Can I use JB Weld to fix a leak on a tankless heater water line?

[Bannerman]

For soldering to be effective, will require the entire area to be totally clean to bare shiny base metal and for flux to be applied immediately after cleaning. Without the flux, the bare metal will immediate begin to oxidize and oxidation will prevent the solder from providing a pressure resistant seal. The photo above shows insufficient cleaning including the crack and surrounding piping.

While replacing the bent elbow section may appear to be a good solution, in practice, it may not be easy especially for someone with little soldering experience. Is the tubing a standard diameter so that commonly available sweat couplings will fit properly? It appears the 90• section will likely need to be replaced with an equal length of pre-bent soft copper 1/2" tubing which may require a tubing bender to prevent crushing/kinking the pipe. Also, the bracket on the left will need to be fully removed to provide access. After cutting out the cracked section, there maybe an insufficient stub protruding from the heat exchanger to solder on a coupler without interfering with the exsisting joint to the heat exchanger.

To solder the crack closed without replacing the section, will likely require cleaning the crack and surrounding metal with a wire brush attachment for a drill or Dremel tool. Depending on the crack opening width, it maybe difficult to bridge the opening without the liquified solder running through the crack into the pioe. Suggest using a piece of fully cleaned copper electrical wire sitting within the length of the crack to close the opening and to reinforce the section. Prior to soldering. With the copper wire in place, apply solder over the wire and surrounding pipe to provide a reinforced repair.

 

[Reach4]

Soldering is not going to be the solution.

What caused that statement?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

What caused that statement?

I had the crack soldered by a local plumber where it held water. However, even the slightest moving/bending of the pipe breaks the solder (i.e., causes it to leak). Not moving/bending the pipe is simply not an option due to the way it needs to be manhandled back inside the housing/chassis and also to make the water connection.

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

The photo above shows insufficient cleaning including the crack and surrounding piping.

The photo was taken pre-cleaning.

Is the tubing a standard diameter so that commonly available sweat couplings will fit properly?

Not sure how I can find this out without first cutting out a section.

To solder the crack closed without replacing the section, will likely require cleaning the crack and surrounding metal with a wire brush attachment for a drill or Dremel tool. Depending on the crack opening width, it maybe difficult to bridge the opening without the liquified solder running through the crack into the pioe. Suggest using a piece of fully cleaned copper electrical wire sitting within the length of the crack to close the opening and to reinforce the section. Prior to soldering. With the copper wire in place, apply solder over the wire and surrounding pipe to provide a reinforced repair.

I will look into this. Can I use a piece of grounding wire?

 

[Bannerman]

Grounding wire is typically multi-strand. Would suggest a single #14 solid copper wire.

Perhaps water quality and flow rate has caused that section of tubing to become erroded from the inside so it maybe too thin and weak for a durable repair.

A method that maybe effective to reinforce the entire section, after performing the initial repair as suggested, starting at one end, spiral wrap the entire section of pipe using a long length of pre-cleaned and fluxed #14 copper wire with each spiral wound directly tight against the preceeding spiral. Once the entire section has been wrapped, heat the wire and solder the spirals together to increase rigidity and attempt to reduce the potential of flexing during installation.

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

Grounding wire is typically multi-strand. Would suggest a single #14 solid copper wire.

Perhaps water quality and flow rate has caused that section of tubing to become erroded from the inside so it maybe too thin and weak for a durable repair.

A method that maybe effective to reinforce the entire section, after performing the initial repair as suggested, starting at one end, spiral wrap the entire section of pipe using a long length of pre-cleaned and fluxed #14 copper wire with each spiral wound directly tight against the preceeding spiral. Once the entire section has been wrapped, heat the wire and solder the spirals together to increase rigidity and attempt to reduce the potential of flexing during installation.

Thx. I'll give it a shot.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Cutting the pipe and using copper fittings to replace the section will depend on the pipe diameter. Could be Standard or Metric. It sure appears than there is a lot of stress on this bend from thousands of heat cycles with each expansion and contraction. The copper may have lost it annealing and it's why the the solder cracks as the area is moved. May need a new core or entire unit.

 

[Jadnashua]

Would a brazed joint end up being stronger and would it work on something like this?

 

[Jeff H Young]

another thought is brazing it. I liked Sylvans Ideas however I didn't think it was this big of a crack thought it was pin hole

 

[Reach4]

I wonder if pressing some bright bare copper wire into the fissure, and then soldering, would do. Wire should be big enough to not make it through the crack.

 

[Jeff H Young]

braze is great for filling nail hole etc . its very strong! yea a piece of wire and soft solder would work but not nearly as strong or permanent as brazing. Attempting a repair on this is a little risky,
Brazing is easy to get a good bead over that crack easier than soft soldering .

 

[Plumber69]

I patched a leak like this and it held

 

[Jeff H Young]

I patched a leak like this and it held

And which way exactly did you use Plumber69? braze, solder, jb weld?

 

[Paul Vernon]

And which way exactly did you use Plumber69? braze, solder, jb weld?

Cutting the pipe and using copper fittings to replace the section will depend on the pipe diameter. Could be Standard or Metric. It sure appears than there is a lot of stress on this bend from thousands of heat cycles with each expansion and contraction. The copper may have lost it annealing and it's why the the solder cracks as the area is moved. May need a new core or entire unit.

The photo was taken pre-cleaning.


Not sure how I can find this out without first cutting out a section.


I will look into this. Can I use a piece of grounding wire?

I think it would be easier to replace with a copper elbow if the pipe is a standard size. I have solider copper and it is easy and would be stronger and last longer then try to fix that hole. It looks like that piece is attached to a niple and might be able to carefully cut off the old pipe from the niple and replace it.

 

[Caveman25]

Drain the line, clean the copper coil until it is perfectly shinnied then buy lead-free solder (melting point around 422 F.) using a small flame solder over the tiny split and don't forget to buy flux such as Nokorode or any nonacid (self-cleaning fluxes)

I want to add the heating unit from a tankless inline of my fire place would the solder hold up to the Temps of there was not water in it?? It is a small rocket stove not sure how hot it runs but I can move it up or down the pipe if needed. I'm worried about it failing when not in use.

 

[WorthFlorida]

I want to add the heating unit from a tankless inline of my fire place would the solder hold up to the Temps of there was not water in it?? It is a small rocket stove not sure how hot it runs but I can move it up or down the pipe if needed. I'm worried about it failing when not in use.

NO, for safety. plumbing solder melts around 360º F. What you want to do is very dangerous. You'll need an expansion tank and a T& P relief valve. Just too dangerous. In a failure steaming hot water can be sprayed into the space and anyone can be severely burned. Too much heat on copper and it can lose its annealing, become brittle and easily crack.

When to Solder and When to Braze Copper Lines: A Look at the Pros and Cons of Each | HVAC School

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

Late to this, but at the point the homeowner had it in pieces, it was time to call a plumber.

If I'd stumbled onto this job, I'd tell the owner there's no permanent fix, once the line has a pinhole there are more to come, this is a basement flood waiting to happen, the piping in the unit is probably wafer thin.

From there, I might try clamping a piece of rubber from a no-hub in hopes I don't crush the wafer thin pipe, to give the owner hot water for the night while we get the replacement heater, with the homeowner shutting off the colder water feed while not in use.

.I'm surprised to see a Paloma that's only 20 years old, I thought they were gone in the 90's, they had fire issues back then if I recall.

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