Soldering polypropylene pipes by hand

Plastic pipes are almost the ideal solution if you want to build a reliable pipeline. They are durable, have good strength and are of low cost. Nevertheless, such pipes also periodically give leaks. Basically, this is due to the violation of the pipe soldering process and the errors allowed in doing so. With a soldering iron and a suitable tool, even a newcomer will be able to solder polypropylene pipes.

Required tool for soldering pipes

The main thing that will be required for work -This is a special soldering iron for polypropylene pipes, through which soldering and welding are carried out. The device must be selected taking into account the specifics of the work. If you plan a one-time or infrequent use of the device, it makes sense to rent it.

In addition to this, the following is also required:

1. Teflon nozzles of the required diameter for the mounted pipes.
2. Special cutter or scissors for cutting PVC pipes. It is advisable to first verify on an unnecessary length of pipe that the tool is well sharpened. This is necessary in order to avoid the appearance of burrs or deformations on the trimming of the pipe.
3. Means for degreasing and cleaning the surface of PVC pipes from contamination.
4. Cleaning cloth.
5. A file with a fine-grained coating or several files.
6. A shoe or assembly knife. It is made of trimming metal with a width of 10 cm, which must be cut at an angle of 45 ° and sharpened.
7. For marking, a pencil or a thin marker is required. To make marks easier to remove, use an ordinary marker. If there is a need to preserve the marks, then you need to purchase a permanent marker, which is practically not erased without special means.
8. For precise installation and proper trimming, you need a tape measure and a square with which you will accurately lay the lengths of the pipe with respect to each other.

The very process of soldering pipes is technically simple, but it is necessary to perform the connection with special care, because often defects during soldering cause further problems.

Components for connecting pipes

Pipe sections are connected by means of fittings, which are the connecting part of the pipeline. They are installed in the places of turning or branching of pipes, but also serve for sealing or overlapping. Depending on the purpose, the fittings are divided into several types:

• bends that allow changing the direction of the pipeline, the
• tees form a branch in one direction from the main pipe, the
• frogs allow a diversion in two directions from the main pipe, the
• adapter fittings are able to reliably connectamong themselves pipes of different diameters,
• plugs are used in those cases when it is required to ensure the sealing of the ends of the polypropylene pipe,
• in case, ecpolypropylene tubes and welding involves the subsequent connection of tubing to a flexible hose connecting the fittings are used.

Fittings are distinguished by their reliability and durability. Due to this, they are widely distributed in the market as elements of connection for water supply systems with different temperature of passing water. Polypropylene compounds differ from plastic fittings in that they are not so sensitive to water temperature and are able to withstand high temperatures up to 100 ° C and chemically aggressive media.

The material can last up to 50 years, and even simple plastic fittings are not susceptible to corrosion or rust, and do not require replacement due to wear. In addition, their final price will be another significant plus in the direction of choosing just such an element of accessories.

What methods of connecting PVC pipes exist

Specialists distinguish several types of connection of polypropylene pipes, each of which is suitable for specific requests:

1. The socket connection is used in those pipes whose manufacturers have supplied them with rubber sealing rings. Such gaskets make it possible to make the joints of pipes tight, and the work on the installation of the water pipe is greatly simplified. The method of connection is as follows:

• pipes are chamfered from the pipes, and the entry of the pipe cut into the joints is marked,
• is applied to the sealing ring on the silicone base,
• , then the pipe elements are interconnected so that the axes coincide,
• pipes are connectedbetween the socket and the connection is ready.

2. Flange connection implies the use of a connecting fitting. The process itself proceeds in this order:

• the prepared pipe runs are peeled off at the ends,
• cuts the flange and the rubber gasket onto the pipe cut,
• flange is pushed onto the gasket itself and then connected to another pipe segment with bolts with a counter flange,
• , all bolts are tightened evenly, not at full strength, so as not to displace the design, but in advance, to set the level. Further, the final tightening of all the elements is already carried out.

3. Cold welding of polypropylene pipes implies the connection of pipes with the help of a fitting and adhesive composition. This method allows you to produce a quality pipe connection without using a soldering iron. But we need to remember that it is the soldering that will ensure the reliability of the design, especially if it is assumed that the system will become exposed to loads. As such, there is usually a high pressure in the water pipe or a large water temperature. The installation consists of the following steps:

• the chamfer is removed from the pipe ends. Cutting is carried out at an angle of 15 ° to prevent further scraping of the adhesive from the thread of the fitting,
• on the pipe sections, marking is made, due to which the visual control of the installation is made,
• with alcohol-containing cleaning agents removes impurities and plastic parts from the connectingparts of the pipe,
• further on the entire surface of the gluing and the inner part of the fitting using an ordinary brush, the adhesive solution is applied,
• pipe pieces insertcamping into the fitting and are rotated at ¼ turnover in order to more evenly distribute the adhesive on the pipe surface. This will reliably fix the pipe sections in the fitting, the
• with the rag or rag will remove the adhesive residues that could extend beyond the connecting elements, the
• at the end of the process, the adhesive composition makes it possible to dry naturally, without exposing the collected part of the pipeline to any loads.

These connection methods are well suited for systems with low loads or low pressure and low temperature of the running water. Polypropylene pipes are able to withstand high temperatures, in contrast to plastic pipes. But it is important to remember that the glue itself, when exposed to heat, is capable of breaking down or melting from time to time, which will lead to a breakdown in the integrity of the system and its subsequent rupture. To avoid this, the pipes must be connected together by soldering or welding. These two methods have a lot in common, and often they mean the same actions.

Soldering technology for polypropylene pipes

Any work implies the need for a preliminary preparatory stage of the work, which includes such actions:

1. Pipes in the joints are thoroughly cleaned and degreased. This is done with alcohol-containing cleaning agents.
2. At the places of entering the pipe into the fitting, markers are marked with a pencil or marker. For them, the correctness of the entry of a piece of pipe into the fitting is visually checked.
3. The ends of the polypropylene pipe are chamfered at an angle of 15 °.This is necessary in order for the pipe to fit tightly into the connecting fitting.

After the preparatory work has been carried out, it is necessary to start connecting the pipes. In fact, it consists of four steps:

• slicing,
• heating to the desired temperature,
• connection of pipe sections with each other in the fitting,
• cooling.

The pipes are cut using a special tool called a pipe cutter. It is a well-sharpened scissors with blades, which are more like a scissors-pruner for horticultural work. The soldering is carried out by a soldering iron.

Soldering temperature of polypropylene pipes is 250 ° C, while the work must be carried out at the proper speed, so that the connection elements do not have time to cool down. It is important to carefully study the time specified in the instructions for heating the elements, since when they overheat, the coating deforms. The ends of the pipe and fitting are put on the nozzle of the soldering iron and warmed up during the specified time. After heating, the elements are simultaneously removed from the soldering iron and inserted into each other. The connection of pipes is fixed, after which no loads are applied to it. After this, the finished compound is allowed to cool, and the work is completed. Soldering polypropylene pipes, the video lesson of which shows its lightness, will still require some accuracy.

Frequent mistakes in soldering polypropylene pipes

Despite the technical simplicity of the soldering process, there are enough common mistakes, more often allowed in the absence of experience and in a hurry:

1. Incorrect alignment of the connecting elements is the main cause of defects. If the pipe is not fully inserted into the fitting, the resulting gap will have a lower pressure and wall thickness. More often such a situation arises if, after heating, the tube is not sufficiently tightly inserted into the fitting. This does not mean that during the soldering process, the pipe must be inserted with considerable force. In this case, the actual appearance of another error is real: when a surplus of molten material is called between the pipe end and the internal stop, which is also called a "grate".It will reduce the flowable properties of the flow of liquid and will prevent it, while increasing the load on the connecting element.
2. Incorrectly set soldering temperature. The optimum value is 260 ° C, with an allowable parsing of the values ​​by plus / minus 10 ° C.And this value is equivalent for all pipes, regardless of their diameter. It is important to avoid overheating of the soldering iron in order to maintain the necessary tension in the material. In addition, it is important not to allow and cool the material before all the elements are connected together.
3. Incorrectly selected soldering equipment is also one of the errors. There is a certain regularity in the ratio of the power of the soldering iron used with respect to the diameter of the tube. To solder a pipe with a diameter of 50 millimeters, a heater with a power of 500 watts is required, with a diameter of 100 millimeters - a heater of 1000 watts.

Useful advices for

To work successfully and on time, it makes sense to adhere to the specified tips that will help in the work:

• pipes and connectors must be provided by the same manufacturer. In this case, it is inappropriate to save if you want to buy budgetary connecting elements, and pipes on the contrary - expensive. This is important, since the melting point in this case is often not the same, which is fraught with the solidity of the finished structure, the
• soldering iron should keep the declared temperature of 260 ° C, and do not work in a larger temperature regime to save time. It will be doubtful, but the probability of damaging the material is high, the
• connection elements must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased from contamination. Even a small amount of dirt particles can disrupt the quality of the connection,
• before starting the installation and soldering it makes sense to practice on the pieces of pipe to sharpen the skills and the required applied force for the connection. Because insufficient force and vice versa, excessive force of inserting pipes into the fitting is a common mistake,
• saving is always out of place if you want to build a reliable system. It is not necessary to save on materials, equipment and tools, in any case. Quality products last longer,
• soldering work can not be carried out at a temperature below + 5 ° C heat. Otherwise, the efficiency of the work drops noticeably. In this case, the joints become brittle, and more heating of the connecting elements is required. This is dangerous for their deformation and excessive melting.

As in any work, the soldering should be carried out, adhering to the basic subtleties:

• aspiration for quality,
• accuracy,
• mindfulness,
• careful preparation work.

In this case, the soldering of polypropylene pipes, the price of which is already pleasant for the budget, will not cause you to incur additional costs when reworking the work and detecting defects in the system.