Most Commonly Asked Questions

Transcription

1 ComStar International Inc th Street College Point, NY USA Telephone Fax US Wats Copper Lock No Sweat Solder Most Commonly Asked Questions A) GENERAL USE AND APPLICATION Q & A 1. Q. How many bonds will a bottle of Copper Lock make? A. The number of bonds will depend on the size of the copper pipe. On ½ - inch copper pipe, one 2 ounces bottle will make approximately 225 bonds. 2. Q. Why is the bottle only about ½ full? A. Copper Lock is required to be in a special plastic bottle that breathes and has air in the bottle in order not to harden. This increases its shelf life. 3. Q. Can Copper Lock be used to bond materials or metals other than copper and brass? A. No! Copper Lock is formulated for copper and brass, rigid pipe and connectors. Soft or rolls of copper need to be examined to assure the pipe is perfectly round otherwise Copper Lock may not provide a leakproof seal. 4. Q. Can Copper Lock be used for soft copper? A. Copper Lock bonds soft copper, just as it does on rigid copper, but soft copper comes in rolls and the copper is not perfectly round. Often the gap left by the flat spot on the soft copper is too large for Copper Lock to seal. Using a swedge tool to expand and assure the soft copper tube end is perfectly round and must fit snug into the fitting if rolled copper tubes must be used. 5. Q. Can Copper Lock be used with copper alloy rigid pipe? A. Yes! Copper Lock can be used with copper alloy rigid pipe. Page 1 of 7

2 6. Q. Can Copper Lock be used on copper and brass threads? A. Yes! Copper Lock will bond the threads of copper and brass. It is perfect for preventing nuts, bolts, screws and screw caps from coming loose on vibrating machinery. 7. Q. Can Copper Lock be used to bond copper pipes in private homes? A. Yes! Copper Lock is ideal for use in private residences, apartment complexes, high-rise condominiums, office complexes, shopping malls, farms, agriculture applications, an numerous other types of buildings. It is good for all copper & brass pipe connections except flammable gases. 8. Q. Can Copper Lock be used on copper pipes that carry hot water? A. Yes! Copper Lock is good for continuous operation from 60 F to +300 F. Hot water in a residential home is usually 140 F. Hot water in a commercial application is usually 190 F. Copper Lock will work in all hot water residential and commercial applications. 9. Q. Will Copper Lock leave a taste in the water? A. No! Copper Lock is odorless and tasteless when cured. NSF in the U.S.A. does not require a taste or smell test. 10. Q. How long does it take for Copper Lock to cure? A. Cure time for handling is approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes. It will only take approximately 5 seconds to apply Copper Lock. Then insert the pipe into the connector and rotate 180 degrees or more. Once you rotate the pipe, you should not handle the pipe & connector for approximately one to two minutes. 11. Q. Can Copper Lock be used to repair a leak or hole in copper pipe or brass fittings? A. NO! Copper Lock cannot be used to repair or plug leaks or holes. If there is a leak in the connector or fitting, the fitting should be removed, replaced or properly prepared, then bonded with Copper Lock. If there is a hole in the copper pipe, the section with the hole should be cut away and replaced. Page 2 of 7

3 12. Q. Can Copper Lock be encased in concrete? A. Yes! Copper Lock can be buried in earth as well as encased in copper pipe bonded with concrete, polyurethane, and other types of building walls. 13. Q. Can Copper Lock be used on HVAC systems? A. Yes! Copper Lock is compatible with all PAG and refrigeration oils as well as refrigerants*, except oils formulated with methacrylate to support temperatures down to -60 F. Copper Lock can be used in the installation and repair of all home and office HVAC systems that do not use oils formulated with methacrylate. * Note: Not all refrigerants have been tested. 14. Q. What are the storage temperatures for Copper Lock? A. Copper Lock will freeze at temperatures below 60 F. However, when thawed, just shake the bottle and Copper Lock is ready to use. The best temperature to store Copper Lock is under 90 F. Storing at temperatures above 120 F can reduce the storage life of the product. 15. Q. If a hot solder weld fails, is it necessary that all the solder be removed before using Copper Lock? A. Yes! Copper Lock will only bond to copper and brass. Therefore, all the solder must be removed before using Copper Lock. Copper Lock will not bond solder to solder. 16. Q. If a Copper Lock bond is installed incorrectly, can it be removed? A. Yes! You can remove a Copper Lock bond by heating the bond to approximately 400 F. To re-bond, just sand away the old Copper Lock and apply new Copper Lock. 17. Q. What is the shelf life of Copper Lock? A. Prior to opening the bottle, 3 years. After opening, 12-months at minimum. Page 3 of 7

4 18. Q. Is Copper Lock safe to use on natural gas and liquid petroleum gas lines? A. NO! Copper Lock solder or any other bonding material that melts at a lower temperature than copper, should never be used on any natural gas or LPG lines. Copper Lock will bond the copper and is compatible with natural gas and LPG; however, Copper Lock will unbond at approximately 400 degrees F and would allow gas to feed the fire. This is also true with any solder. Gas lines should be constructed according to local, state, and federal guidelines. Copper melts at 1984 degrees F (1085 degrees C). B) HEALTH AND SAFETY Q & A 1. Q. Is Copper Lock dangerous to your health if ingested? A. No! Copper Lock is non-toxic, and will not harm children or pets if accidentally ingested. Copper Lock has been tested by an independent laboratory approved by the State of Massachusetts and was found to be harmless. 2. Q. Will Copper Lock catch fire if used around a heat source? A. No! Copper Lock will not burn or support combustion. 3. Q. When using a torch to take apart a Copper Lock bond, is there any toxic gases emitted? A. Copper Lock components are non-toxic, they do not emit toxic fumes when heated or burned. C) TECHNICAL SECTION Q & A 1. Q. What is the failure rate of Copper Lock? A. If bonded correctly, Copper Lock will not fail. The bond will outlast the copper pipe. Failure is always caused by application error as well as spaces or gaps between the pipe and fitting/connector. Similar types of copper bonding products have been in use since 1998 in hotels, underground natural gas distribution systems, apartments, private residences, commercial buildings as well as many other applications without a recorded failure. Page 4 of 7

5 2. Q. How much water or air pressure will Copper Lock withstand? A. Copper Lock when fully cured, has been tested to 10,000 psi for flow through pressure. It is rated at 500 psi for contained pressure of liquids and air. Copper Lock will withstand up to 200 psi five-minutes after bonding which permits pressure tests to be conducted and/or water to be turned on. 3. Q. Will Copper Lock continue to hold its bond if the copper pipe is subjected to drastic temperatures changes or swings? A. Yes! the Copper Lock product has had the bonds cycled thousands of times from -60 F to 300 F without a single failure. When cured, Copper Lock elasticity will react the same as the copper pipes and connectors react as the environment changes. 4. Q. Can Copper Lock be used to bond both white and red brass fittings? A. Yes! Copper Lock will bond all types of brass fittings as well as copper alloy pipe. 5. Q. Can Copper Lock be used to bond a connection that was previously heated soldered? A. Yes! However, Copper Lock will bond only to copper and brass. All solder must be removed from the pipe and fitting and then sanded with coarse emery cloth before bonding with Copper Lock. 6. Q. What is the chemical resistance of Copper Lock? A. When cured, Copper Lock is a durable polymer with outstanding chemical and environmental resistance. Copper Lock is not affected by bases up to ph13 and most industrial and automotive solvents. Acids that do not affect the copper will not affect Copper Lock. 7. Q. Will Copper Lock conduct electricity? A. No! Copper Lock is an insulator. Page 5 of 7

6 8. Q. Can Copper Lock be used on copper lines that carry pure oxygen? A. NO! DO NOT USE Copper Lock on any medical or other oxygen systems. 9. Q. Why does Copper Lock work? A. Copper Lock bonding is accomplished by modifying polymer resins to generate a chemical reaction with copper that provides a hermetic weld that is water and air-tight, without the need to heat nor the use of metal solder. 10. Q. What is the rotational strength of Copper Lock? A. The rotational strength varies by the size of the pipe. For ½-inch rigid copper pipe, the rotational pressure required to break the bond is approximately 300 pounds. 11. Q. What torque valves will Copper Lock stand up to? A. Copper pipe and fittings sealed with Copper Lock will bend before the Copper Lock bond is broken. Therefore, accurate torque measurements could not be taken. When using Copper Lock on stronger metals with thread joints and measuring torque using a Newton meter Copper Lock recorded breakaway torque of and prevailing torque of Breakaway torque is the initial force required to break the seal. Prevailing torque is the additional force required to loosen the thread fitting. 12. Q. Will Copper Lock work effectively on copper pipe larger than 1½ inch? A. Yes, Copper Lock has been tested on copper pipe over 2 inch diameter and those tests have shown similar results as copper pipe up to 1 ½ inch. D. CERTIFICATION 1. Q. Does Copper Lock meet plumbing codes? A. Yes! Copper Lock EXCEEDS ALL PLUMBING CODE REQUIREMENTS. However, Copper Lock is new technology and most plumbing codes specifically call for hot soldering. Spec jobs may require a code variance. Page 6 of 7

7 E. COMMON REASONS FOR LEAKS Q & A Q. What are the most common causes for leaks when using Copper Lock? A. The five most common reasons for a leak are: 1. The connector and/or pipe was moved after the 30-second set period. This is easy to test for. If the pipe is loose after 30-seconds, the bond was broken. A proper Copper Lock bond will not show signs of movement. A Copper Lock connection should never be rotated after the pipe is rotated 180 or more at initial installation. 2. The pipe or the connector is not round. Rigid or soft copper pipe can be bent during the cutting stage. The resulting flat spots or spaces will not support a Copper Lock bond. 3. The pipe and connector are prepared using a sanding cloth that is finer than 60-grit. A 60-grit emery cloth will cut deep groves into the copper or brass thereby enlarging the bonding area by as much as 30%. 4. The pipe or connector has grease or other contaminates. This occurs when the pipe is wiped with an oily or greasy cloth and/or the hand after sanding. Both a dirty cloth or hand will apply contaminants and oils that may keep Copper Lock from bonding properly. 5. The connection was exposed to high heat, such as from a propane or MAPP torch being used to make a solder joint close to the Copper Lock bond. Page 7 of 7