Can an old leaking Yorkshire fitting always be fixed without removing?

justjohn

I am fairly new to soldering copper fittings. I have done a few. However I have just found a leak from a bodged copper Yorkshire fitting (not my handy work). I have tried re-soldering it without removing. however it is leaking from a side I am having difficulty getting access to. I think the leak was caused because the pipes were not cut into joist correctly and the floorboards were putting pressure on the fitting. (the floorboards and the channelling of joists look like a bodge job)


Can an old leaking Yorkshire fitting always be fixed without removing?

mart.vader

I trust you have turned the water off and drained the pipe, otherwise you are just boiling the water and will never be able to solder it. If you have, you should be able to solder it, but why dont you just cut it off and fit a modern one ?

justjohn

yes its drained...however its central heating flow and return and there are a load of pipes coming of it. will end up cutting out more than just one T-piece. I have tried already to solder. will try a second time if I can't get it , I will call a plumber in to cut it all out.

anotherbaldrick

It depends if the surface of the inside of the Yorkshire fitting was adequately cleaned and fluxed at the time it was first run. If not it is probable that part of the surface has not been "Tinned" by the solder and you have what we call a "Dry Joint", a small area of dirty copper inside the joint. It is unlikely that re-heating the joint will cure this.

ValHaller

justjohn wrote: »

.... Can an old leaking Yorkshire fitting always be fixed without removing?

I would say never.

If the inside prep was adequate originally, the joint would have taken at the first attempt. Once a solder joint has leaked, that is more or less the end of it.

Gloomendoom

I've done it by cleaning up the outside to shiny copper and then wiping solder over the join. Probably easier said than done if access is restricted.

justjohn

Well I am giving up on it....tried twice...


Will get the plumber in to cut it all out.


I am fairly new to soldered copper fittings, this has put me of a little from using them.(mind you they are fun when they work lol)


Its a flow/return pipe for CH. there are 2 x 22mm t-pieces(one leaking) on it, 15mm bleed pipe and 22m coupler all are soldered. there is another flow/return running parallel to the leaking one. Really hate finding pipes that are so close together they are hard to work on.


If this had been a compression fitting it would have been easier to sort.

Gloomendoom

If it's a slight leak, it may be worth trying some leak sealer...

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/Central+Heating+Additives/Leak+Sealer+1L/d230/sd3235/p91364

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/Central%20Heating%20Additives/Corgi%20Leak%20Sealer/d230/sd3235/p54401

southcoastrgi

yorkshire fittings are normally used by diy as they are far too expensive for a trade to use, unless it's in a really inacessible place that you can only get a blow torch into & not a roll of solder as well

justjohn

Gloomendoom wrote: »

If it's a slight leak, it may be worth trying some leak sealer...

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/Central+Heating+Additives/Leak+Sealer+1L/d230/sd3235/p91364

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Heating/Central%20Heating%20Additives/Corgi%20Leak%20Sealer/d230/sd3235/p54401

That was my very last resort if I could not find the leak...not keen on that stuff.

diable

Just use the putty that turns to metal (can't remember the name the stuff to seal leaking rads) on the joint that'll do for a few years.