How to solder plastic pipes for water. Soldering polypropylene pipes: rules for work and analysis of possible errors

Imagine the situation: you urgently need to solder two plastic pipes. Water is running right out of it and you need to save the situation urgently! But how to solder plastic pipes? Especially if you have no experience. The article describes the detailed process of how to solder correctly.

The most effective and “painless” option: calling a master plumber to your home. The option may be the most reliable, but it seriously hits the pocket / wallet of the owner of the home, and the pride of the “man in the house” too.

So we dismiss this option and learn to solder correctly - then the wallet is full of crisp bills, and the man in the house repaired everything himself!

Preparation for the process. What tool do we need

We turn off the water and go to the plumbing store (if you don’t already have everything you need to repair the plumbing in your home workshop)!

So, our task: we need to solder two plastic pipes for plumbing.

What tools and materials will be needed? How to solder plastic pipes?

1. Device for soldering plastic pipes. Explain to the seller in the store why you need a welding machine, and he will be happy to select the right option for you.

Moreover, buying a soldering device will be many times cheaper than calling a plumber home, and this, as we remember, is one of the fundamental options for choosing an independent solution to the problem of connecting pipes!

Such a soldering device will allow you to carry out the correct repair of communications in the house!

1. Sharp knife or pipe cutter. You will need it for cutting pipes and cutting edges so that the surface of the ends to be joined is perfectly smooth. It is also possible to use a special device - a pipe cutter.
2. Thin file, needle file, possibly fine-grained sandpaper. This will be needed to clean the ends that we will solder to a perfectly smooth surface.
3. Fitting / coupling - a small tube that you will put on both ends of the pipes that we will solder (also available at a plumbing store).
4. Roulette.
5. Chamfer.

So, everything is ready for installation - let's get started! Let's just do everything right!

The first step, and perhaps the most important, is to prepare the necessary elements for soldering.

Preparation of soldered elements

First, carefully cut the tubes to the length you need with a sharp knife. You can also use a special pipe cutter if it is in your home arsenal or suddenly found in the workshop.

Then cut off the burrs at the ends. Burrs - thin chips made of plastic, notches at the ends of the tubes. Since the surface to be joined must be perfectly smooth, we carefully remove these notches with a knife.

After that, we clean the ends of the connected plastic tubes. To do this, we use a thin file, a needle file, maybe even a rifling (in this type of file, the working surface is specially curved, which allows you to clean the working surfaces inside the tubes, etc.).

You can also try sanding with fine grit sandpaper. Do not forget an important rule - the surface after stripping should be smooth, not rough, so do not spare your efforts and clean the ends of plastic tubes soundly, bringing them to perfection!

Now we perform the same cycle of events for the fitting, if it is homemade and is just a piece of tube that you will use for soldering.

If a fitting or coupling is purchased in a store, then their surface inside (which we need for connection) should already be smooth and of the right size.

So, the pipes are ready, the fitting is ready.

Let's start soldering

Now let's proceed directly to soldering the surfaces. This will require a device for soldering plastic pipes and, directly, the workpieces themselves. The most important thing here is to monitor the heating temperature of the soldering device so that it is optimal for your workpieces.

Temperature conditions for pipes of various diameters are presented in a special table, and it is necessary to follow them. By the way, the soldering device usually independently heats the nozzle to the required temperature.

True, on the old, early versions of devices for soldering there is no such function, so you have to adjust the temperature manually.

Be sure to process the workpiece well before the connection itself. Be sure to clean the surface of dirt, degrease with alcohol.

You also need to chamfer the blanks. To do this, you need to use a beveler and alcohol. This operation is necessary only for those pipes that were previously reinforced with aluminum or other composition.

Modern plastic pipe soldering tools come in a variety of designs, and some of them can significantly reduce your time required to complete the operation.

For example, on some soldering machines it is possible to install several nozzles - up to 4 pieces.

In other words, it is possible to heat up two pipes and two fittings at the same time, and after bringing it to the required temperature in a short time, create a rather large structure.

The connection itself must be carried out as quickly as possible in order to prevent a decrease in the tightness of the system. As soon as you see that the elements of the workpiece are heated to the required temperature, then immediately remove the workpieces from the nozzles and proceed to the connection.

The correct connection must be made very tight so that in the future there will be no leaks in the heating or water supply system.

Checking the joint joint after soldering

As a result, two plastic pipes for plumbing are tightly connected! Have we done everything right? You will be able to judge this only after a while, when you let the water through the “new” water supply.

After soldering pipes with a fitting, do not rush to open the water tap: after the entire procedure of your own repair, at least an hour should pass.

If, for some reason, you still performed the procedure in a cold room where the temperature was below room temperature, then you should wait at least two to three hours before the test run of water. The main thing here is not to rush, and do everything right so that your work does not go down the drain.

At the final stage of the installation, it is necessary to make sure that the place to be soldered is sufficiently reliable. To do this, it is best to carry out a test run of water. We open the tap. After starting the water, carefully inspect the entire repaired water supply unit fixed by you.

If, nevertheless, stains appear on the structure or on the fitting / coupling, water oozes, drips or even spurts from under the new connection, then your operation to save the home water supply was not carried out correctly!

You should either re-carry out the entire repair procedure, or still fork out and call a master plumber to your house. If everything went well, and water runs only from the tap, as it should, then congratulations on your success!

Mission accomplished, the family is happy, plastic water pipes are securely and firmly connected! As you can see now, this operation is not impossible, and if you follow the usual common truths, you can achieve the desired result!

Now you can safely challenge the new repair, because you already have enough knowledge and know how to solder plastic pipes correctly!

How to solder plastic pipes for plumbing correctly?
How to solder plastic pipes correctly - what tool is needed, preparation, soldering process, checking joints, which soldering device to choose th ...

Modern repairs with the replacement of plumbing and heating systems are unthinkable without the use of plastic pipes. Rapidly bursting into the building materials market at the end of the twentieth century, polypropylene plastic pipes revolutionized the history of water supply and firmly took their leading position.

We will talk about how to solder plastic pipes made of polypropylene and replace them with our own hands in this article.

Heating pipeline made of polypropylene pipes

In modern life, plastic pipes are used in absolutely all areas, becoming more and more indispensable in the construction and repair of any scale due to their significant advantages over other materials:

• not susceptible to corrosion
• have high chemical resistance,
• resistant to microorganisms
• have low heat and sound conductivity,
• light weight and easy to carry,
• eco-friendly,
• easy to install,
• suitable for external and concealed installation,
• durable - warranty period of use is 50 years, provided that the correct mode of use is observed.

Correct mode: polypropylene plastic pipes withstand working pressure up to 15 bar at temperatures from 0 to 10 degrees and 2 bar at high temperatures (95 degrees).

Arsenal of fittings and corners made of polypropylene

Due to its environmental friendliness, this type of pipe is successfully used in hot and cold water supply and home heating. And the variety of fittings with brass and chrome inserts makes it easy to combine with existing steel fittings and any plumbing items.

Necessary equipment

For the installation of a pipeline for supplying water or heating, pipes with an outer diameter of 16 to 63 mm are used, for the connection of which socket (sleeve) welding is used.

For a quality installation, you need a little:

1. Soldering iron with nozzles of various diameters.

How to choose a soldering iron for plastic pipes so that the installation is quick and of high quality? The range of soldering irons is large and varied, as is the pricing policy.

Soldering iron with a set of Teflon nozzles

• The power of the soldering iron is of great importance. For domestic use and pipe diameters of 16-63 mm, power up to 1200 W will be sufficient.
  With a power of 1800 W or more, the performance of the soldering iron allows it to be used in professional activities. But a beginner with a low speed of work does not need such a unit.
• Nozzles are heating elements and consist of a sleeve that melts the outer surface of the end of the pipe and a mandrel that melts the inner surface of the socket of the connecting part.
  Nozzles should have a non-stick Teflon coating. Usually, a soldering iron comes with 6 nozzles of different diameters.
• It is more convenient to use a soldering iron with the ability to install not one, but three nozzles. This will save considerable time when changing nozzles from one diameter to another, because. to replace them, you need to cool the soldering iron, and then reheat.
• The professional series soldering iron is equipped with an electronic temperature control that controls the heating of the nozzle with an accuracy of 1-5 degrees. You can get by with the model without adjusting the temperature by purchasing a thermometer to measure the temperature on the nozzle.

It is important not to exceed the nozzle temperature of 260 degrees, at which polypropylene soldering occurs, and at 270 degrees the plastic loses its stability and begins to stick excessively, the pipe will not enter the fitting.

With insufficient heating, the parts may not achieve the necessary viscous plasticity and diffusion of the material will not occur. As a result, the connection is unreliable.

1. The second necessary tool for installation are special scissors for plastic.

1. In addition, you will need a tape measure, a pencil, canvas rags, as well as pipes and fittings of the required size.

Soldering iron operation

There are several rules on how to use a soldering iron for plastic pipes.

The soldering iron is installed on a flat surface and nozzles of all the required diameters are fixed on it with special keys. A nozzle is placed closer to the edge, which is necessary for soldering directly on the wall.

Mounting process

A step-by-step instruction on how to solder plastic pipes will help you make a high-quality and quick installation.

1. Cut the pipe perpendicular to its axis with trimming scissors.
2. We select the fitting of the desired size.

Note! A non-heated fitting should have an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe.

1. We clean the socket of the fitting and the end of the pipe from dust, degrease it with soapy water or alcohol and dry it.
2. We install the parts to be connected on the appropriate nozzle of the soldering iron: the pipe is inserted into the sleeve to the full depth of welding, the fitting socket is put on the mandrel.

Plastic pipes: how to solder and get a quality connection

How to solder plastic pipes and get reliable plumbing
33) How to solder plastic pipes: video instructions on how to solder correctly and choose a soldering iron.

Connecting pipes with a soldering iron is quite easy.

Anyone who plans to independently carry out the installation of sewage, plumbing or heating systems should figure out how to solder PVC, PPE pipes, as well as copper products. Creating one-piece connections allows you to achieve maximum tightness, while, having mastered the technology, you can work quickly enough.

Since at one time I had to master the technique of soldering a wide variety of products, I have accumulated enough practical information and observations in this industry. It is on them that all the advice that I will give in this article will be based.

Pros and cons of soldering as a mounting method

When designing pipelines for heating, water supply and sewerage systems, various methods of connecting parts are used, ranging from simple docking using sealing elastic rings to pipe welding.

Soldering technology is somewhere in the middle between these extremes - both in complexity and in terms of the level of reliability of the resulting connection.

Having mastered the technique, you can create quite complex systems

The advantages of soldering as a mounting method, from my point of view, are as follows:

1. The technology allows you to create a one-piece connection with a high level of tightness.
2. At the junction of two pipes, the strength of the walls decreases slightly, which is very important when designing and creating pressure pipelines.
3. The method of soldering most materials does not require the use of complex expensive equipment: of course, you cannot do without a soldering iron / gas burner, but still it is much easier to work with them than with gas or electric welding.
4. Also, an obvious plus is savings on fittings: elbows, tees, spurs and other parts intended for soldering have an extremely simple design, and therefore are relatively inexpensive. The benefit becomes obvious if you compare the cost with the cost of press fittings for metal-plastic pipes.

Plastic fitting for permanent connection

In fairness, you need to talk about the minuses:

1. Connections, as I indicated above, are one-piece. This means that in order to access the lumen of the pipe, we will have to cut it, and then restore its integrity. And since the length of the part will inevitably decrease, the instruction usually recommends completely replacing the damaged area.
2. To do the job, however, special tools are required, as well as (if we are soldering copper) fluxes and solders. Rent/purchase of equipment and purchase of consumables can seriously affect the budget of the entire project.

Copper fittings are quite expensive

However, even with these shortcomings, the technique remains quite universal, especially since, unlike welding, it is quite possible to do it yourself here. Of course, the skill is needed, but it may well be replaced by a thoughtful study of the recommendations that I will give below, as well as a little practice.

Soldering plastic

Equipment for work

When we make circuits for water supply or drainage, we need to figure out how to solder propylene pipes first of all. Polypropylene is an ideal material for such a connection, since it fuses well when heated, forming an almost monolithic structure: this is why PPE pipes are often used to assemble pressure networks.

It is plastic pipes that can be soldered: metal-plastic products are not intended for such installation, so they need to be connected with expensive fittings using a special tool.

Soldering iron for pipes with a set of nozzles

To connect the parts, a special tool is used - a soldering iron. You can find dozens of different models on the market, but almost all of them have an identical design scheme:

1. The basis of the soldering iron is the case, inside which the heating element is placed.
2. The heating system is connected to the network via a power cable and controlled using a special regulator (not all models have it, while cheap varieties can give a difference with a real operating temperature of 10-200, which is sometimes critical).
3. To connect the nozzles for pipes and fittings to the heating element. As a rule, the soldering iron is equipped with several sets of nozzles, which allows you to work with pipes of the most common diameters.

When choosing a soldering iron for connecting pipes made of polypropylene and similar materials, you should first of all pay attention to power. Professional models have a power of 1.5 - 2 kW.

But it seems to me that for domestic use such performance is useless. When choosing power, it is best to focus on the maximum diameter of the pipes with which you will work:

How to solder pipes: the secrets of working with plastic and metal from experienced craftsmen
How to solder pipes: working with propylene, metal-plastic, PVC products and others, video and photo

Good day, dear reader! Assembly or repair of heating systems, plumbing, sewerage from modern types of polymer products is carried out easily and quickly, thanks to the soldering technology used to connect parts. You can do these works with your own hands, if you know, prepare the necessary tools and fixtures in advance.

You can solder the following types of pipes.

1. polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
2. polypropylene;
3. copper pipes;
4. polybutene;
5. made of high temperature resistant polyethylene;
6. plastic products with reinforcement.

Necessary tools and materials for soldering

To work at home, you will need to prepare in advance all the necessary tools and materials:

• electric soldering iron;
• nozzles and stands for a soldering iron of the appropriate size;
• file or sharp knife to remove burrs;
• measuring ruler or tape measure;
• marker;
• scissors for cutting pipes;
• shaver - a device for removing the reinforcing layer;
• special tool for chamfering;
• solder for soldering;
• fluxes and fittings;
• alcohol composition for degreasing.

Solder for soldering

Solder is available in the form of wire, foil, rod, etc. It is necessary to obtain a stronger seam in copper structures. It is made on the basis of tin, silver, zinc, lead, antimony or copper.

Depending on the melting temperature, it is divided into:

• fusible;
• medium fusible;
• high melting point solder.

Fluxes and fittings

Fluxes are used in soldering to protect the metal surfaces to be joined from oxidation. They are available in the form of a liquid, a dry mixture or a pasty state and differ in chemical composition, properties and purpose. For example, boric acid, zinc chloride, hydrochloric acid are used to clean the surface of rolled copper and increase the fluidity of solder.

A protective film can be created using rosin, wax, various resins.

Fittings are small items that are put on the ends of pipes that are connected by soldering. These include couplings, tees, crosses, bypasses, plugs, corners, etc. They must be of the same material as the pipes themselves. And of course, it is no secret to anyone that you can buy fittings at any plumbing store.

Cutting scissors

This type of tool has other names - pipe cutter, pipe shears or. It is designed for fast cutting of plastic products, provides a burr-free cutting edge, which simplifies the preparation for the welding process.

There are 4 types of pipe shears, differing in design and price:

• precision pipe cutter with ratchet mechanism. The device is used for cutting pipes with a diameter of not more than 75 mm;
• roller scissors;
• automatic pipe cutter in the form of a pistol;
• pipe cutter - guillotine.

Tips for choosing and operating a pipe soldering iron

When you should take into account its technical parameters:

• power. Powerful devices are needed for welding pipes of large diameter, for household systems in which the diameter of products does not exceed 50 mm, you can purchase a device with a power of 0.6 - 0.8 kW;
• the quality of the nozzle coating and the technology of their application. The parts to be welded are easily removed from the Teflon-coated nozzles, so it is advisable to choose a soldering iron equipped with just such nozzles. In addition, attention should be paid to the possibility of heating not only one, but two or three nozzles at the same time. This will significantly speed up the work;
• temperature controller type. The soldering iron can be equipped with an electronic, capillary or bimetallic thermostat. It is better to choose a model with an electronic temperature controller, since the other two have too much discrepancy between the set and actual heating temperatures of the products.

The essence of the process and methods of soldering

Soldering is used for hermetic connection of pipeline sections among themselves, installation of shut-off valves, control and measuring and safety devices.

Three soldering technologies are used to connect the ends of pipes and branch pipes of pipeline fittings:

• diffusion method. Welding is carried out by heating and squeezing the connecting elements without melting the main material of the parts and using additional substances;
• soldering with an electrical fitting. For connection, special fittings with a heating element are used. The soldering process occurs due to the partial melting of the inside of the electrical fitting under the action of an electric current;
• cold way. The elements of the heat pipe are connected using an additional material - solder.

Step-by-step instructions for soldering plastic pipes

It consists of three main phases - heating, docking, fixing and cooling of elements, which require certain preparation, compliance with the temperature regime and safety rules.

Security measures

In the process of soldering, you must follow basic safety measures for working with power tools:

• the soldering iron must be protected from precipitation, dirt and splashes;
• before connecting the device to the network, you need to make sure that it is in good condition, the integrity of the power cord and plug;
• during work, you should ventilate the room and use thermal gloves;
• do not touch exposed skin to heated surfaces.

Preparation of elements and details

At this stage, you need to do:

• cutting products into segments of the desired length;
• cleaning cuts from burrs and their thorough grinding;
• degreasing sections with an alcohol solution;
• drawing a notch, according to which it will be possible to control the depth of introduction of pipes into the apparatus;

Soldering iron preparation

The device must be connected to the network in advance, set the thermostat to the desired position and heat the product to operating temperatures, depending on the type of plastic.

Typically, the warm-up time of the soldering iron is 30 minutes until the light goes out. The device will be ready for operation in 10 minutes after reaching the set temperature.

When preparing the apparatus, it is also desirable to additionally control the temperature of the fittings and sleeves with a surface electric thermometer.

At what temperature to solder plastic pipes

For soldering polyethylene products, the thermostat on the device is set to 220ºС, for polypropylene products - to 260ºС. If there is no regulator, you can follow the parameters for heating parts from Table 1.

Table 1.

Docking rules

When assembling the joints, it is necessary to monitor the alignment of the edges so that both products have the same surface and the axis of the pipeline does not shift. The gap between the edges should be uniform over the entire diameter with a size of 2 - 3 mm.

Pipe connection

The heated parts are removed from the nozzles of the soldering iron and connected to each other, slightly pressing the ends. The polymer will harden in 2-3 minutes.

Stripping and cooling connections

The junction should be in a fixed position until the plastic has cooled to a temperature of 38 - 42 degrees. To do this, the connected parts are fixed in a clamp or clip until cooled.

The sagging is cleaned with a sharp knife after the joint has completely cooled down.

Checking the quality of the connection

At the end of welding, all joints are subject to visual inspection. A well-made weld should have a smooth surface, free of porosity, cracks, wrinkles, and excessive sheen that occurs when overheated. The influx in the weld zone must be continuous and uniform along the entire circumference of the joint and rise above the outer surface by no more than 2 mm - for products with a wall thickness of up to 10 mm.

The maximum bead height for thicker wall pipes is 4 mm.

Soldering video

How to solder the pipeline on the wall can be seen in the video:

Common mistakes

Soldering plastic pipes does not require special skills, but if you do not follow the established norms and rules, you can still ruin the connection. Typical mistakes beginners make are:

• use of dirty nozzles. If drops of molten polymer remain on the nozzles, then during the next welding they can wedge between the edges of the products and sharply weaken the connecting seam;
• residual water and dirt on the outer surface. They will exclude tight contact of the surfaces of the parts over the entire area;
• the application of excessive force when combining parts. Part of the melt under excessive pressure can be squeezed out into the pipe and reduce its permeability;
• an attempt to clean the influx of molten plastic until the junction is completely cooled, which inevitably leads to pipe deformation;
• insufficient heating or overheating of the junction.

To ensure maximum reliability of the pipeline connections, experts advise adhering to the following requirements:

• it is correct to start welding work after 10 minutes from the moment the soldering iron is warmed up;
• perform operations on welding or soldering parts only at positive ambient temperature;
• sections of pipes connected by welding must be allowed to cool, preventing them from moving relative to each other or twisting;
• at a wall thickness of more than 6 mm, butt welding of products is performed with a double seam. With a smaller wall thickness, the joint can be soldered with one seam;
• all structural elements fixed by soldering must be from the same manufacturer, as they may differ in the composition of the ingredients in the raw material, which will negatively affect the quality of the weld.

Soldering in hard-to-reach places and corners

When soldering pipes located in hard-to-reach places, for example, close to the surface of walls or ceilings, a special technique is used, which consists in sequential heating of the direct and mating sections of the joint with a soldering iron. It takes more time to warm up the flange of the straight section so that it does not have time to cool down while the counterpart of the workpiece is in operation.

The smoothness of the line at the corner joints of pipes can be achieved using special corner adapters and fittings. At the same time, it is important to pre-mark the depth of their entry into the body of the corner part on the supply pipes very accurately.

Connection of plastic pipes without soldering

Plastic pipes do not have to be welded, they can also be joined using a special adhesive. It is applied to the entire previously degreased surface of the pipe section that will be inserted into the socket. In the socket, the inner surface is also degreased and covered with glue, but only 2/3. For better adhesion, the surfaces of pipes for adhesive bonding are treated with sandpaper before degreasing.

The prepared part of the pipe is inserted into the socket until it stops and rotated 90 degrees. In this position, the parts to be glued should be held for 1 - 1.5 minutes until the glue sets.

Complete drying of the adhesive composition will occur in a few hours.

Plastic sewer pipes leading to the Tank septic tank can be connected using a compression fitting. With this method, the process of connecting pipes consists of the following steps:

• stripping the top layer on the pipe from contamination;
• chamfering at the end;
• loosening the union nut on the fitting and inserting the end of the pipe into it;
• tightening the nut in the opposite position, at this moment the pipe is clamped (compressed) by a ferrule.

Fittings are fixed manually or with an open-end wrench. The applied force must not be excessive, otherwise the pipes may burst.

The socket method involves the use of a highly elastic sealing ring. The tightness of the connection is ensured by the compression of the gasket between the walls of the socket and the smooth end of the pipe.

Large diameter plastic pipe welding

To connect pipes with a diameter of more than 50 mm and a wall thickness of 4 mm or more, butt soldering technology is used, which consists in the simultaneous welding of the ends of 2 segments over the entire plane. The most difficult thing in this welding method is to correctly center the joints and provide the required length of the gap between the parts.

Polypropylene is a popular material that is widely used in many construction and assembly areas. And plumbing is no exception. Polypropylene lines are corrosion resistant, long service life, good thermal conductivity and tightness. The last criterion depends entirely on how correctly the soldering of plastic pipes is carried out. And you heard right. Polypropylene, unlike polyvinyl chloride, is necessary and can simply be soldered into a single structure using a special welding machine for polymers.

About how to use an iron (as a soldering iron for plastic is called in the circles of masters) and how to properly solder the plumbing system, in our material below with detailed video instructions.

Important: before deciding on the installation of a water supply system from polypropylene pipes, it is worth knowing that this material is prone to stretching under the influence of high temperatures. That is, if you use polypropylene pipes for the DHW line, then such communication may simply sag over time. Therefore, for hot water it is necessary to use only aluminum-reinforced polypropylene pipes.

In order to, following the instructions, solder the entire plumbing system with its long-term operation, it is advisable to understand what type of pipes the master works with. After all, polypropylene is divided into four categories, each of which is intended for use in certain conditions. Failure to follow the operating recommendations nullified all the efforts of the master, and the plumbing will eventually fail.

So, polypropylene pipes are of four types:

• Tubes marked PN 10. Thin-walled material of small diameter, designed for use at temperatures up to 45 degrees. It can be used in the device of the cold water system or underfloor heating.
• Tubes marked PN 16. Here you should be extremely careful. Polypropylene of this category can be used either in conditions of high pressure in communication, but for cold water, or at low pressure in a network with hot water.
• Marking PN 20 allows the use of plastic pipes for the construction of any line operating at temperatures not exceeding +80 degrees.
• Tubes PN 25 - the same tubes reinforced with aluminum or fiberglass, suitable for installing a hot water system. Here the material can be operated at temperatures up to 95 degrees Celsius.

In addition, it should be understood that all pipes made of polypropylene of any category may have a different color on sale. Color does not play any role other than black. This color of the pipes indicates that the PP tube is highly protected from UV radiation.

Important: all polypropylene pipes will be correctly operated only if the operating pressure and temperature ranges in the network are observed. The higher the temperature of the water in the water supply, the lower the pressure should be, and vice versa.

Pipe soldering machine

Soldering plastic pipes is possible only with the help of a special tool - a soldering iron. The household unit is shaped like a kind of iron on a stand. Its heating sole (mirror) is able to warm up to temperatures above 260 degrees, which allows you to melt (solder) the polymer for its high-quality connection.

On the heating sole there are places for attaching nozzles. As a rule, in a household appliance, 2-3 nozzles can be attached to the sole at the same time. Their diameter depends on the configuration that the purchased tool originally had. But most often these are nozzles with a diameter of 16-32 mm.

Important: you can solder at home with your own hands only pipes whose diameter does not exceed 63 mm. At the same time, they are connected exclusively using couplings and fittings. Pipes of larger diameter are soldered on professional equipment and most often end-to-end.

You can solder plastic pipes with your own hands both with the help of a xiphoid apparatus and with the help of a cylindrical one. The soldering quality will be unchanged and equally good if you follow the instructions.

Important: do-it-yourself work with a soldering iron should be carried out only in a room warmed up to positive temperatures. At the same time, it is important to know that the cooler it is in the room, the longer the heating time for plastic and metal-plastic should be (in the case of a reinforced pipe).

Preparatory stage

• First of all, it is worth preparing a pipe cutter, a marker and a tape measure. With the help of such tools, the tube will be marked and cut into individual elements.
• After all the metal-plastic and PVC parts of the future system are cut, it is necessary to thoroughly clean with alcohol all the places of the intended connections, including couplings and fittings.

Important: aluminum reinforced pipe is cut with a shaver. In this case, before soldering, it is first necessary to remove the top layer of polypropylene and aluminum. This will improve the quality of the connection. Tubes reinforced with fiberglass are soldered in the same way as standard polypropylene.

For those who do not know how to properly solder plastic pipes (metal-plastic / PVC) at home with their own hands, you should adhere to the following recommendations when doing work:

• The soldering process begins no earlier than 5-10 minutes after the soldering iron is turned on. It should warm up to the set temperature.
• Polypropylene pipes with a diameter of up to 40 mm can be successfully soldered on a xiphoid apparatus. For larger diameter tubes, it is better to use a more professional centering unit.
• After heating the polymer (PVC or metal-plastic), pieces of soft plastic will remain on the Teflon coating of the nozzles. It is advisable to immediately clean them with a wooden spatula. It is impossible to clean off polymer residues on a cooled nozzle or using metal tools. There is a risk of damaging the Teflon coating and, as a result, ruining the part.

Important: timely cleaning of the nozzle from polymer residues allows you to get a guaranteed even and smooth connection.

soldering process

So, do-it-yourself polypropylene (PVC) elements of the plumbing system are soldered in several stages:

• A soldering iron is installed on the platform and securely fixed. The device is set to the desired temperature. For polypropylene, it is 260 degrees, for polyethylene - 220.
• Before turning on the soldering iron, put nozzles of the desired diameter on the platform.
• As soon as the device warms up, you can take a piece of the tube and a fitting under it and put it on the nozzle. We maintain the details in accordance with the diameter of the elements (see recommendations below).
• As soon as all parts of the pipeline are thoroughly warmed up, it is worth firmly and slowly joining the parts until they fit snugly. We leave a piece of communication until it cools completely. It is necessary to solder all parts of communication in this way.

Important: after the pipe is inserted into the fitting, it is forbidden to move it and turn it in any way. The polymer (PVC) in the lumen of the pipe can wrinkle and the connection will be depressurized.

After the pipes are soldered and cooled, you can pass water or air through them to check the tightness of the connection.

• For tubes with a cross section of 16 mm - withstand 5 s;
• For tubes with a diameter of 20 mm - heating for 6 seconds;
• Pipes 25 mm - warm for 7 seconds;
• Elements 32 mm - soldering 8 sec;
• Pipes with a diameter of 40 mm - heating for 12 seconds;
• Tubes diameter 50 mm - 24 sec;
• Pipe 63 mm - 40 sec.

Important advice: if the master will solder pipes made of polypropylene (PVC) for the first time with his own hands, then you can first practice on unnecessary segments of polypropylene elements. In addition, if flaws were made in the connection during the soldering process, then you can simply cut off this section of the pipeline and solder a new one.

Tip: buying a soldering iron for a one-time do-it-yourself job is not financially feasible. In this case, it is better to rent a PVC pipe machine at a specialized hardware store.

If you decide to make plumbing for your home on your own, then know that plastic pipes will be the best material for this. In order to connect pipes into a single system, you need to understand how plastic is welded. However, do not let this scare you, since the process of soldering plastic pipes is not particularly difficult and does not require a large number of special tools.

For the production of welding work you will need:

• roulette,
• marker,
• building level,
• scissors for cutting plastic pipes,
• welding device for plastic pipes.

All tools, except for the last one, are available to almost any artisan. You may need the latter only once in your life, so it is much more expedient not to buy it, but to borrow or rent it.

Briefly about the welding machine

Before you start soldering, you should briefly get acquainted with the device that you are going to use.

An important element of the welding machine is the sole, equipped with heating elements. Convenience of work is ensured by the fact that there are holes on the sole that allow you to fix special nozzles for soldering. Temperature control is carried out using a thermostat located on the body.

Pipe soldering process

When starting soldering, the device must be installed in the desired position and fixed nozzles of a suitable size on it. Using the thermostat, set the desired temperature:

• 260°C for polypropylene pipes,
• 220°C for polyethylene pipes.

Allow the device to warm up for 10-20 minutes until the indicator goes out.

When soldering, it is necessary to proceed from the following data:

The soldering process is reduced to the following operations:

• Using special scissors, cut the pipe of the required length, use an alcohol solution to clean the joints of dirt and grease,
• Install the pipe and the reciprocal socket into the nozzle and warm up for the time indicated in the table,
• Connect the heated elements to each other by inserting the pipe into the socket. This operation must be performed within the time period indicated in the table as a technological pause,
• After completing the operation, check the quality of the resulting welded joint, which will be noticeable in the form of plastic rings.

We have just outlined the essence of the soldering process. However, to ensure the reliability of the operation of the pipeline, attention should be paid to the following details:

• The first welding operation should be carried out five minutes after the soldering iron has warmed up.
• If it is necessary to weld reinforced pipes, a special tool called a shaver should be used to remove aluminum and polypropylene from the pipe, which form the two upper layers. After that, the joining of the pipes is carried out according to the method already described.
• Welding work should be carried out only when the ambient temperature is above zero.
• After welding, allow the connected pipes to cool, preventing them from twisting or moving relative to each other. In the event that the connecting seam turned out to be of poor quality, the assembly must be cut and the welding process must be performed again.

When working with a welding machine, certain precautions must be observed, non-observance of which may affect the quality of the welded joints. In particular, it must be remembered that the nozzles have a Teflon coating that prevents the formation of carbon deposits. At the end of each operation, melted residues must be removed from them with a wooden spatula. It is strictly forbidden to remove residual material after the tips have cooled down, as this may damage the coating and cause a malfunction of the entire device.

How to solder plastic pipes with your own hands - detailed instructions
This step-by-step instruction for self-soldering plastic pipes will help you assemble a plumbing system for your home with your own hands, without involving specialists. Detailed description of the work, video.

Manufacturers of materials for laying engineering networks offer a wide range of modern solutions that have replaced the traditional ones. In particular, this applies to pipes for installation in a house or apartment of a water supply system, a branch of hot water supply, a radiator and underfloor heating system. To lay or repair a local pipeline made of polymer pipes (polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene), you need a special tool and some skill in working with it. Soldering plastic pipes is not a difficult job, but it is important to understand the technology and take into account a number of points in order to get a reliable and durable result.

Soldering tool for plastic pipes

Pipe soldering machine

In everyday life, a special apparatus is used, designed to connect a polymer pipe to an appropriate fitting or coupling. The maximum allowable pipe diameter that a home master can handle is 63 mm. Pipes of larger diameter are mainly butt-welded using professional equipment.

A soldering tool for home use is a unit equipped with a stand, the working part of which is heated to a predetermined temperature. The heating element (sole) is equipped with holes for installing nozzles of various diameters (from 16 to 32 mm).

Apparatus for soldering plastic pipes

Devices differ in design:

There is no fundamental difference which one to use for soldering plastic pipes with your own hands. In any case, following the instructions exactly will help you get the desired result.

Secrets of quality soldering

Soldering of pipes should be carried out in a room with a positive temperature, while the colder the air, the more time it will take to warm up parts made of plastic or metal-plastic for a tight and durable connection.

Secrets of quality soldering

To avoid common mistakes when installing pipes for heating or water supply, pay attention to the following recommendations:

Security measures

It is important not only to know how to solder plastic pipes, but also to follow safety precautions when working with power tools so as not to get burned or injured.

It is important to use protective gloves

1. Be sure to wear protective gloves when working.
2. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the floor, the dustiness of the room. Dirt that gets into the melted plastic worsens the quality of welding and makes the junction unaesthetic.
3. The soldering unit must be placed on a horizontal, flat surface.
4. During the entire working process, the unit is not de-energized.
5. You can start welding the elements only after the soldering iron is completely warmed up. For modern models, a switched-off indicator informs about entering the operating mode. When using an old appliance, wait about 20 minutes from the moment you turn it on.

Let us consider in detail how to properly solder plastic pipes at home. At the preliminary stage, you need to prepare all the necessary tools:

• tape measure and marker
• needle file or file,
• fine grit sandpaper,
• pipe cutter,
• sharp mounting knife
• soldering iron for welding plastic.

You will also need rags and alcohol (or another degreaser) to treat the surfaces to be soldered.

Preparing the elements

Pipes are cut to the desired length using a special pipe cutter or a sharp mounting knife. Make sure that the cut is strictly perpendicular, otherwise it will not be possible to make a tight connection.

Next, you need to process the edge of the pipe. It is advisable to use a special tool - a shaver, but in its absence, it is enough to use a mounting knife (used to remove burrs), after which the edge of an ordinary pipe made of propylene or fiberglass reinforced must be processed to smoothness with a needle file, fine-grained sandpaper.

Important! For aluminum-reinforced PVC pipes, it is recommended to remove the top layer of polymer and the foil layer at the edge in order to improve the quality of the connection.

After making sure that the smoothness of the processed edge is practically not inferior to the inside of the fitting bought in the store, you can start soldering the elements, having previously degreased the surfaces to be joined with alcohol.

Soldering technology

Consider how to use a soldering iron and what temperature regime you need to choose for different types of plastic pipes. Do-it-yourself installation of a polymer pipeline is carried out in several stages:

1. The soldering unit is securely fixed on the platform and installed on the working part of the nozzle of a suitable diameter.
2. The electric soldering iron is turned on, having previously set the required temperature. To solder polypropylene parts to each other, the working part needs to be heated up to 260°C, when welding PVC products, heating up to 220°C is required.
3. After the apparatus has warmed up, the fitting and the prepared end of the pipe are put on the nozzles and the parts are heated for several seconds (the exact warm-up time is indicated in the table below, it depends on the diameter of the elements).
4. After waiting for the required time, the parts are neatly joined together and left to cool completely. All other elements of the pipeline are fastened similarly.

The welding depth of the pipe matches the parameters of the inside of the fitting - nozzles on the soldering iron ensure that the elements are heated to the same depth to ensure maximum contact between the surfaces for better adhesion.

Brazing Process Technology

The method of connecting polymer pipes using temperature welding is quite simple, if you master the skill of accurately connecting heated elements, you know how to solder parts. After inserting the pipe into the fitting, it is not moved or rotated so that the heated polymer can form a monolith. If the soldering point is moved before the material hardens, the polymer will gather in folds and the joint will be depressurized.

Checking the quality of the connection

To check the tightness of the joints, they begin after all the joints are mounted and have had time to cool. To do this, water is poured into the finished system and the pipeline is inspected to detect leaks. Before pouring water, let the installed system stand for at least an hour at normal room temperature, and if the air in the room is cooler, then the pre-test pause should last at least 2-3 hours.

If there are loose joints, it is necessary to drain the water from the system, remount the pipeline section by installing new fittings and taking a pipe section of the appropriate length. An attempt to somehow seal a leaky connection or solder it with an electric soldering iron is doomed to failure in advance. The installation of a polymer pipeline requires precise adherence to technology.

An example of a good connection

At the end of the repair work, the tightness of the system is re-checked by pouring water into it. If we are talking about a heating system, the pipeline will pass a real test only after heating the coolant in the boiler, at elevated temperatures and pressure.

Conclusion

Instructions on how to solder plastic pipes allow you to understand the technology of the process. If there is a need for one-time work, it is not economically viable to buy an electric soldering iron for pipes, it is easier to rent a tool from a company that provides such services.

When planning to carry out independent work for the first time, it is advisable to buy material with a small margin. Knowing only in theory how to solder pipes, before starting work in the house, you need to practice. If the experience is unsuccessful, entrust the installation or repair of pipelines in the house to professionals.

How to solder plastic pipes with a soldering iron
How to independently solder plastic (pvc) pipes with a soldering iron so that the connection is reliable. Learn the ways and secrets of soldering plastic pipes for heating from experienced craftsmen.

PVC pipes (polyvinyl chloride) are the best alternative to metal counterparts in the field of water supply, sewerage and heating. The peculiarity of the pipelines made from them is that during their installation, welding in the traditional sense, that is, using a welding machine, is not used. The connection is carried out using a special soldering iron, glue, couplings or flanges. The exception is threaded casing products.

Soldering PVC pipes is carried out in a hot or cold way.

Advantages and disadvantages of PVC pipes

This product is made from unplasticized polyvinyl chloride in the form of one- or three-layer tubular products. Their delivery is carried out in standard lengths of 600, 300, 200, 100 and 50 cm. The main advantages of PVC pipes include:

• long service life,
• resistance to corrosion and aggressive environments,
• good throughput,
• anti-static and explosion-proof,
• light weight,
• the possibility of self-assembly,
• relatively low cost, etc.

Along with the above advantages, these products have a number of disadvantages. The main one is the limited operating temperature range. Polyvinyl chloride pipes are able to transport a working medium for a long time with a value of this parameter of only + 45 ° C, and for a short time + 65 ° C. At low temperatures, this plastic becomes brittle. In addition, although polyvinyl chloride does not support combustion, heating this material above + 120 ° C causes its decomposition, accompanied by the release of asphyxiating and toxic hydrogen chloride. The combination of the above factors makes it impossible to use PVC pipes for arranging industrial sewage.

The properties of PVC pipes significantly limit their scope

Methods for soldering PVC pipes and the necessary equipment

The connection of PVC pipes by soldering is performed by several methods. The choice of a specific technology depends on the type of pipeline - whether it is pressureless or pressure. In multi-storey residential buildings and country cottages, along with pressurized water supply systems, sewage systems are created, mainly of the first type. Welding of their components is carried out in two ways:

• soldering with a special soldering iron,
• "cold welding". Simplicity is the main advantage of this method. To solder the elements of a plastic pipeline with your own hands, it is enough to use a special aggressive glue that can dissolve hard plastic.

Helpful advice! Even knowing how PVC pipes are soldered by cold welding, take precautions. It is necessary to work in protective glasses and gloves.

The aforementioned special soldering iron is equipped with a heating element in which sleeves of the desired diameter are fixed. The iron works (this is the name of this device in the slang of professionals) from an industrial AC voltage network.

For hot soldering of PVC pipes, a heating device with nozzles corresponding to the diameter of the pipes is used.

Today, there are many models of equipment in the distribution network with which you can solder PVC pipes with your own hands. When choosing, pay attention to the presence of a temperature controller and to ensure that the language in which the instructions are written is understandable to you. Then you can solder in compliance with all the requirements of the technology, and the connection will turn out to be as reliable as possible.

Before buying a device, it will also be useful to pay attention to:

• manufacturer's country. This determines the cost and quality of the device,
• device manufacturing material and assembly level,
• availability and set of nozzles. The set usually includes a pair of such accessories for several diameters,
• power. To solder PVC pipes with a diameter of 16 ... 63 mm, 680 watts of power will be enough. With a diameter of 63 ... 75 mm, you can purchase a device with a power of 850 watts. If the diameter exceeds 125 mm, opt for a more powerful device - from 1200 watts. According to experts, the optimal power of the soldering iron is 1.5 kW. Having bought a device with such a value of this characteristic, you definitely will not lose if you plan to solder pipes with your own hands at home.

How to solder PVC pipes

This procedure is carried out according to a single scheme and does not depend on the power of the soldering iron used.

You can cut pipes of the desired length with a hacksaw, but then a more thorough cleaning of the cut is required

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Prepare the joints. To ensure a perfect fit of the joined products, cut the ends of the pipes with a special pipe cutter.
2. Put a nozzle on the tip of the soldering iron that allows heat to pass to the junction.
3. Plug the soldering iron into a 220 volt household network and wait until it warms up the nozzle.
4. Put on the coupling on one of the ends of the heated nozzle, and insert the pipe into the other.
5. After the outer surface of the pipe and the inner surface of the coupling have warmed up, remove these elements from the nozzle.
6. Press the pipe into the socket by inserting one piece into the other. Having cooled down and hardened, PVC will restore its properties and as a result a single crust is formed, insulating the junction.
7. After waiting for the final stabilization of the seam, repeat this procedure on the free end of the coupling with the next element of the pipeline.

Helpful advice! Before you start soldering, make sure that the cut is even. To do this, make several control cuts, without fail observing an angle of 90 degrees. Remove any burrs with sandpaper.

For the cold method of soldering pipes, an adhesive composition is used

Now a few words about how to solder PVC pipes with your own hands using the cold welding method. Preliminarily apply marks on their surface and on the surface of the fittings, with the help of which, during installation, you will be able to correctly position these parts in space, taking into account the horizontal angle and wiring features. Then apply glue to the ends of the elements to be joined, quickly connect and press them. Fix the pipes in the desired position for 15 seconds. Water can be supplied to them no earlier than an hour after the end of work.

The main advantage of cold welding is the possibility of installing the pipeline in hard-to-reach places. And by following simple recommendations and rules, you will eliminate the possibility of leaks. According to some reports, the service life of such a connection reaches 50 years!

Soldering is a reliable method for joining PVC pipes
Soldering PVC pipes. Advantages and disadvantages of PVC pipes. Methods for soldering PVC pipes and the necessary equipment. How to solder PVC pipes. Soldering with a special soldering iron. Cold welding.

Many people decide to do their own plumbing at home.

Practice shows that PVC-based structures are best suited for this purpose. And to do everything soldering skills required.

You should not worry if you have minimal or no experience in using a soldering iron. Soldering PVC pipes- the process is not too difficult, and it will not be necessary to prepare special tools for it in large quantities.

Work materials

To carry out competent welding work, you need to prepare such set of tools:

• marker,
• construction level,
• roulette,
• welding machine for plastic pipes,
• scissors for cutting PVC materials.

Almost all of the above can be found at home or purchased at a store at a modest price, with the exception of the welding machine. If you do not have it, and the need for it is only one-time, then you can rent it or ask your friends for a while.

Soldering iron device

Before you figure out how to solder plastic pipes correctly, you need to study well how the soldering iron works for cutting them, and on what principle it works. This the welding machine is designed to connect plumbing structures made of plastic, and equipped with a special sole, on which there are heating elements.

To make it more convenient to work, such a sole most often includes holes with different diameters, where special nozzles for soldering pipes are attached. Thanks to the thermostat, the temperature indicators of the device are adjusted. Such a thermostat is located on the body of the soldering iron, and the power supply is turned on or off by means of additional switches equipped with light indication. It is also equipped with an easy-to-use handle, as well as a stand so that the device can be placed on a flat surface for stationary use.

Rules and methods for soldering PVC pipes

Soldering plastic or polypropylene water pipes must be carried out in a specific sequence. It looks like this:

• install the soldering iron in the specified position,
• fix the nozzles in the holes in accordance with their sizes, and then connect the device to the network,
• if there is a need for local use of the device at the place where the pipeline is laid, then in the extreme position of its sole, you need to put the nozzle that has a diameter similar to the diameter of the pipes,
• set the heating temperature using the thermostat on the device. It depends on what materials will be connected. If the pipes are polypropylene, then it is about 260 degrees, and if polyethylene, then 220 degrees, respectively,
• further, it is recommended to warm up the soldering device for 10-20 minutes, depending on what the outside conditions are, until the indicator on it goes out.

Pipes should be soldered taking into account many indicators, we give them below:

• if the pipe diameter is 20 mm, then the width of the welded belt should be about 15 mm, the parts should be heated for 6 seconds, and connected within 4 seconds. The cooling time in this case is 2 seconds,
• when the pipes have a diameter of 25 mm, then the welded belt must have a width of at least 15 mm and not more than 18 mm, respectively. Parts heating continues for 7 seconds, connect - 4 seconds, and cool down - 2 seconds, respectively,
• with a diameter of 32mm, the width of the belt will be about 20mm, heating should last 8 seconds, connection 6 seconds, and cooling time 4 seconds,
• indicators differ significantly when using pipes with a diameter of 63 mm. The welded belt has a width of about 25 mm, the parts are heated for 24 seconds, connection time of parts - 8 seconds, and their cooling time is 6 seconds.

So, the soldering technique is as follows:

• take special plastic scissors and use them to cut the pipe to the desired size,
• using an alcohol composition, clean the joints of the pipes from grease and dirt,
• we put the reciprocal socket and the pipeline in the nozzle and heat it for the time that corresponds to the parameters of the material,
• after heating, the parts are connected to each other, the pipeline is inserted into the socket,
• at the end of the work, check that the welded joint is of high quality. Plastic rings should appear at the joints.

So, above we have already figured out how to properly solder plastic water pipes using a soldering iron. But remember that the installed water supply can work for a long time and without problems, it is recommended to follow some recommendations.

First of all, during operation, be sure to note that the nozzles on the device have a Teflon coating that prevents the appearance of carbon deposits. After each use of the device(after welding) be sure to remove the remnants of melting with a wooden spatula. It is forbidden to remove them after the nozzles have cooled down, as this can deform the coating, as well as cause damage to the device.

It is possible to carry out primary welding only five minutes after the welding soldering iron warms up, and if we are talking about connecting reinforced pipes, then you need to remove it using a shaver two outer layers of construction:

And only then the elements can be connected according to the method.

All types of welding work must be carried out exclusively at a positive ambient temperature.

And the last thing - all work must be done confidently, all elements must be placed on the same axis. If the connection is poor quality, then the knot will need to be cut off and welded again.

Particular attention should be paid to the installation of such fixed elements as:

Quality of welded joints can be bad if basic safety rules are not followed when working with welding equipment. Take into account all the rules and recommendations listed above so that your plumbing is installed efficiently and quickly, and then can last for many years.

How to solder plastic pipes for plumbing
Features of connecting pipes for water supply based on plastic and polypropylene. What are the rules of high-quality soldering, useful tips and tricks.

For those who know how to braze plastic pipes, arranging a heating system, hot or cold water supply, and other domestic plumbing will not be too difficult. The assembly of such systems requires, first of all, a reliable pipe connection, which determines the quality of all the work done.

Photo 1. Design of a soldering iron for plastic pipes.

Welding them from various types of plastic is not as difficult as it might seem.. Polypropylene, polyethylene and other polymeric materials are quite malleable in work, do not require too complicated equipment, their melting point is much lower than that of iron, their weight is relatively small, as is their rigidity. But knowledge about the specifics of each material, about what to do and in what sequence, is necessary.

Necessary tools and materials

Do-it-yourself welding of polypropylene pipes requires a certain set of tools and materials. It makes sense to briefly list them at the beginning and figure out what and what is intended. So, in order to weld pipes with high quality, you need:

• a special soldering iron or attachments for a household soldering iron;
• a set of nozzles for such a soldering iron;
• secateurs (scissors) designed for even cutting of pipes;
• plastic pipes;
• couplings (fittings) of various types;
• adapters for threaded connections;
• shaver;
• trimmer;
• degreaser for plastic pipes.

How to solder polypropylene pipes? This question is asked by beginners. Photo 1 shows that the design of the soldering iron is rather unusual. It is designed to heat plastic, more precisely, pipes of a certain diameter. After all, the installation of plastic pipelines is mainly the welding of components. Such a soldering iron is an analogue of a welding machine used to join steel products.

Soldering iron tips are designed to be able to work with pipes and fittings of small or large diameter. They are usually sold as a set.

Instead of scissors for cutting plastic pipes, it is quite possible to use an ordinary hacksaw for metal. But then it will be quite difficult to get an even cut at a right angle, and the cutting process itself will take too much time. With a secateurs, even a person without special skills will cut the tube evenly.

Plastic pipes are all welded using almost the same technology, but there are some differences. PVC, polypropylene, polyethylene, for example, have different melting points. There are also reinforced pipes, which must be cleaned of reinforcing material before welding.

Couplings, or fittings, connecting elements for various purposes. For example, fittings for connecting threaded connections, called Americans, tees, angles with different bending angles, ordinary couplings, etc. As you might guess, the inner diameter of the connecting elements is approximately equal to the outer diameter of plastic pipes.

A shaver is a tool designed to strip the reinforcing layer that is on top. If this reinforcing layer is internal, a trimmer is already needed to clean it.

In order to make the connection more durable, the soldering point must first be degreased. For this, compounds that dissolve fat, ethyl alcohol or others are used.

In addition to the tools described, you may need a building level, special markers, etc., but they will be needed when the actual assembly is carried out, for example, heating systems.

Step-by-step description of welding polypropylene elements

As an example, it is worth describing the process of connecting polypropylene pipes. They are the most common, used in reinforced and unreinforced form for the arrangement of almost any domestic piping system.

The technology for welding polypropylene pipes, as noted above, is based on a relatively low melting temperature of the source material. Actually, this is the basic property of polypropylene or other plastic, which determines the relatively low cost of installing pipelines.

When soldering pipes, the starting material for the manufacture of which is polypropylene, the following steps must be taken:

1. Cut the pipes to the required length using special scissors. The quality of the cut and its angle with respect to the center line of the pipe must be carefully checked.
2. Choose fittings, taking into account their purpose and diameter.
3. Degrease those sections of the pipe and fitting that will be welded. The pipe must be degreased from above, the fitting - inside.
4. Turn on the soldering iron, equip it with nozzles of such a diameter that are needed for soldering pipes. It should be borne in mind that the soldering iron heats up for a long time, so you can turn it on in advance. Its operating temperature is in a certain range; for adjustment, there is a regulator that must be set to the position required for a particular type of pipe.
5. If reinforced pipes are being welded, it is necessary to first clean the junction from the reinforcing layer. For this, a trimmer or shaver is used, which must be prepared in advance.
6. Insert the pipe into the nozzle prepared for it on the soldering iron. Put the fitting on the nozzle, as its inner side will be heated. The heating time depends on the parameters of pipes and fittings, which will be discussed below.
7. After the heating is completed, insert the pipe into the fitting, pressing it to the stop. It is necessary to carefully control the insertion angle so that the connection does not turn out uneven. Each pipe and each fitting has a special strip in the form of a convex profile that indicates the direction of welding. If such strips are placed one opposite the other during soldering, even a fairly complex system of pipes will be in the same plane.
8. The welding time of polypropylene pipes is several minutes, so they must be postponed until they are completely hardened, after which it is already possible to start mounting on the wall.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to carry out the welding process on your own. But in fact, it is necessary to practice a little before the actual application of the knowledge acquired from the material presented. The training won't cost too much as unreinforced pipes and fittings are quite cheap. A mistake in real work will lead to the need to start all over again, wasting time and materials.

It is already clear how to solder polypropylene pipes, the time has come to deal with some process parameters.

Parameters to consider when welding pipes

Types of plastic pipes: 1 - polyethylene, 2 - polypropylene, 3 - metal-plastic.

Each plastic melts at a certain temperature, and this must be taken into account when welding. In addition, there are also concepts such as recommended operating temperature and softening temperature.

For example, polypropylene melts when heated to 175°C. But if the temperature is 30 °C lower, the material begins to soften, which leads to irreversible deformation. With these parameters, manufacturers of polypropylene pipes recommend an operating temperature not exceeding 95 °. For pipelines through which, for example, boiling water moves, these pipes will not work. But if they are reinforced with aluminum or other metal, they can also be used for hot environments.

Welding, in which polypropylene pipes are guaranteed to be securely connected, can only be carried out under certain environmental parameters. At least the room where it is held should be warm. No manufacturer recommends carrying out this kind of work at sub-zero temperatures. And the accuracy of a person’s work in the cold is a rather relative concept.

Conclusion on the topic

An important point is the heating time of pipes and fittings with a soldering iron.

For example, if thermometers fix 20 ° C at the workplace, then for a pipe with a diameter of 20 mm with a welded belt width of up to 16 mm, 6 seconds must be spent on heating, 4 seconds on the connection and 2 minutes in order for this connection to completely harden.

The table of ratios of diameters, the length of the welding site and the time spent on basic operations should be a guide to action for those who are going to weld plastic pipes for various types of pipelines.