Often when using household appliances plumbing systems made of polypropylene, there is a need to repair or extend them, which is impossible without special equipment for soldering. As a tool suitable for these purposes, purchased devices of a special design are usually used, high cost which forces users to think about making them themselves.

This approach is good not only because it allows you to save significant money and not waste time learning how to work with unfamiliar equipment. Thanks to self-production it is possible to study all the intricacies of handling such devices, which ultimately affects the quality of soldering of polypropylene and other plastic pipes.

In the case when a decision is made to make a soldering iron for pipes with your own hands, this can be done by using the old spare parts remaining on the farm. One of the most common options for making it from improvised means involves using an old electric iron for these purposes.

To implement this project you will need the following components and spare parts:

• an old iron designed for a power of at least 800 watts;
• duralumin plate of suitable size;
• steel slats from an old children's construction set;
• wires, a toggle switch, an unnecessary handle from a disassembled drill or grinder to make it convenient to hold the soldering iron.

A soldering iron for iron pipes works on the same principle as a factory-made specialized product. The spiral (heating element) heats up, transfers heat to the sole and the nozzle inserted into it. This allows you to melt polypropylene pipes and solder them. The temperature on a homemade soldering iron is set to the maximum (should be 260-265 ℃). Having prepared all these parts and materials, you can begin assembly.

First, the casing is removed from the iron, which allows access to its insides. Then the working part of the sole is cut off using a grinder, and in its place, a duralumin plate cut to the shape of the base is attached with an existing bolt. Next, you need to assemble a box from the spare parts of the designer and securely fasten it to the sole.

A toggle switch and a grinder handle are fixed to the elements of the box, after which one end of the power cable is connected to the switch. The second conductor, together with the outlet from the toggle switch, is connected to the heating coil through asbestos tubes.

Attachments for fixing on poly propylene pipes Oh, you'll have to buy it separately. If desired, you can connect a socket with a light bulb in parallel to the power circuit, the current through which must be limited by means of a quenching resistor. In order to do this simple design It will take a minimum of time to do it yourself.

With heating regulator

To control the heating temperature of a homemade soldering iron for polypropylene pipes, install a thermocouple. To assemble a device equipped with a heating regulator for the working sole, additional parts and spare parts will be required, namely:

• thermostat, thermocouple and two tips;
• dial indicator with a special scale (with “zero” and two sectors);
• insulated conductors with a length of at least one meter each;
• asbestos wool.

Even before starting work, you should contact a turner and ask him to make two tips of a special shape (for the fitting and for the heater outlet). The dimensions of these tips are selected based on the diameter of the tube prepared for assembly.

The procedure for assembling a soldering iron for polypropylene with a thermostat with your own hands looks like this:

1. First, the casing is removed from the iron, after which the temperature regulator, as well as all unnecessary parts and wiring, are removed from its sole. After such disassembly, you should be left with a clean ironing plate.
2. Then, using a drill, holes with a diameter of about 6 millimeters are drilled in the tips, after which they are bolted to the body, cleared of foreign parts (from the “nose” side). On the opposite side of the base, holes are drilled in it with a diameter suitable for mounting the thermocouple housing.
3. Wires about one meter long are soldered to the thermocouple. Following this, the same conductors are used to connect the heating coil. All these wires are led out through a hole in the handle of the iron. It itself is attached directly to the casing.
4. At the final stage of work, the space between the casing and the slab is filled with asbestos material (wool), which acts as a heat insulator. Upon completion of this operation, the casing is returned to its place, resulting in a housing with two pairs of conductors brought out.

These wires are connected to the power plug and the thermostat according to a circuit that allows you to set a given value for the melting temperature of polypropylene (255-265°).

Thermostat circuit and printed circuit board

Industrial designs with paired nozzles

For the manufacture of thermal nozzles for industrial soldering irons, special materials are used that conduct heat well (copper, aluminum alloys and the like).

On the outside, they are coated with a special layer that prevents polypropylene from burning (Teflon is most often used for these purposes).

Known samples of nozzles for soldering propylene pipes differ both in their shape and in the method of attachment to the heater, which can be various designs. In this case, preference is usually given to products that allow the installation of paired nozzles (or several pairs of them at once).

The capabilities of such a device are significantly expanded, since it becomes universal in its technical indicators.

The working dimensions of soldering iron nozzles (their diameters) must correspond to the same indicator for polypropylene pipes and have values ​​from 16 to 110 millimeters.

Special nozzles with sizes from 20 to 32 millimeters must be included in the kit of any soldering iron that belongs to the category of semi-professional devices. Specialized models of soldering fixtures can be equipped with a large number paired nozzles, the size range of which has been expanded to 63 millimeters.

Nowadays, when creating various pipelines, polymer channels are increasingly used. They have many advantages over their metal counterparts. Special attention deserve polymer pipes. The price per 1 meter of these structures is significantly lower than that of metal analogues. Their distinctive feature is convenient installation. Such pipe structures are soldered using

In this article we will analyze the structure of the mentioned device, list the most popular manufacturers of equipment and tell you how to eliminate the most common ones with your own hands. typical breakdown. You will also have the opportunity to watch photos and videos on the topic of this material.

Device structure

Most soldering machines have approximately the same design. The differences lie only in the shape and methods of installing special attachments.

Any soldering iron for polypropylene pipes consists of:

• housings and handles;
• thermostat;
• heating element placed in a metal casing;
• replaceable nozzles coated with Teflon.

In terms of their method of operation, the devices in question are much like a regular iron.

Some experts call these devices that way. The operation of the device is quite simple. The heating element increases the temperature of the stove inside which it is located. From it, heat is transferred to the nozzles. It is these heating elements that help soften the polymer to the desired consistency.

The thermostat allows you to control the heating process. This part is responsible for maintaining the required temperature conditions, preventing overheating of the installed nozzles. If the thermostat is faulty, it will be difficult to operate the device. Heating elements can become very hot. This will negatively affect the duration of their operation. Metal part The slabs will begin to melt over time. As a result, the device will become unusable.

It is important to choose a soldering machine equipped with a high-quality thermostat. In cheap models, this element is unstable. This leads to uneven heating of polypropylene structures. The temperature level may be excessively high or, conversely, low.

Note that for experienced specialists such a defect is not critical. At the same time, beginners will be able to effectively complete the task only with the use of an absolutely working soldering iron. This is due to the fact that professionals intuitively work with the device, and thanks to their skills they will be able to minimize the consequences of using an unstable device.

Based on what was written above, a simple conclusion is drawn - it is better to use high-quality and reliable equipment than to tinker with a poorly functioning soldering iron. In this case, it is advisable to use equipment with a thermostat that allows smooth temperature control.

Typical failure: the soldering machine does not heat up

Let's sort it out real case repair of the RSP-2a-Pm device from the Czech company Wavin ekoplastik. The problem was this: the device was heating up, but did not reach the required temperature. At the same time, during operation, the sound of sparking contacts arose inside the device. The device was used intensively for a year.

The repair of the device began with its disassembly. Next it was necessary to establish the cause of the malfunction. First the control board was checked. Next, the soldering iron was turned on and the voltage indicator at the output of the mentioned circuit was determined.

When performing the test, you do not need to wait until the tip is completely warmed up. A similar procedure would be appropriate when testing electronics. In our example, it was only necessary to determine the cause of the breakdown. After checking the board, it would be necessary to move on to diagnosing the heating element.

The soldering machine in question was switched on. The heating indicators lit up clearly. It was assumed that the problem lies in the heating element circuits. To accurately identify the breakdown, it was necessary to disassemble the protective grille of the heating element.

It was decided to check the thermostat screwed to the heater. The main purpose of this component is additional protection. The operation of the device was completely controlled electronically. The thermostat was installed in order to avoid uncontrollability of the heating element in case of damage to the thyristor.

If the maximum permissible temperature is reached, the bimetallic contacts of the safety device will open and the main heating component will stop operating. In a particular case, the mentioned elements burned. As a result, contact opening began to occur at temperatures below the limit. That's what it was main reason constant underheating of the device.

To eliminate this problem, it was possible to repair the thermostat. But this task is very complex and time-consuming. Replacing the element in question was not feasible due to the lack of spare parts.

As a result, the repairman decided to remove the thermostat from the circuit and connect it directly. To do this, the element was disconnected from the heating element contact. Then a new terminal, purchased in a store, was crimped onto another wire, blue. To solve this problem, it is possible to use insulated terminals.

Try to use exclusively heat-resistant cambrics. They must withstand high temperatures.

The terminals are crimped using special pliers. If worst comes to worst, you can also use pliers. The main thing is that the procedure is performed efficiently and reliably. After its implementation, the cable in the terminal must be motionless.

After completing the procedure for turning off the thermostat, it was necessary to assemble the device. During its implementation, damage to the wire clamp was discovered. To eliminate this damage, a regular plastic clamp was used. After fixing the cables, the excess parts of the plastic were cut off.

Next, the assembly of the device was completed. After this, the device was tested for serviceability. The soldering iron worked like clockwork again. You can use the information from this article for repairs. various models soldering irons

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How to make a homemade soldering iron for polypropylene pipes? U good master always have high quality tools at hand. Even at home, there is always a tool, and if you don’t find a suitable one, you can assemble it yourself. If you have decided to change sewer, water, heating pipes, you will definitely need a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes.

To weld polypropylene pipes, a special soldering iron is used, which operates on the principle of an iron.

Nowadays it is very rare to find iron or cast iron pipes, plastic material has become very popular.

Which soldering iron is better?

There is very large selection of this product. Sales consultants will offer you a variety of tools, but won't tell you which one is best. Therefore, first of all, you need to pay attention to the country of origin. Now in the ranking of the most popular soldering irons, the Czech Republic occupies first place, followed by Turkey, Russia in third place, and China in fourth place.

Such a device is used to heat the ends of polypropylene pipes and further connect them to each other. The device is manufactured so that it can be used with different diameters pipes To do everything right, you need to know temperature regime equipment. The configuration of the soldering iron consists of a base, two heating elements, nozzles of various diameters, which are attached to special holes.

The soldering iron allows you to easily connect the ends of polypropylene pipes of any size.

To understand the working principle of a soldering iron, it can be compared to the operation of an iron. But the iron is equipped with one heating element, and polypropylene soldering iron– two. It also has a thermostat and an additional built-in tool - a tape measure. The kit also includes an alcohol marker, a level, and a cutter for plastic pipes.

To start working with it correctly, you must first study soldering technology. The soldering iron should be installed on special legs (they are included in your kit), and only then plugged into the network.

Choose an element according to the size of the connector, which is intended for soldering itself. Heat to maximum temperature, connect the ends very quickly and evenly and press together.

In order for everything to work out well the first time, the soldering iron must be heated to maximum temperature - about 20 minutes, then you need to wait 5 minutes for the tips themselves to warm up.

The soldering process itself will take about a minute, but it is better to read the instructions for the device. If there is a pause in the soldering process itself, do not try to reheat, since the pipes are plastic and the material itself stretches, which means that the seam may be damaged.

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Homemade soldering iron for soldering polypropylene pipes

If you can’t afford the device or don’t have the extra money to purchase a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes, you need to make it yourself.
This technique can be made using an old iron.

You will need:

• iron 800 W;
• heater (not with a spiral, but with a heating element, preferably in an aluminum casing);
• Chromel-Copel thermocouple;
• two tips;
• two wires about 1 m long each;
• old tape recorder;
• asbestos wool;
• plexiglass;
• dichloroethane.

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Stages of work execution

Homemade soldering iron for polypropylene pipes it is most convenient to make it from an old iron.

The temperature regulator is removed from the iron plate.
Remove all unnecessary protrusions and wiring, leaving only one bare slab.

Go to a turner and order two tips, one for the pipe, and the other for the fitting (for the fitting and nut). Take the dimensions yourself; to do this, measure the diameter of your pipe.

When the turner has done everything, use a drill to drill a hole with a diameter of about 6 mm, take the bolts and screw the ends.
On the opposite side from the nose of the iron, drill a hole of such a size that you can easily install a thermocouple.

All parts are connected and assembled into a casing.
Take a wire approximately 1 m long and connect it to a thermocouple.

Then take another wire of the same length and connect it to heating element. Exited out through the top of the handle.
The handle itself is attached with outside casing.

At the next stage, it is necessary to create a space between the casing and the tile; it must be filled with a thermal insulator; you can take simple asbestos wool.

You should end up with two tips protruding beyond the casing; they need to be thermally insulated.

Now the thermostat itself is placed; it needs to be placed separately and preferably in a plastic case. You can use plexiglass and dichloroethane.

An old tape recorder can be useful for indication; there is an indicator, and in it there are arrows and, most importantly, a zero mark. By all rules, this mark will be 270°.

If the arrow shows in the red sector, it means the temperature is above normal, and if it shows in the yellow sector, it means below.

Another important element is the resistor; it is located outside the thermostat housing.

It will show whether the heating element is working.

The process itself is as follows. As soon as you plug in the soldering iron, use the handle to set the temperature to 270°.

The LED will light up and give a signal that the soldering iron is starting to heat up to the desired temperature, and when it goes out, you can start working.

It’s up to you to decide what’s better – to assemble it yourself or buy it. New soldering iron on construction market will cost 15-18 thousand rubles. If you want to assemble it yourself, it will only cost about 2 thousand rubles. since any owner always has an old iron in the garage.

Polypropylene pipes are intended mainly for organizing water supply and heating in non-fire hazardous areas. Such a pipeline is easy and quick to install and lasts about 50 years, but it has a significant drawback: when heated, polypropylene softens and is easily deformed. This parameter is important for heating and hot water supply systems, since they undergo dynamic temperature changes, as a result of which plastic pipes change their design position.

Such phenomena are absent when operating a water supply system for cold water. Based on the above, reinforced polypropylene pipes are used for hot water supply. Strengthening of plastic occurs through the use of aluminum foil, fiberglass or increasing the thickness of the walls of the product. Aluminum integrated into polypropylene, which can be placed inside the thickness of the plastic (non-stripping pipe) or outside (stripping pipe), significantly reduces the linear expansion of the pipeline.

Fiberglass gives a similar effect, which allows this type of pipeline to be used for heating. A pipe with thickened walls is used for hot water.

Basic rules for soldering polypropylene pipes

To obtain quality indicators such as the tightness of the welded assembly, maintaining the internal diameter at the junction of parts, aesthetic appearance, etc., the following rules must be taken into account.

The connection area must be dry and free of dirt

Often, in practice, a situation arises when you need to solder a fitting into an existing plastic wiring. Although the pipeline is equipped with a common tap, due to wear and tear, it cannot fully fulfill its purpose. In such situations, water flow instead of connection is inevitable. To eliminate the leak while soldering the elements, you can take the following steps:

Step 1. Shut off the general water supply valve, drain the remaining water into the sewer through the mixer, cut off the pipeline at the junction taking into account the immersion depth, drain the water, drain the area and weld the components. In this case, it is advisable to replace the faulty shut-off valve.

Step 2. You can temporarily stop the flow of liquid by displacing or draining the water column from the pipeline, if the water supply stops for some time (30 seconds is enough). If the leak cannot be stopped, then the internal cavity of the water pipe is sealed with bread pulp, and after welding it is removed through the nearest mixer, but before that, the filter is unscrewed from its drain tube. It is not recommended to use it as a stopper toilet paper, it doesn't come out of the pipeline well.

Do not overheat the connections

Due to excessive overheating, the cross-section of the pipeline decreases, and accordingly the intensity of the water or coolant supply decreases. Overheating can occur as a result of non-compliance with the welding temperature and holding time of the parts in the nozzle. Table 1 presents data on obtaining a high-quality seam for some pipe sizes.

The soldering iron nozzle must be securely fixed

A loose cue ball while working with parts damages the heating surface of the soldering iron and contributes to the formation of misaligned joints.

After connecting the elements, do not rotate or move them more than 5 degrees

To obtain uniform diffusion, it is advisable after joining not to rotate or align the welded elements during the hardening time of the seam.

The movement of the workpiece in the cue ball must be straight

Other movements may reduce the strength of the seam. The junction will, of course, withstand the water pressure in the central line, which is usually in the range of 2 - 3 bar, but at nominal pressure (10, 20, 25 bar), it will probably allow liquid to pass through.

Features of the stripping pipe connection

Before connecting the stripping pipe, you need to remove the foil layer from it with a special shavings (shaver) to the size of the soldering depth. In the absence of a shaver, the reinforcing layer is carefully cut off with a stationery knife evenly over the entire area where the pipe is immersed in the fitting. This method looks unprofessional, but when removed carefully it does not reduce the outer diameter of the polypropylene.

What is needed for soldering

To join pipes and transition elements you will need the following tools:

• set for soldering pipes (soldering iron, 20 mm nozzle, stand);
• plastic pipe scissors;
• a simple pencil;
• pipe lever wrenches;
• roulette.

Do-it-yourself soldering of polypropylene pipes using an example

Let's look at the soldering technique and the sequence of installation of additional shut-off valves and a pressure gauge into the existing plumbing system.

These elements participate in the apartment’s backup water supply circuit (water storage tank with pump).

The water tap is installed to switch the water supply position from the central line to the reserve position. The pressure gauge signals the appearance of water in the riser. The unit is quite difficult to integrate into the existing wiring due to limited space when connecting pipes by soldering.

To create such a unit, which is made of polypropylene pipes and transitions with a cross-section of 20 mm, the following material is needed:

1. Angle at 45 degrees. in the amount of 2 pcs.
2. Angle at 90 degrees. -1 pc.
3. Tee - 2 pcs.
4. Connecting coupling - 1 pc.
5. Pipe for cold water - 1 meter.
6. Coupling, internal thread (MRV) 1/2 inch.
7. Bronze transition with external thread 1/2" and internal - 3/8"".
8. Pressure gauge 10 bar.
9. Walk-through tap.
10. Tow and FUM tape.

Tool for soldering polypropylene pipes.

Work order

Using tow and FUM tape, ensure a tight connection between the pressure gauge, bronze adapter and MRE.

On a soldering iron with a nozzle, set the temperature to 250-260 degrees and turn it on to heat.

After the cue ball heats up, immediately lean the tee against the convex part, and the pipe against the other, with the recess, and begin to feed the parts linearly until it stops.

Mentally count down 7 seconds. During this time, the surface of the parts should melt evenly. At the seventh second, pull the parts out of the nozzle and accurately insert each other into each other until it stops. Hold in this position for four seconds, this is the time when the soldering area remains plastic. Therefore, it is possible to rotate the parts being welded no more than five degrees only in this range.

From the soldered tee, mark a distance of 13 mm on the pipe.

This size corresponds to the depth of immersion of the pipe into the fitting.

Use scissors to cut the pipe according to the mark.

Solder the corner and the pass-through valve so that it is placed towards the water supply horizontal plane at an angle of about 45 degrees.

Connect the other end of the pass-through valve to a tee, as shown in photo 9.

To the tee, which is located closer to the meter, weld a tube with a 90-degree angle for the pressure sensor.

At the wiring, in the approximate places where parts are soldered, cut the pipes and drain the residual water.

Lean the assembled unit against the installation site and calculate the joining of pipes.

Use scissors to remove excess elements.

We solder a coupling onto one end of the removed element, which will be connected back to the pipeline, consisting of a pipe and two 90-degree angles. We weld the other part at a certain angle into the tee.

We are calculating how the pipeline will be connected to another section. Based on these data, we assemble a unit from two angles at 45 degrees and pipes. We weld it into the other side of the workpiece tee.

We first connect the resulting product to a pipe located near the sewer.

Then with a flow meter.

Lastly with the mixer pipe and tank supply line.

This sequence is due to the ability to use a soldering iron in places that can be moved after joining adjacent nodes.

We determine the length of the pipe for the pressure gauge, solder it into the MVR and put on the fastener. We apply the resulting product to the corner and mark the location of the fastening on the wall. We remove the pressure gauge and mount it to the wall.

We solder the corner and pressure sensor. We check the tightness of the entire system.

Sometimes soldering polypropylene pipes with your own hands cannot be done by one worker, due to the inconvenient placement of parts. In this case, it is advisable to solder such nodes together.

Wonderful material - polypropylene!
From it I make various homemade products for yourself and for your friends.
Recently they asked me to make a small homemade project, or rather a stand. In total, it was necessary to solder six fittings and a couple of meters of pipe.
But here’s the problem: I just lent my soldering iron to friends, and I didn’t ask for it back so quickly.

I started thinking about what else I could use to solder polypropylene. I know they are soldering gas burner, but I don’t have it.

Materials and tools

But I have an old “bucket” soldering iron, which I haven’t needed for a long time. So I decided to make something out of it.

I needed a few more details.

Aluminum wire and plate;

Textolite sheet;

Thermostat and iron indicator lamp;

Ceramic insulators;

Thermal paste;

Thermal tape;

Nozzle for welding polypropylene pipes (25mm);

New electric plug;

Various bolts and nuts.

Making a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes

Two blanks were made from an aluminum plate: a substrate for a thermostat and a holder for a polypropylene nozzle.

The legs and parts of the body for the thermostat are made of PCB.

I connected an indicator light to the thermostat terminals. And connected the insulators using thermal tape.

I connected the top and bottom of the case with screws and nuts through insulators. Bottom part the body does not touch the boiler tubes.

For serial connection thermostat there was a break in the power cable. I soldered and insulated the wires with electrical tape along with the kettle handle.

I made the legs from aluminum with insulators from PCB plates at the end.

The 25 mm nozzle fits perfectly inside the boiler spiral. A U-shaped aluminum plate is already placed on top of the nozzle. The connection points are coated with thermal paste.

For soldering I needed a 20 mm nozzle. I connected it homemade screw made from an 8 mm bolt.

Al was also wound on top as an additional radiator. larger diameter wire.

Testing a homemade soldering iron

During the first test, one drawback was revealed, not counting the smoke and smell from the burning of the new “device” - not quite convenient work indicator. The light is on when the soldering iron is turned off and off when it is running. But this is not scary, it’s just a matter of habit. Perhaps I will upgrade it in the future.

Soldering pipes with a homemade soldering iron

The thermostat was set to low. Heating occurs quickly. I didn’t notice any difference in the quality of soldering, since the nozzle itself remained the same, only the heating element changed.

So I managed to do a couple of welding joints with my experimental soldering iron.