Soldering of plastic pipes with your own hands. Technology and equipment for soldering plastic pipes

Repair in the bathroom, in the kitchen today involves the use of new materials. Steel, cast-iron pipes are gradually coming out of everyday use. They were replaced today by polypropylene communications. This new material is easy to install, practical in use.

Soldering plastic pipes with your own hands requires the master to be neat. This is a simple job that even a non-professional can do. To do this, you should familiarize yourself with the common technology of the installation, as well as purchase the appropriate equipment.

Material Features

Plastic pipe for water today is used universally. It has a lot of advantages over other types of communications. Polypropylene is now used in cold, hot water supply systems, as well as heating and sanitation.

It is lightweight, durable material. With proper operation it is characterized by a long service life (about 50 years). With sharp heating and cooling, polypropylene does not deform. However, it is necessary to select the pipes in accordance with the temperature of the liquid inside.

Polypropylene is not corroded, its lime deposits do not accumulate on its internal surfaces. They are safe for human health and the environment. Working with this material is simple, but the joints are very strong.

Types of pipes

A plastic water pipe can belong to one of 4 categories. They are marked with certain colors. If necessary, they can be connected to metal pipes. Special connections are used for this.

Polypropylene pipes are used in closed, wall or open systems. The presented material is marked in accordance with the features of their operation. PN25 are designed for district heating systems. The water temperature in them should not exceed 95 ° C. This pipe is reinforced with aluminum.

PN20 is considered a universal product. This pipe is used for both hot and cold water supply. The temperature in the network should not be above 80 ° C.

PN16 is designed exclusively for cold water. It is used in networks where high pressure is present. It withstands significant water hammering. Therefore, in multi-storey buildings, this variety is used.

PN10 is considered to be the most thin-walled pipe. It is used to create cold water systems in a private home. In such pipelines, the water must not be heated above 45 ° C. This is the most inexpensive type of communications. In accordance with existing operating conditions, it is necessary to purchase the required variety of pipes.

Connection Features

The ends of the pipes are connected by means of special equipment. It heats the material to the required temperature. The welding machine for plastic pipes brings the polypropylene to a viscous consistency. When fitting, fittings can be used. After heating the parts, the wizard has a few seconds to align the elements of the structure.

Apparatus for soldering plastic pipes is usually called an iron or a soldering iron. It heats the structural elements with special nozzles. If the diameter of the communication is up to 63 mm, put a fitting at the connection point. The connection can have a different configuration.

For large diameter pipes, fittings are not used. So the connection is more reliable. For parts with a diameter of more than 40 mm, it is necessary to use centering devices. The tips on the soldering iron can vary from 14 to 63 mm.

Minimum set for welding

If you plan to solder the plastic pipes with your own hands, then this requires the master to prepare a certain set of tools. They can be purchased at a specialized store or rented.

First of all, you should take care of the availability of a special welding machine. It should have a set of baits and a stand. Most often, such equipment has two indicators. One shows whether the device is on, and the second - whether the nozzle has heated up to the desired temperature.

In order to quickly and accurately cut the pipes, you need to buy a special scissors. The cut in this case will be even. Use a hacksaw or a Bulgarian is not appropriate.

If you want to work with a reinforced pipe, you should also purchase a shaver. This device helps to remove the layer of aluminum foil.

Iron selection

The iron for plastic pipes must be of high quality. In this case carrying out of repair work will not cause difficulties. There are a lot of brands and varieties of the presented equipment. The principle of their work is one. The device heats its working surface to melt the polypropylene to the desired level.

In order not to make a mistake in the choice, you should evaluate the appearance of the device. Metal, plastic gun for soldering should be of high quality. The device should not have any defects. The less plastic used in the design, the longer the device will be.

A massive, heavy device, according to customer feedback, is much longer. Nozzles should be attached to the xiphoid mandrel firmly. They should not hang in the grooves. The accuracy of the thermostat is also of great importance. The quality of the connections depends on this.

Types of equipment

Equipment for soldering plastic pipes can be different. On sale are manual, automatic and semi-automatic varieties. The first type of device is designed to connect pipes with a diameter of up to 2.5 mm. Heating control in this case is carried out completely in manual mode.

Semi-automatic devices are distinguished by a more perfect device. With their help, it is possible to connect pipes of a sufficiently large diameter.

The quality of the seam in this case will be high. In manual mode, the parameters necessary for welding are specified. The docking process is carried out by means of hydraulics. The system feeds the edges of the pipes centrally to each other.

Automatic soldering tools assume control of the welding process using a computer. It sets the necessary parameters before the work is done. Without human intervention, the computer will conduct the welding process. The accuracy of the seam is the highest.

Welding methods

A welding machine for plastic pipes can perform certain types of connections. They differ in the technology of conducting. A distinction is made between butt welding, electrofusion welding and connection into the socket.

The most common is the first option. Butt welding is the least cost. To do this, both parts are heated to the specified temperature. They are removed from the device at the same time and connected to each other. In this position, parts of the system cool down.

When welding in the socket, a coupling is used. Insert the ends of the pipes into it. The use of additional fittings makes installation more costly. Electromagnetic couplings are used for laying long pipelines or in seismically active areas. The coupling and pipe ends are heated simultaneously with a special machine.

General recommendations for work

Before using a gun for soldering plastic pipes, it is necessary to consider the general recommendations and all the steps in the process of combining polypropylene. Specialists recommend carefully measuring the lengths of pipes. Only after carrying out the control it is possible to connect them among themselves. In order not to make mistakes, you must first create a scheme of the water supply network. Each element in it must be numbered and its dimensions.

When heating and connecting pipes, their length is slightly shortened (by 1-1.5 mm). This fact should be taken into account when carrying out work. Connect pipes with fittings need to be neat. It is recommended to use special tools for increasing accuracy (ruler, plumb line, level, gon, etc.).

It is necessary to monitor the appearance of fittings and pipes at the junction. At a certain distance from the end of the pipe, when heated, a ring is formed. It should be the same at all junctions. Beginners are recommended to make a note on the nozzle. For example, for a pipe of 20 mm in cross section, a mark at a distance of 15 mm should be made. The connections in this case will be neat.

Preparation of a soldering iron

The soldering iron must be installed on a flat surface before operation. In accordance with the diameter of the pipes, the necessary nozzles are prepared. They can be used at once several varieties. Only after this it is possible to produce heating.

The soldering temperature of plastic pipes is 260 ° C. Therefore, all manipulations with the nozzles must be made before turning on the device. It will heat up evenly. Therefore, the location of the nozzles is not very important. When choosing the installation site, the master is guided solely by his own preferences. Nozzles are attached using special keys.

The required heating temperature is set on the device. Next, the device is connected to the network. It warms up for about 10 minutes. While the unit has not reached the required temperature level, its operation is prohibited. The heating process also depends on the time of year. The colder in the room, the longer the soldering iron will heat up.

Preparation of pipes and fittings

The technology of soldering plastic pipes requires the correct preparation of pipes and fittings. To do this, use the scheme of the future system. Pipes are cut according to it into the required pieces. Pipe cutter or special scissors at a right angle cut them. The edge is fairly flat.

Places of slices must be properly processed. To do this, the edge is cleaned and treated with a degreasing solution. The same procedure is performed with the fitting. To do this, an alcohol or soap solution is suitable. After this, all the details should be thoroughly dried.

The pipes of PN10-20 grades can then be soldered. For varieties of class PN25, it will be necessary to further clean the joints from the foil. To do this, apply the shaver. This takes into account the depth of the nozzle, which will connect the details of the structure.

Soldering

After carrying out the preparatory work, the soldering of plastic pipes is performed, it is not difficult to do this by oneself. Details are put on the nozzles. The fitting is installed on the mandrel, and the pipe is at the specified depth (up to the stop). In accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, the heating time is maintained. For each variety of pipes, the time will be different.

The system element is removed from the soldering iron. Quickly and accurately they are connected together. You can not scroll or bend them. The pipe must enter the fitting to the required depth. Further the design cools down. After that, check the connection for strength. Water is passed through the pipes.

Having considered how soldering of plastic pipes is performed by oneself, even a novice master can correctly select the equipment and make the entire process quickly and efficiently.