Brass fittings offer toughness and a long service life to almost any application where high flow and high pressures are present. You will typically find brass fittings used in industrial applications. Fittings with threaded connections are found most often, but soldered connections are also frequently put into action.

Follow these tips for making threaded connections the right way

1. Wrapping male threads with a non-stick tape (Teflon®) will ensure a tight seal and make the fitting far easier to remove at a later time.
2. Attach the fitting to the pipe and turn it clockwise until it can no longer be tightened by hand.
3. Fully tighten the brass fitting by placing one wrench on the fitting and a second wrench on the coupling at the end of the pipe. Hold the pipe still and tighten the fitting with the attached wrench. Make sure you only tighten the fitting until it’s snug, since over tightening can damage the pipe and fitting.

What about soldered fittings?

1. Score the end of the pipe and the fitting’s interior with steel wool, and then apply soldering flux. Afterwards, place the fitting onto the pipe.
2. Ignite the torch and adjust to the highest setting. Then, heat the area next to the fitting with the light-blue tip of the flame to make sure the fitting is hot enough for the solder.
3. Next, heat the fitting all the way around until the flux bubbles. Remove the heat source and connect the solder to the joint, tracing the seam with the end of the solder while it pulls in the connection.

Loosening brass fittings

Sometimes, brass fittings get a bit “sticky.” You can use these handy tips for removing old fittings.

1. Clean the fitting thoroughly. It may come apart just by removing dirt and debris.
2. If heating is necessary, place a fire-safe cloth on the wall or floor around the fitting. It’s also a good idea to adjust your wrench prior to heating, so you’re ready to remove the fitting quickly while keeping your hands away from the heated metal.
3. With a coworker standing by with a fire extinguisher, move the flame of the torch back and forth over the connection. Holding the flame still in one area will damage the fitting and pipe.
4. Place the wrench over the fitting and loosen the nut. Keep in mind that it only takes about a minute to heat the fitting enough to loosen it.

These instructions incorporate the use of soldering techniques, which introduces a different set of safety issues and skills. Make sure you understand how to use these tools before diving into the removal or installation of brass fittings.