I was soldering a ball valve and copper pipes last weekend. I had all the fittings and pipes cleaned, fluxed, and assembled.

The ball valve is in a vertical position. As I did the soldering from low to high, the lower portion of the ball valve didn't take in solder for some reason. I then stopped and take everything apart again.

Turned out the solder did go inside that joint but regardless now the inside of it is coated with solder, and I am unable to insert a pipe into it, I know you could heat it up and while the solder melts insert the pipe then, so I put the ball valve on a vise, used a torch on that end and tried to insert the pipe, only end up inserting 1/4" and pushed more solder inside, making a bit of a dam. I then cut my wire brush pipe cleaner handle off, put it on a drill, aim the blow torch directly into the valve opening, heated it up and ran that wire brush inside to clean the wall. I finally was able to insert a pipe into the ball valve and I soldered that short piece on the vise, then reassembled the rest to finish what I needed to do.

Now for my questions.

First, I noticed after I ran my drill into the ball valve, I got tiny dropplets of solder clinged to the hole inside the ball. I assume the valve is still OK with some solder inside the ball?

Second, I really heated up the ball valve while trying to get rid of the solder coating inside of it. I think the seats are plastic right? The valve still works but I can't help to wonder how can the heat not destroy the seats and cause it to leak?

What can destroy the valve is to have the water, used to test the valve and is inside trapped by the ball, get hot, turn to steam and explode pushing the seal out of position. When you solder one you should have the handle in a 45 degree position so the valve is partially open, and partially closed so any steam generated can safely escape.

Sum...just do it like the guy on the right....

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Edited 1 times.

IF he had done it right the first time, there would not have been any leak.

That guy on the left is soldering LIKE A BOSS.

Was that hj?

half way open - noted.

I have been doing it with it fully open, and I always worried that I may have solder dripping into the opened ball.

but still wondering why the seats did not get destroy with my torch blowing into the valve opening.

seats are 'teflon' and soften/melt @ 550+

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

You should NOT be blowing the flame directly into the valve. You heat the valve body from the outside.

hj, I don't normally aim the blow torch into the valve, but this was a new ball valve that I messed up on that the solder didn't seem to take, so I took the joint apart, only to have residue solder coating the inside of the socket and prevented me from inserting a pipe again. I had a real hard time cleaning the residue solder off on the inside, got impatient and point the torch right into the socket then cleaned it with a wirebrush on a drill. I was sure I destroyed the seats by doing so, but the valve is working even after my abuse.

I use lead free 95 tinning flux on lead free brass fitting and clean it good.

Sum, you can heat the outside of the socket to melt the solder and even wire brush at the same time. The ball should be stainless or chrome plated brass and solder won't stick to it in the manner the solder got on it.