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Welding is an important part of many do it yourself pipe repairs. When you replace a part of the pipe or install a new fixture, you usually have to weld the two metal parts together to ensure a perfect fit without leakage. Although welding is often used as an all inclusive name to describe the process of connecting pipes with molten metal, a similar but different technique, called brazing, can actually be used. Continue reading to understand the differences.
High temperature pipeline maintenance
The difference between welding and brazing is related to the material you use to connect the two pipes and how much heat you need to heat the substance to melt it:
Most household pipe repairs use welding materials, which are usually heated to a temperature of about 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes, the temperature needs to be higher, and alloys that melt at 840 degrees or lower are considered solder. Solder is usually mainly composed of tin and mixed with another metal (such as nickel) to increase strength. Solder used to be made of a mixture of tin and lead, but officials have stopped using the substance because they are aware of the health risks of exposing drinking water to lead pipes.
However, other pipe repairs require stronger metal that melts at higher temperatures. Metals that need to be heated above 840 degrees are considered brazing alloys, and they usually need to be raised to 1150 degrees or higher. Brazing alloys are usually made of copper and phosphorus or a mixture of silver and other elements.
Create a leak free environment in the pipeline
Copper melts at 1981 degrees. Obviously, you cannot heat solder or alloy to that temperature, otherwise you will damage the pipe in the process. This temperature sounds outrageously high, but some brazing jobs do use torches that heat the alloy to 1550 degrees. Many welding guns do not produce enough temperature to braze metal, so you need to buy special equipment.
Except for the type of alloy and the temperature of the welding torch, the welding and brazing processes are basically the same, so the plumbers choose between the two according to the nature of the repair they are trying to repair. Welding is a more common method used for most standard pipe repairs. Brazing is often used for fittings that need to withstand higher stresses, or where pipes cannot be perfectly bonded and will benefit from stronger bonding.