How do the pro's do it?

[IDIY]

What procedure do people use to de-solder joints where there is still some water left inside the pipes? Is there a way to remove the water after pipes have been drained as well as possible? Can the water be sucked out using a hand pump? Could this even work and if so how to do it? Or do plumbers just cut the damn pipes and deal with water flow as best as possible, letting most of it soak into the plasterboard?

Any ideas are welcome.

There are many horizontal pipes where some water remains. I have attempted to de-solder joints but it has taken a very long time to get them apart and I think it is due to small amounts of water which is making it difficult to heat the pipe sufficiently.

While attempting to heat the pipes, steam has been coming out of the far end, showing that there is still some water inside. When I have finally got the joint apart, some dirty water has come out which I have attempted to catch in a tray.......not always successfully

Thoughts and opinions gratefully received.

[Rich]

Hiya mate

Know its a bit late, but the plumber that did our boiler, he had this tank on a trolley with a pump wired to it that he attached to the outlet that drains down the entire house and he simply popped his hose onto the drain down pipe, switched his motor on and it sucked any water out of the system.

There was a bit left in the radiators, but only a tiny amount, mopped up with a towel, but for the most part, gravity should do most of the work if the pipes were laid at angles facing the boiler..

[JohnKay]

Hi

Simple answer - a wet and dry vacuum cleaner is ideal for this and other plumbing jobs. I've used one for many years, and wouldn't start a job without having one plugged in and ready.

You can cut through pipes with the cleaner running, and not lose a drop, then any remaining in the pipe can be sucked out. A repair to a toilet cistern that needs that last litre or so removed after flushing - no problem.

Just don't try it with an ordinary cleaner !

What Rich is refering to, sounds more like a power flush kit, used to clean a system before a boiler change.