Brian_WK
Well-known member
What do you prefer on 1 inch plus Copper water lines and why? Propress or Solder?
Thanks
Brian
Thanks
Brian

I prefer staybrite 8 solder myself,Ive used it on everything from residential/commercial plumbing residential/commercial hvac r22 and 410a systems for years without any issues.
I always thought pro press sounded like a machine at golds gym!
Pro press fittings look like **** and they rattle and shake like theyre going to explode when you turn the water on from the times Ive seen them installed.
Get yourself a good turbo torch(not the box store variety) and some mapp gas ,youll have no problems soldering copper. I can silver solder 3" copper with mine .![]()
So why did you ask if you don't want to hear the answers?OK since their hasn't been a definitive one way or another I'll include some back story. Done HVAC/R for years honestly the only times I solder is when I am attaching a wire to a board . I am a firm believer solder is the worst thing to ever have touched copper pipes. If I'm plumbing it's pex unless I'm fixing fixing a solder joint leak... HVAC its sil-phos.
Anyways a contractor is replacing two old water heaters with one high efficiency. Lots of junk piping to be replaced lots of 2" fittings around 80 connections in all. The hot water is down they were allowed 3 work days with the hot water off. They were 80% done today when the job was inspected they were informed that they were not allowed to use pro press fittings as stated in the scope of work. This is in a federal building that follow a set of guidelines called the P100 (Google it) pro press fittings had been allowed in this guideline up until March 2015 for domestic water lines they are still allowed on hydronic heat lines.
So anyways the contractor now has to remove all of the fittings and replace with solder type fittings. Needless to say they are pissed. Even if it is their own fault for not reading the scope of work.
So why is propress fittings deemed inferior for domestic water use. When I think they are a superior to solder?
Brian
+ The 50 year warranty, for ProPress Viega product ( copies ) the 50 year copper pipe warranty. - it's not at all saying the fitting wears out at 50 years.
" solder is the worst thing to ever have touched copper pipes"
"So why is propress fittings deemed inferior for domestic water use. When I think they are a superior to solder?"
You can't be serious...they may be easy, fast, save time and energy, but they do not seal better, nor last longer, or are cheaper than soldered fittings. they have a 50 year warranty. so in 50 yrs. you tearing them out and replacing them all?
no way is an o-ring compression system better than the chemical bond of solder...they may be "good enough", but I don't see how you can seriously believe they are superior.

Theres plenty of copper pipe fittings that were sweated on 50 plus years ago that are still doing there job.
I rate pro press fittings right up there with those nasty fittings the box stores sell with solder already in them and greenfield/flex and trac pipe/csst and pex/shark bites.
There made for people who are either to cheap or just don't know how to use the good stuff,or all they care about is production numbers.![]()
First off im not a plumber.
I think it is the worst thing to have touched copper due to my HVAC/R background. I braze everything HVAC/R related. Solder leaves alot to be desired flux patches, Contamination, human error.
The propress mechanical clamp leaves no room for human error if the machine clamps the seal is made. If it leaks there is something wrong with the oring and it leaks right then. Not in 2 weeks when the flux finally dissolves.
Price isn't a issue here. As that is not a factor when they come up with these guidelines.
50 year warranty? So your saying your car with 100,000 mile warranty will break down at 100,001 miles and be completely trashed and must be replaced?
If both are done correctly and a good seal is made and neither leak I cannot see the benefit of the solder connection being so much better. If you can drive the nail with a 1 pound hammer why used the 20 pound sledge.
I can't say that solder is better than Propress or vise versa. But I can say that there is no way that a mechanical fitting is so much more prone to failure then a solder that it deems it unusable. This could change as the pro-press fittings have more extensive use and time tested.
All I was hoping to hear was options on why you prefer one over the other. More so if you have actually used both or had either fail on multiple occasions.
Brian


So do you also believe PVC should not be used in DWV or do you think cast pipe with lead and oakum is better or clay tile for sewer mains.
Materials/techniques change not only because of price or skill level to install. But because sometimes its a better product and just natural evolution.
I do believe we have devolved in some areas though. Flex duct in long lengths and duct board should be illegal.
Brian
So do you also believe PVC should not be used in DWV or do you think cast pipe with lead and oakum is better or clay tile for sewer mains.
Materials/techniques change not only because of price or skill level to install. But because sometimes its a better product and just natural evolution.
I do believe we have devolved in some areas though. Flex duct in long lengths and duct board should be illegal.
Brian

Ive never seen water being held inside a pipe/fitting by flux,that must be some really good flux you use.
Ive seen plenty of propress fittings leak on big commercial/hospital jobs.![]()
I usually stay out of these DIY conversations but every pro I know- including me- solders.
Some negatives right off the bat. Fittings are pricey & so is the tool for pro use. Especially big stuff. Besides cost, the biggest negative is the size of the tool itself. Many times, you will never get the tool in there to do the work. Yea- some say to pre-fab 1st but try using that thing in a tight 2x4 wall or just above a slab on looped soft copper. Good luck there. At some point- you have to make a tie in somewhere.
And for the comments hyping this for pipes w/ water in them- a real plumber will be able to blow out the lines & sweat the pipe & fittings. I'm talking experience- not a loaf of bread! I've owned a plumbing & HVAC business for over 40 years & have NEVER found a pipe I couldn't sweat. EVER.
There are tools for this BTW- not bread! Got water running out of pipe? Cut copper pipe, install a full port gate or ball valve- insert this tool through open end of valve- give the handle on end a 1/4 turn & no water! Sweat valve, pull tool & close valve. That's how a pro does it' I have these up to 3" & have used in many places- include high rise tenant improvements.![]()
I've seen plenty of fittings that were fluxed and never soldered hold water including one that passed a 48 hr pressure test at 100# of air and held water for a couple of weeks before flooding a brand new kitchen and causing about 50k in damage.
I've done boilers that were leak free for days with cold water then when fired up a leak shows up after the flux flows out.
I think the propress stuff is like any other new(er) product, if used when appropriate it is fine, the problem is when someone wants to use only one product and not be open to others.



If it takes 2 weeks for a leak to show up in an ac lineset after you install it youre not pressurizing it with nitrogen to check the system before hand.
Ive never seen water being held inside a pipe/fitting by flux,that must be some really good flux you use.
Ive seen plenty of propress fittings leak on big commercial/hospital jobs.![]()
And sweat jobs are only as good as the person performing them...
At work, where it was renovated ten years ago, within five years I had six 2 in. copper sweated fittings leaking on some 2 inch copper domestic water lines/closed loop heat pump water lines.... all that were installed by commercial mechanical contractors. They were text book perfect sweat jobs too, no acid residue left on the pipe/fittings, perfect thin line of solder around the fitting, no sloppy solder wiping job. But after I put a bucket under the leaks after the suspended ceiling tiles were soaked and had fell...it was easy to see why the plumber failed at his sweating jobs.

I've had good luck with utility wonder flux. Anyone else use it?
And sweat jobs are only as good as the person performing them...
At work, where it was renovated ten years ago, within five years I had six 2 in. copper sweated fittings leaking on some 2 inch copper domestic water lines/closed loop heat pump water lines.... all that were installed by commercial mechanical contractors. They were text book perfect sweat jobs too, no acid residue left on the pipe/fittings, perfect thin line of solder around the fitting, no sloppy solder wiping job. But after I put a bucket under the leaks after the suspended ceiling tiles were soaked and had fell...it was easy to see why the plumber failed at his sweating jobs.
I usually stay out of these DIY conversations but every pro I know- including me- solders.
Some negatives right off the bat. Fittings are pricey & so is the tool for pro use. Especially big stuff. Besides cost, the biggest negative is the size of the tool itself. Many times, you will never get the tool in there to do the work. Yea- some say to pre-fab 1st but try using that thing in a tight 2x4 wall or just above a slab on looped soft copper. Good luck there. At some point- you have to make a tie in somewhere.
And for the comments hyping this for pipes w/ water in them- a real plumber will be able to blow out the lines & sweat the pipe & fittings. I'm talking experience- not a loaf of bread! I've owned a plumbing & HVAC business for over 40 years & have NEVER found a pipe I couldn't sweat. EVER.
There are tools for this BTW- not bread! Got water running out of pipe? Cut copper pipe, install a full port gate or ball valve- insert this tool through open end of valve- give the handle on end a 1/4 turn & no water! Sweat valve, pull tool & close valve. That's how a pro does it' I have these up to 3" & have used in many places- include high rise tenant improvements.![]()
Ill put my money on a good plumber with a torch any day. Id rather see a joint that was wiped off over dog nuts hanging off the bottem of a fitting any day.
The thin line of solder doesn't always mean the fitting took solder all the way down in side,if somebody didn't clean the copper and fittings before soldering.
Not everybody on a job site with a torch in his hands should be considered a plumber,Some of the biggest idiots whove worked for me over the years were licensed journeyman idiots.![]()
I did not want any do overs, as pool lovers get pissy when their pool gets closed for maintenance issues. I agree. I am not a plumber either but when I worked in hospital maintenance I had learned to do about anything as I was the only guy with hands on + a paper pusher boss... I started out sweating 1/2 in. to one inch copper easily. But I never did do a two inch copper job until ...
When I started working as the only maintenance guy where I worked the passed 15 years, my first plumbing task was installing a two in. back flow prevention valve on the pool's two inch main water copper fill line ...plus I put in the line ...two bypass-able one inch flow meters....
I got all the 2 in. copper piping sweated, complete with many 2 in. ells, couplings, reducers etc. I did them all with a small Mapp torch but it worked my *** in keeping the fittings heated evenly and solder to draw in. My joints had solder drool marks that got wiped away and they looked like someone had pissed the solder in to them. I filled them so tight with solder they puked it back out.I did not want any do overs, as pool lovers get pissy when their pool gets closed for maintenance issues.
But by damn, that was 15 years ago.... and as of four months ago when I retired from there...not one drip from any of my 2 in. pipe joints.![]()





Never heard of it,who sells it?
As for propress, it takes a little more thinking to use it. You can't fit the gun in all places and once joint is pressed it's pretty hard to reposition. Sweating, all you gotta do is heat and rotate. Propress is fast but fittings cost more and there are guidelines for how close fitting to fitting goes, again, some thinking. You need to be alert when pressing too so the piping stays plumb and level. Some guys really do a ugly looking job too.
As for the scope of work goes, IF additional work is to be done on the new installed piping the propress will almost need to be scrapped. If soldered, you can cut, or heat the existing joints and reuse everything that is there.It's tough to try to redo the piping when you have back to back fittings. If pipe insulation is required, it will cost more to do then if it was soldered fittings. Each process has it pros and cons. You need to be a smart installer either way. I did many jobs with 3'' and 4'' propress and it is awesome. You just need to know when to go to solder.

I've seen plenty of fittings that were fluxed and never soldered hold water including one that passed a 48 hr pressure test at 100# of air and held water for a couple of weeks before flooding a brand new kitchen and causing about 50k in damage.
I've done boilers that were leak free for days with cold water then when fired up a leak shows up after the flux flows out.
I think the propress stuff is like any other new(er) product, if used when appropriate it is fine, the problem is when someone wants to use only one product and not be open to others.
Plumbing supply houses. I haven't seen it at lowes or depot.
http://www.utilitychemicals.com/products-solderfluxes.php