# Pro press question



## PatchworkPlumber (Nov 16, 2020)

Hey guys,
I’ve recently got the pleasure of finally getting the opportunity to use a pro press after 18 years of strictly using copper and sweating or just doing pex. I’ve recently come to a moment where I could of really used this answer. Can I solder a sweat fitting onto the street side of a pro press fitting if cleaned and fluxed?


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

PatchworkPlumber said:


> Hey guys,
> I’ve recently got the pleasure of finally getting the opportunity to use a pro press after 18 years of strictly using copper and sweating or just doing pex. I’ve recently come to a moment where I could of really used this answer. Can I solder a sweat fitting onto the street side of a pro press fitting if cleaned and fluxed?



Yes, BUT.......And that's a big but, like JLo big.

*I highly suggest you avoid it*, although I have had to solder onto street propress fittings a couple times. More often I am just soldering really close to an existing propress joint.

If the other side is already pressed you're going to need to wrap it with a wet rag so it doesn't heat up and melt the o-ring. If the other side is not pressed you don't have to worry about melting the o-ring, you just remove it. You do have to keep the flux from getting to the o-ring groove. Smear some fresh silicone lubricant in the o-ring groove before re-inserting the o-ring. Cleaning all the original lubricant off before soldering is best done with brake cleaner. Silicone in a sweat joint makes it impossible to solder.


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## goeswiththeflow (Feb 24, 2018)

I have been told by a press fitting rep that you can also remove the O ring in a press fitting and sweat it on if need be. Haven't tried it.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

goeswiththeflow said:


> I have been told by a press fitting rep that you can also remove the O ring in a press fitting and sweat it on if need be. Haven't tried it.


This is correct, at least according to our Viega rep. I haven't tried it either, but now I kinda want to. I feel like brazing it would be a more reliable connection given the looser tolerances on the press fittings.


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