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How tough is it to braze?

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
My air conditioner has two broken coils and the mice keep getting in. I'm considering just DIY'ing it. How tough is it to? I've never brazed.
 
I braze so hard they say I'm brazen. 😎

Also: iseewhatyoudidthere

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Copper coil = easy to repair. Aluminum not as easy but doable. The right epoxy can be used.
Silphos is pretty easy if you have a turbo torch or good mapp swirler.
If you're skilled with oxyacetylene using a carburizing flame and bronze you can get strong joints. But the difference between a punch through and cold joint is a margin thinner than a razor blade!

Of course you're familiar with refrigerant evacuation/recovery, dessicant filters and other post processes before starting the compressor again, right? 😉
 
Rubycon said:
Copper coil = easy to repair. Aluminum not as easy but doable. The right epoxy can be used.
Silphos is pretty easy if you have a turbo torch or good mapp swirler.
If you're skilled with oxyacetylene using a carburizing flame and bronze you can get strong joints. But the difference between a punch through and cold joint is a margin thinner than a razor blade!

Of course you're familiar with refrigerant evacuation/recovery, dessicant filters and other post processes before starting the compressor again, right? 😉
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Do you do industrial work for a living or hobby? What you said is very informative.
 
Crono said:
Yeah that had me for a second until I remembered braze = brass and braise = cooking technique. I nearly paiged Kaido unnecessarily. 😛
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I thought it might be two different spellings... Kaido seems like the go to guy for all things culinary
 
I actually originally spelled braise, but it did not look right so I googled it and sure enough they're both words, but two different things.

Then of course there is the brazen bull, it's not a place that's very fun to go in. 😱
 
Red Squirrel said:
I actually originally spelled braise, but it did not look right so I googled it and sure enough they're both words, but two different things.

Then of course there is the brazen bull, it's not a place that's very fun to go in. 😱
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It's all Greek to me 🙂
 
My son helped with my tractor radiator and attempted to use a special epoxy to repair a leak. The radiator repair guy did not have kind words for the use of epoxy; I think he wanted to curse. I presume the air conditioning coils are similar.
 
Yeah can't imagine actually using any kind of glue or similar product like epoxy for AC lines or anything that is under pressure. Not sure what kind of pressures an AC unit typically sees but probably don't want to be around that if it bursts. Not sure about the newer gases but I know some can actually blind you, scary stuff.
 
I took up welding in Job Corp and brazed/oxyacetylene welded my ass off until I had it down pat. I then taught others how to do it. But that was a very long 16 years ago and I never did get a welding job. Just was too hazardous.

Brazing isn't as hard as oxyacetylene welding. It just flows and you keep moving along your repair or whatever. Where is with oxyacetylene welding you have to feed the pacmans and not keep your flame there for very long.

I need to braze an old iron made lantern guy I have in the backyard. But I'm too cheap to buy a sand blaster, MAPP gas, oxygen and all the other crap just to repair it. My late uncle stole the damn thing from the front of a mayors house. LMAO! It looks like that statue that cars kept running into in the movie Home Along. HAHAHA
 
DrPizza said:
My son helped with my tractor radiator and attempted to use a special epoxy to repair a leak. The radiator repair guy did not have kind words for the use of epoxy; I think he wanted to curse. I presume the air conditioning coils are similar.
Click to expand...

Two different things. Radiator repairs are easy given the materials and pressures. However they tend to leak in the most difficult places to reach too. A crafty radiator repair person can do a good job with a trivial loss of cooling capacity. Epoxy resin is acceptable field repair. Surface prep is paramount for success as is the choice of a suitable resin. Most are similar but binding agents used are key to getting a good bond. Typically the lower worktime ones have lower strength when cured. Belzona is good stuff.
 
If it's hard to fix a radiator because of the awkward position, why not just remove the whole radiator? PITA, but would be a better repair.
 
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