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To sweat copper joints, it has to be dry inside. If not, the steam will fuck with the temperature. SO, if you test it, and it leaks, you have to blow the water out before you start over. That's right, you have to cut the pipe somewhere, wipe the end off, get down there, wrap your lips around it and blow. You open a water faucet, the next one in line, to let the water blow out.
You might think you can just pile that solder up on there, to make sure it won't leak. BUT, if you heat it up for too long you can sweat the flux out of the joint, actually causing it to form a leak. It's a balancing act, get the solder to follow the flux all the way around, and then get off right away.
And you can't put that solder on there until the flux is HOT enough, BUT if you heat it up too much it can sweat out, like I said.
ON THE PLUS SIDE: with a hot water heater, you won't be crammed down in a tight space; all the pipes should be exposed and easy to get to.
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There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there
it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your
expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever
gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio
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