Modern renovation with the replacement of plumbing and heating systems is unthinkable without the use of plastic pipes. Rapidly breaking into the building materials market at the end of the twentieth century, polypropylene plastic pipes made a revolution in 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.
AT 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:
- do not give in to corrosion;
- have high chemical resistance;
- resistant to microorganisms;
- have low heat and sound conductivity;
- light weight and easy to transport;
- environmentally friendly;
- easy to install;
- suitable for external and concealed laying;
- durable - guarantee period 50 years of use, subject to the correct mode of use.
Note!
Correct mode: plastic pipes made of polypropylene withstand working pressure up to 15 bar at temperatures from 0 to 10 degrees and 2 bar at high temperatures(95 degrees).
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.
A video course will help you learn how to install a plastic pipeline with high quality: how to solder plastic pipes correctly.
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:
- 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.
- The power of the soldering iron is of great importance. For use in living conditions and pipe diameters of 16-63 mm, power up to 1200 watts will be sufficient.
With a power of 1800 W or more, the performance of the soldering iron allows it to be used in professional activity. 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.
Note!
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.
- Second essential tool for mounting are special scissors for plastic.
Pruning scissors
- 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.
Mounting process
A step-by-step instruction on how to solder plastic pipes will help you make a high-quality and quick installation.
- Cut the pipe perpendicular to its axis with trimming scissors.
- We select a fitting right size.
Note! A non-heated fitting should have an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe.
- 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.
- 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.
- We maintain the heating time corresponding to the diameter of the pipes according to the table:
| Pipe diameter, mm | Welded belt width, mm | Parts heating time*, sec | Connection time, sec | Soldering cooling time, min |
| 20 | 14-16 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 25 | 15-18 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 32 | 16-21 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 40 | 18-22 | 12 | 6 | 4 |
| 50 | 20-25 | 18 | 6 | 4 |
| 63 | 24-28 | 24 | 8 | 6 |
*- the table indicates the time for heating parts at an air temperature of 20°C; at lower temperatures, the heating of parts should be extended, and at higher temperatures, reduced.
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 prepare special tools for it in in large numbers not required.
Work materials
To carry out competent welding work, you need to prepare such set of tools:
- marker;
- construction level;
- roulette;
- welding device for plastic pipes;
- scissors for cutting PVC materials.
Almost all of the above can be found at home or purchased in a store at a modest price with the exception of 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:
Pipes should be soldered taking into account many indicators, we give them below:
So, the soldering technique is as follows:
- take special plastic scissors and use them to cut the pipe of 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;
- upon completion of work, check that the welded joint is High Quality. Plastic rings should appear at the joints.
So, above, we have already figured out how to properly solder plastic using a soldering iron. water pipes. 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:
- aluminum;
- polypropylene.
And only then the elements can be connected according to the method.
All types welding work must be carried out only at a positive temperature environment.
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:
- bends;
- fitting;
- valves;
- tees;
- adapters.
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.
Plastic water pipes made of polypropylene are becoming more and more popular, also because the installation technology is very simple and affordable for self-execution.
But for this you need to know how to properly solder polypropylene pipes, because this is the main operation that determines the durability of the entire system.
Installation of plastic pipes for internal wiring is a fairly simple, but rather laborious process, therefore, first of all, you need to understand how to properly solder polypropylene.
Properties of polypropylene
Products for water supply are made of PPR grade plastic, which has the following characteristics:
- operating temperature range from -10 to +90 degrees;
- plastic melting starts at 149 degrees;
- nominal pressure from 1.5 to 2.5 atmospheres.
One of them is the reinforcement of the walls with fiberglass or aluminum. To do this, a layer of fiberglass or aluminum foil threads is applied over the finished pipe, and then another layer of polypropylene is applied.
This design makes it possible to obtain polypropylene pipes suitable even for use in heating and hot water systems.
The cardinal method of reinforcing polypropylene products is the installation of a metal layer. For this, aluminum foil in the form of a strip is used.
It is wound along a helical line onto the workpiece along a layer of glue, a second adhesive layer is applied over the metal foil. The outer shell is made of the same polypropylene.
Such products are suitable for use in water supply systems with increased pressure up to 6 atmospheres.
Which polypropylene products to choose
For low-pressure cold water supply networks, PN16 products are the most practical. They easily withstand pressure up to 2 atmospheres at temperatures up to +40 degrees. This is quite enough to withstand the load of a water supply system in a private house or an irrigation system in a greenhouse or garden.
Watch the video
Polypropylene products of the PN20 brand are more resistant to various influences, which are considered universal and can be used, among other things, for heating with a coolant temperature of up to 95 degrees.
But the most reliable in any water pipes are PN25 pipes reinforced with aluminum or fiberglass.
Equipment for mounting polypropylene
Polypropylene water pipes have their own characteristics in terms of assembly technology, determined by the properties of the source material. Before soldering polypropylene pipes, you need to purchase a special tool for this.
Its set is not very extensive, but it contains some devices that are used only for this process:
Scissors for cutting polypropylene products. They are needed in order to ensure a strictly perpendicular cut. If a gap forms at the interface during soldering, there is a possibility of a leak in the joint.
Shiver - a device for cleaning the surface of products before soldering. Without this device, soldering is generally impossible. polypropylene pipes reinforced with any material. The fact is that the soldering of polyethylene is a diffusion process in which there is a mutual penetration of the molten material.
Naturally, aluminum or fiberglass are unsuitable for this purpose. Using this tool, you can also chamfer at an angle of 45 degrees on the ends of the parts to be joined to facilitate joining during the soldering process.
There are many design solutions for this device, so when buying a tool, a wide choice is provided.
Soldering iron. The main tool used in soldering polypropylene water pipelines. Its basis is a plate on which replaceable bushings are attached. various sizes. These nozzles are paired - one for the fitting, the second for the pipe.
The parts to be connected are mounted on an interchangeable tool. Switching on is made on the handle of the device, the temperature regulator is also installed there. The heating time of the mating parts is 6 seconds or more.
Usually, the tool kit also includes a screwdriver for installing a replacement tool, a marker for marking, and a tape measure for taking measurements.
Preparation for the installation of a water supply system from polypropylene pipes
It is safe to say that high-quality preparation for wiring assembly largely determines its performance and durability.
Watch the video
In addition, one of the main tasks of these activities is to calculate the real need for water supply elements.
Selecting a connection scheme
Currently, two main schemes for installing pipe wiring are common:
tee- with it, each water consumer is connected to a central pipe connected to a riser. For this, triplets are used.
The disadvantage of this scheme is that, that with the simultaneous opening several taps, the pressure in the supply pipe drops sharply and the flow of water in each of them is reduced. Particularly affected are the points of analysis, remote from the riser.
The second negative point is that if the need arises for current repair have to turn off the entire water supply for this time.
Tee schemes are used in apartments or small private houses. The advantages include ease of installation and relatively low consumption of materials.
Collector wiring diagram. This way of forming water supply network consists in the fact that from the riser the supply pipe is led to the topographic center of the water supply system and ends with the installation of the comb.
The comb is a short branch pipe with taps installed on it with a thread for a ball valve. Thus, a distribution node is formed, from which wiring is carried out to consumption points.
As a result, it is possible to block any point of water consumption separately. The rest of the system continues to function normally with the same water flow.
Temperature modes of operation
Manufacturers of products for water pipes declare a maximum coolant temperature of 95 degrees. However, the physical properties of the material are somewhat different from this indicator.
The softening of polypropylene begins to appear at a temperature of about 140 degrees, melting occurs at 175. Given these parameters, we can conclude that this material is suitable for any heating water pipes, with the exception of steam.
The operating temperature in the steam lines is exactly 175 degrees.
It would seem, what could be better? But the peculiarity of the material lies in the fact that the temperature in 135 degrees it starts to soften. The wiring begins to sag, thin out and eventually break.
Manufacturers of polypropylene pipes officially declare a much lower allowable temperature, wanting to insure their products and make them more durable.
It should be noted that in a properly equipped dwelling with sufficient thermal protection of the walls, such operating temperature quite enough.
It should be noted that in heating systems it is advisable to use reinforced polypropylene pipes, which have a number of advantages:
- Stability of linear expansion of water supply elements under the influence of thermal and mechanical loads. They can withstand pressures up to 10 atmospheres without noticeable changes.
- The service life of a reinforced pipeline, constantly under pressure at elevated temperatures, is several times higher than that of non-reinforced products.
- The melting temperature in both products is the same, but under equal conditions, the pipe without reinforcement is destroyed, but the reinforced pipe is not.
How to solder polypropylene pipes with your own hands
The process of soldering polypropylene products is simple and therefore received wide use in the technology of installation of cold and hot water supply systems and heating systems.
However, there are some subtleties that you need to know and take into account in the work.
How to solder using the diffusion method - step by step instructions
The soldering process is based on melting the surface of the part to a certain depth. If in this state two parts are connected and cooled, then the material returns to its original state and takes on its original structure.
Watch the video
During this time, the melt has time to mix, creating a monolithic material to the depth of penetration. In physics, this is called diffusion welding.
The implementation of the joint involves the production of the following technological operations:
- Cut the pipe to the required length with special scissors.
- Chamfer at 45 degree angles on both ends.
- Clean and degrease the surfaces to be welded on the outside of the workpiece and the inside of the fitting.
- Install nozzles of the required size on the soldering iron.
- Turn on the soldering iron and warm up the mating parts for the time specified in the instructions.
- Remove the parts from the soldering iron and dock them in the desired position. Hold until completely cooled.
Close attention must be paid to observing the heating time. To obtain a quality connection, it is necessary that a solid base remains under the layer of molten plastic. This will allow the parts to dock coaxially. If the parts are overheated and the plastic softens to its full thickness, it will be impossible to connect them, they will simply collapse.
The table below shows how much time is needed for the qualitative passage of each assembly stage. As you can see, the conditions are quite tough.
When performing do-it-yourself soldering, it is important to assemble several test joints before starting work in order to feel the duration of temporary materials.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the accuracy of installation in the axial direction when mating parts. The time for control and correction will remain a matter of seconds.
Watch the video
At what temperature to solder polypropylene pipes, it is established in the design of the welding machine, it is important to follow the recommendations on the heating time of the parts. This indicator depends on the power of the tool, which in different models may differ.
How to solder with a socket (socket) method
This connection method is used to connect products in order to lengthen straight sections. For this, a coupling fitting is used.
Watch the video
It is installed at the end of the pipe by soldering, after which it is soldered, I repeat the detail. Soldering is carried out in accordance with the technology described above.
Soldering with the end method
It is often referred to as welding. The principle of operation remains the same - melting of the material, compression of two ends in a special mechanism, cooling. This method of docking is used for products with a diameter of more than 63 millimeters.
Butt docking using this technology can be successfully used in the field. How to evenly solder polypropylene pipes end-to-end?
To do this, it is necessary to perform preliminary machining of the ends, ensuring the absolute parallelism of the joined ends.
Watch the video
How to solder reinforced polypropylene
Reinforcing layer, strengthening the structure of the polypropylene pipe. Creates a certain obstacle for docking individual parts. The reinforcing insert prevents the diffusion of the material, as a result of which the connection becomes unreliable.
Watch the video
The only way to ensure a reliable connection is to remove the reinforced layer. Removal of the outer and reinforcing layer is carried out with a special tool - a shiver.
After stripping the top layer, you need to carefully remove the burrs and clean the surface from dirt, after which you can solder using the above technology.
To understand at what temperature to solder reinforced polypropylene, you need to take into account that its structure is no different from ordinary pipes and the soldering modes are the same.
"Cold welding" in polypropylene compounds
A two-component epoxy composition under this name has gained some popularity due to its effectiveness. Ease of use attracts - it is enough to knead a lump of the composition and apply it to the surfaces to be glued. The curing time of the mixture is about 10 minutes, full setting is about an hour.
The physical properties of the adhesive composition do not allow it to be used on hot water supply or heating pipelines. It is only suitable for plumbing installations.
Connection of polypropylene pipes with electrical fittings
This mounting method is widely used in industry. In this case, electrical fittings are used to make joints. A heating element is installed in the body of the part during its manufacture.
The system is installed without soldering, but each fitting is connected to the mains. Only at the end of the wiring is voltage applied to it.
Under the influence of current, the heating elements melt the mating parts to the required state, the shutdown is automatic. After the parts have cooled down, the entire network or its local section is ready for operation.
Watch the video
The use of this installation method significantly increases labor productivity and eliminates the personal factor in the performance of work. Therefore, the quality of the connections is stable for the entire water supply network.
This technology allows high-quality assembly of pipeline elements in hard-to-reach places.
Soldering pipes in difficult areas
When assembling a plumbing or heating system of complex configuration, there may be problems with access to the soldering point. How to solder polypropylene pipes in hard-to-reach places?
Watch the video
In the process of preparation, it is required to conditionally break the entire network into separate nodes that can be connected on a workbench, after which the finished branches are welded into the system at two or three points. The following areas can be considered difficult for installation:
- pipelines placed under the ceiling;
- in places where it is impossible to place a soldering iron.
The best way to avoid difficulties in this case is to prevent them from occurring. To do this, you need to think over the assembly order, making complex components on a workbench, and not by hand. If this is not possible, it is better to use electrical fittings.
In general, the occurrence of difficulties of this kind is a consequence of design errors. Manufacturability of installation is the main condition for the designer.
We mount saddles in the plumbing system
This element of the pipeline is used to create an additional outlet, and the need for its installation arises, as a rule, during the repair of existing wiring.
Watch the video
A smaller fitting is soldered into a pipe of a larger diameter, which allows you to install a branch from the existing wiring at an angle of 90 degrees.
For this you need:
- In the wall of the existing pipe, the master needs to drill a hole of the desired diameter, remove burrs and chamfer.
- The mating parts are heated with a soldering iron according to traditional technology.
- The saddle (fitting) is tightly installed in the hole in the pipe.
This method of creating additional branches in the water supply system from polypropylene pipes allows you to continue the development of the network with the least amount of labor.
Knowing how to properly solder polypropylene will allow you to easily install pipelines of any length and degree of complexity.
Video how to choose a machine for welding polypropylene
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Content
Manufacturers of gasket materials engineering networks offer a wide selection 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, radiator and floor 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 does not apply to complex work, but it is important to understand the technology and take into account a number of points in order to obtain 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 can handle House master, 63 mm. Pipes of larger diameter are mainly butt-welded using professional equipment.
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:
- xiphoid;
- cylindrical.
Not 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 colder 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:
- The power of a household tool should be 1200 watts.
- The device for home use is designed to work with pipes with a diameter of up to 32 mm, in other cases it is necessary to use a professional soldering iron.
- Before you start soldering, warm up the device for at least 5–10 minutes so that the working part with nozzles warms up to the specified parameters.
- When soldering the elements of the pipeline together, do not scroll them and do not displace the seam so as not to violate its integrity. It is only allowed to carefully straighten the distortions, otherwise the seam will leak under load.
- Do not squeeze the parts together too much. Since the melted plastic will press inward and reduce the bore diameter of the fitting, which will degrade the performance of the system.
- Do not leave gaps between the edge of the pipe and inside fitting. Such a connection under pressure will leak.
- Be sure to allow the soldered area to cool completely before stressing.
- After each soldering operation, clean the tips from traces of melted plastic. This will prevent the appearance of soot, as well as damage to the elements that need to be soldered.
- Clean the nozzles with a wooden flat stick. This will protect the Teflon coating from damage. Metal objects should not be used, as scratches will render the nozzle unusable, and plastic will stick to it and burn out.
Attention! Before proceeding with the installation of the pipeline, watch the detailed video instructions and practice on unnecessary scraps of plastic pipes.
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 - Be sure to wear protective gloves when working.
- 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.
- The soldering unit must be placed on a horizontal, flat surface.
- During the entire working process, the unit is not de-energized.
- 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.
Work progress
Let us consider in detail how to properly solder plastic pipes at home. On the preliminary stage you need to prepare all the necessary tools:
- tape measure and marker;
- needle file or file;
- sandpaper with fine grain;
- 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.
Shaver use 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! Aluminum reinforced pvc pipes it is recommended to remove the top polymer layer 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 need to choose for plastic pipes different type. Do-it-yourself installation of a polymer pipeline is carried out in several stages:
- The soldering unit is securely fixed on the platform and installed on the working part of the nozzle of a suitable diameter.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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, 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 filling with 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.
At the end repair work re-check the tightness of the system 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, when 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.
Planning for the first time independent work, 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.
If you've made up your mind on your own to make plumbing for your home, then know that best material for this there will be plastic pipes. In order to get 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 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 the nozzles must be fixed on it. right size. 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:
| External pipe size, mm | |||||
| Interval to the mark, mm | |||||
| Heating time, sec | |||||
| Maximum duration of technological pause, sec | |||||
| Cooling time, min |
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 from 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, certain precautions must be observed, the 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.