Wrot copper solder-joint pressure fittings, ASME B16.22

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Wrot copper C12200 fittings for capillary solder joining per ASME B16.22, 1/4″ to 2″ depending on figure: the female socket receives ASTM B88 tube with a minimum insertion depth from 7.9 mm (1/4″) to 34.0 mm (2″). The allowable joint pressure is set by the filler alloy: from 200 psi (50-50) to 1,090 psi (95-5) in sizes ≤1″ at ≤38 °C.

SKU VT-58639 (90° copper elbow) · family of 9 copper solder-joint references (elbow, 45° elbow, tee, coupling, union, three-part union, cap, male and female adapters) + complementary cold-weld compound · price from $3,000 COP + VAT per unit depending on figure and size (Jul 2026, confirmed on quotation)

1. Technical specifications

Solder-joint end dimensions (ASME B16.22) — 1/4″ to 2″

In a capillary solder fitting the assembly dimension is the end, not the body: the female socket (end C) receives the tube, and depth G defines how far the tube enters the fitting before soldering. The male end (FTG) has the tube's diameter and fits directly into the socket of another fitting.

Values from ASME B16.22 (solder-joint end dimensions), concordant with CDA Copper Tube Handbook, Table 9 and Figure 6. The rigid tube outside diameter is always the nominal size + 1/8″ (ASTM B88). The diametral clearance between socket and tube is roughly 0.05 to 0.20 mm depending on size and tolerances: that thin gap is what the solder fills by capillary action — a larger gap breaks the capillary effect and weakens the joint. Body center-to-end lengths are not standardized by B16.22: they vary by figure and manufacturer and are confirmed on quotation.

Materials

Body	Phosphorus-deoxidized copper C12200 (DHP, ≥99.9% Cu), cold-formed from seamless copper tube (wrot): the same material as the catalog's rigid ASTM B88 tube — material properties, tempers and tube allowable pressures in data sheet FT-TC-TUB-CU-001 (Rigid copper tube K/L/M).
Filler alloys	Soft solder per ASTM B32: 50-50 tin-lead (Sn50), 95-5 tin-antimony (Sb5) and lead-free alloys E and HB. Brazing per AWS A5.8: copper-phosphorus BCuP or silver BAg. The alloy sets the allowable joint pressure — full table in section 2.
Threads (adapters)	Male and female adapters combine a solder end C with an NPT thread per ASME B1.20.1, for transition to threaded valves and equipment.

General specifications

Product	Family of 9 capillary solder copper fitting references in the TECTUL catalog: 90° elbow, 45° elbow, tee, coupling, union, three-part union, cap, male adapter and female adapter; complemented by the cold-weld compound for copper (section 5).
Size range	1/4″ to 2″ depending on figure (the 90° elbow currently sells from 1/2″ to 2″; sizes per figure confirmed on quotation).
Joining	Capillary soldering onto ASTM B88 copper tube Types K, L and M (plus mixed joints via NPT-threaded adapters).
Working pressure	The system's pressure is limited by the soldered joint, per filler alloy, size group and temperature — section 2.
Applicable standards	ASME B16.22-2021 (end dimensions, ratings and marking) · ASTM B88-22 (mating copper tube) · ASTM B32-20 (soft solder alloys) · AWS A5.8/A5.8M (brazing filler metals) · ASTM B813 (fluxes) · ASME B1.20.1 (adapter NPT threads).

2. The joint governs: allowable pressure of the soldered joint by alloy and size group (ASME B16.22)

A soldered copper system has three allowable pressures: the tube's (by type and temper — sheet FT-TC-TUB-CU-001), the fitting body's and the soldered joint's. The lowest always governs, and with soft solder that is almost always the joint. This section publishes the two that belong to the fitting: body and joint.

Allowable pressure of the fitting body (ASME B16.22)

The published rating of the wrot fitting per ASME B16.22 matches that of annealed Type L tube of the same size (CDA Copper Tube Handbook, Table 3b): the fitting is formed from tube and the reference material is annealed copper. For reducing fittings the largest opening governs. At ≤38 °C (100 °F):

Manufacturer catalog values per ASME B16.22, identical to the annealed Type L tube rating of CDA Copper Tube Handbook, Table 3b. Compare with the 50-50 joint in the next table: a 1/2″ elbow takes 722 psi, but its 50-50 soft-soldered joint only 200 psi — the fitting is never the weak link; the filler alloy is.

Allowable pressure of the soldered joint, by alloy, size group and temperature

ASME B16.22 ratings for joints made on ASTM B88 tube Types K, L and M (reproduced in CDA Copper Tube Handbook, Table 4; alloys per ASTM B32). Maximum working gage pressure:

Alloy Sn50 — 50-50 tin-lead (banned in potable water)

Alloy Sb5 — 95-5 tin-antimony (lead-free)

Alloys E and HB — lead-free soft solders (ASTM B32)

Brazing: the joint stops being the limit, but the tube changes

With filler metals melting at 593 °C (1,100 °F) or above — copper-phosphorus BCuP or silver BAg, AWS A5.8 — the joint equals or exceeds the tube, and the applicable rating becomes that of annealed tube, because the heat of the operation anneals the drawn tube in the joint zone. On saturated steam: 15 psi (1.0 bar) with any soft solder and 120 psi (8.3 bar) with brazing. Tube values by type and temper are in sheet FT-TC-TUB-CU-001.

The reading conclusion

A copper system is limited by the alloy you choose, not by the fitting or the tube. The hierarchy at ≤38 °C in 1/2″ sums it up: drawn Type L tube 1,242 psi > 95-5 joint 1,090 psi > fitting body 722 psi > 50-50 joint 200 psi. With 95-5 the system stands at 722 psi (the body governs); with 50-50 it drops to 200 psi (the joint governs). Changing the alloy multiplies — or divides — the allowable pressure of the same tube and fittings by 5.

Split with the tube data sheet (anti-duplication): FT-TC-TUB-CU-001 publishes the TUBE allowable pressure by type (K/L/M) and temper; this sheet publishes the FITTING dimensions and the JOINT pressure by alloy. Non-shock ratings; water hammer and external loads belong to the project design code (ASME B31).

3. Soft soldering vs brazing: when brazing is mandatory

Soft soldering (ASTM B32 fillers melting below 450 °C, applied with a propane torch) covers most water and hydronic systems. Brazing (AWS A5.8 fillers melting at 593 °C / 1,100 °F or above) is mandatory or preferred in these services:

Medical gases	NFPA 99 (Health Care Facilities Code) requires Type K or L tube cleaned for oxygen per ASTM B819 and brazed joints with inert-gas purge; soft solder is not allowed. The standard B88 tube and fittings of this sheet do not substitute certified medical-gas components.
Refrigeration and air conditioning	Brazing is the preferred — and often required — joint in refrigerant piping (CDA Copper Tube Handbook): high refrigerant pressures and oils that degrade soft joints. The tube is ACR/ASTM B280, not this family's B88.
Natural gas and LP gas	CDA practice for fuels: flared joints in accessible runs and BAg brazing (AWS A5.8) in concealed runs. The local code and the gas utility govern.
Steam and high temperatures	Every soft solder is limited to 15 psi (1.0 bar) on saturated steam and to 121 °C (250 °F) of continuous service with published rating; brazing takes 120 psi (8.3 bar) on steam and service up to 177 °C (350 °F) per CDA.
Pressure above the soft-solder rating	When the design pressure exceeds the section 2 table for the available soft alloy (e.g. >270 psi at 121 °C in ≤1″ with 95-5), the brazed joint inherits the annealed tube rating.
Extreme low temperatures	For service between 0 °F and −200 °F (−18 °C to −129 °C) CDA recommends filler metals melting at 1,100 °F or above (Table 4 note).

The cost of the switch: brazing demands a hotter torch (oxyacetylene or air-acetylene), anneals the drawn tube at the joint zone (the run's rating becomes that of annealed tube) and BAg silver fillers cost more than tin wire. That is why 95-5 soft solder remains the equilibrium point in water and hydronics.

4. Lead in potable water: which alloy is legal

The 50-50 tin-lead alloy is banned in potable water. The explicit legal reference is the 1986 amendment of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (section 1417), which prohibits in potable water systems any solder with a lead content above 0.2% — it is the normative note attached to the joint rating table itself (CDA Table 4 / ASME B16.22). The modern "lead-free" criterion for fittings in contact with drinking water is a weighted average of ≤0.25% lead on wetted surfaces, certifiable under NSF/ANSI 61 (and its annex NSF/ANSI 372).

In Colombia, Resolution 501 of 2017 of the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory requires that pipes and fittings of building water installations in contact with water for human consumption do not exceed the maximum allowable metal-migration values — lead among them — evaluated with the procedures of ANSI/NSF 61:2016 (arts. 5 and 6). A lead-alloy soldered joint inside the potable network fails that migration criterion.

The resulting purchasing rule:

• Potable water: lead-free alloys — 95-5 (Sb5), E or HB per ASTM B32 — or BCuP brazing. Never 50-50.
• Outside the potable network (closed hydronics, drainage, some industrial lines): 50-50 remains technically valid where the local code admits it, with the — lower — ratings of section 2.
• Flux: in every case, per ASTM B813, whose residues are water-flushable (aggressive "self-cleaning" fluxes leave corrosive residue).

5. Cold weld for copper: repair complement, not a structural joint

The catalog includes the cold weld for copper: a two-part epoxy compound that hardens at room temperature on metal surfaces, without a torch. It is a chemical repair product, not a filler alloy: it does not appear in ASTM B32 or in the ASME B16.22 rating tables and does not replace the capillary soldered joint on lines at nominal pressure.

Its role alongside this family:

• Temporary sealing of cracks and pinholes where a flame cannot be used (fire-risk environments, tube that cannot be fully drained or dried — moisture prevents reaching soldering temperature).
• Emergency repairs while the cut-and-replace of the run with a soldered joint or mechanical coupling is scheduled.
• External filling and sealing over already-soldered joints (it adds no allowable pressure).

Mechanical strength, maximum temperature and curing time depend on the product manufacturer's formulation: confirmed on quotation. To restore the section 2 rating, the definitive repair is always remaking the joint with ASTM B32 or AWS A5.8 filler.

6. Frequently asked questions

How much pressure does a copper solder joint take?

Between 85 and 1,090 psi (5.9 to 75.2 bar) depending on alloy, size and temperature: a 95-5 joint in sizes ≤1″ takes 1,090 psi at ≤38 °C and 270 psi at 121 °C; the same joint with 50-50 takes 200 psi at ≤38 °C and 85 psi at 121 °C (ASME B16.22). On saturated steam every soft solder is limited to 15 psi. Brazing (BCuP/BAg) equals or exceeds the tube: the limit becomes the annealed tube.

How far does the tube go into the copper fitting?

The minimum socket depth per ASME B16.22: 12.7 mm at 1/2″, 19.1 mm at 3/4″, 23.1 mm at 1″ and 34.0 mm at 2″ — full table by size in section 1. Marking that depth on the tube before soldering guarantees it bottomed in the socket: partial insertion reduces the solder area and with it the joint strength.

Is the fitting weaker than the tube?

No: the 1/2″ fitting body takes 722 psi, almost 4 times more than its 50-50 joint (200 psi). The real order at ≤38 °C is drawn tube > 95-5 joint > fitting body > 50-50 joint: the link that sizes the system is the filler alloy, not the fitting.

Can I use 50-50 solder on potable water?

No: it contains ~50% lead, and alloys with more than 0.2% lead are banned in potable water (1986 amendment of the Safe Drinking Water Act, note of the ASME B16.22 rating table); in Colombia fittings in contact with drinking water must meet the metal-migration limits of ANSI/NSF 61:2016 (Resolution 501 of 2017). For potable water: 95-5, alloys E/HB or brazing.

Which solder is used for natural gas or LP gas on copper?

BAg brazing (AWS A5.8) in concealed runs and flared joints in accessible runs, per CDA practice for fuels; soft solder is not used on gas. The final call belongs to the local gas utility's regulation.

Do these fittings work with Type K, L and M tube?

Yes: the three ASTM B88 types share the outside diameter per size (nominal + 1/8″), and the fitting's B16.22 socket mates with any of them. What changes between K, L and M is wall thickness and tube allowable pressure — data sheet FT-TC-TUB-CU-001.

7. Application notes

8. Technical notice and limitation of liability