These are joints that have been made with direct heat from a source such as a Blowlamp. Brockley Plumbers use this kind of fitting.

These are the two types of soldered joints:

Ring Fittings. (contains solder).
End Feed Fittings. (solder from a reel).

1). Clean the mating surfaces of the pipe and inside the fitting. This can be done with wire wool or Nylon cleaning pad.

2). Apply a suitable flux to the clean surfaces. Flux is a special paste that is readily available in plumbing retail outlets and is applied in order to keep the area clean whilst the soldering is done and also allowing the molten solder to stick to the copper and flow easily.

3). Ensure that there is no water at all in the pipe otherwise this will cool the area and not allow the solder to melt and flow.

4). With a Blowlamp or a soldering machine, apply heat to assembled joint to melt the solder. Apply the solder as soon as it melts so as not to burn away the flux. In cases where solder fittings have been used, the solder will be seen running from the mouth of the fitting so remove the heat source.

5). Remove all combustible materials from the area of the heat source as it is quite easy to start a fire with the intense heat.

6). Allow the newly soldered joint to cool fully after soldering to ensure a good fit.

7). Always wipe away residual flux off the pipe after soldering as this will make the pipe green with corrosion if not removed straight away.

If the joint leaks on testing, it must be replaced with a new fitting. The leak will be the result of a dirty joint. A Plumbing professional such as a Brockley Plumber is qualified to carry out pipe jointing.

NOTE: Solder used for Hot or Cold water supplies must be Lead Free.