water and let it steam out so the pipe's dry when I solder the fitting. Pipes MUST be dry and free of moisture before you solder a fitting. Regards, Tom

And then there's lazy old me, who uses a 'Jet-Swet (http://www.pollardwater.com/pages_product/JS6100tool.asp)'.:D

"And then there's lazy old me, who uses a 'Jet-Swet'."
Growler, My "Handi-Dandi" calculator tells me that if I wish to purchase a Jet Sweet package that covers pipes from 1/2" to 4" I'll be shelling out $1015.20.
That's a lotta bread to pay out to pay out just to avoid clearing the line of moisture. And speaking of bread do you remember the days when we stuffed bread in the lines to soak up the moisture? Regards, Tom

Growler, My "Handi-Dandi" calculator tells me that if I wish to purchase a Jet Sweet package that covers pipes from 1/2" to 4" I'll be shelling out $1015.20.

I bought the 1/2" through 2" kit about four years ago for half the listed price at the supply house.

It get's a lot of use, particularly when we're Plumbing some dot-commer's condo.


That's a lotta bread to pay out to pay out just to avoid clearing the line of moisture. And speaking of bread do you remember the days when we stuffed bread in the lines to soak up the moisture? Regards, Tom

I remember hearing other Plumbers talk about it, but I always just hooked up an air compressor at one of the H/W tank feeds and blasted the water out before buying the Jet-Swet.