Content
Manufacturers of materials for the laying of utility lines 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 hot water supply branch, a 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 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 brazing machine
In everyday life, a special apparatus is used, designed to connect a polymer pipe to the corresponding fitting or coupling. The maximum permissible pipe diameter that a home craftsman can handle is 63 mm. Large diameter pipes are preferably butt-welded using professional equipment.
The soldering tool for home use is a unit equipped with a stand, the working part of which heats up to a predetermined temperature. The heating element (sole) is equipped with holes for installing nozzles of various diameters (from 16 to 32 mm).
Machine for soldering plastic pipes Apparatus differ in design:
- xiphoid;
- cylindrical.
There is no fundamental difference which one to use for soldering plastic pipes with your own hands. In any case, strict adherence to the instructions will help to obtain the desired result.
Secrets of high-quality soldering
Soldering of pipes should be carried out in a room with a positive temperature, while the colder the air, the longer it will take to warm up plastic or metal-plastic parts for a tight and durable connection.
Secrets of high-quality soldering In order to prevent common mistakes when installing pipes for heating or water supply, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- The power of the 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, you must 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 the attachments heats up to the specified parameters.
- Having welded the elements of the pipeline together, do not twist 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. As the molten plastic will press inward and reduce the bore of the fitting, which will degrade the performance of the system.
- Do not leave gaps between the edge of the pipe and the inside of the fitting. Such a connection will leak under pressure.
- Be sure to allow the solder joint to cool completely before subjecting it to stress.
- After each soldering operation, clean the attachments from traces of melted plastic. This will prevent carbon deposits and damage to the elements that need to be soldered.
- Clean the attachments with a flat wooden stick. This will protect the Teflon coating from damage. Do not use metal objects, as scratches will render the attachment unusable, and plastic will stick to it and burn.
Attention! Before proceeding with the installation of the pipeline, watch a detailed video instruction and practice on unnecessary cuts 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 a power tool so as not to get burned or injured.
It is important to use protective gloves - Always use protective gloves when working.
- Pay attention to the cleanliness of the floor, the dustiness of the room. Dirt trapped in the molten plastic degrades the quality of the weld and makes the joint unaesthetic.
- The soldering unit must be located on a horizontal flat surface.
- During the entire working process, the unit is not de-energized.
- It is possible to start welding the elements only after the soldering iron has completely warmed up. In modern models, a disabled indicator informs about entering the operating mode. Using an old appliance, wait about 20 minutes from the moment it was turned on.
Work progress
Let's consider in detail how to properly solder plastic pipes at home. At the preliminary stage, it is required to prepare all the necessary tools:
- tape measure and marker;
- file or file;
- fine grain sandpaper;
- pipe cutter;
- sharp assembly knife;
- soldering iron for welding plastic.
You will also need rags and alcohol (or other degreasing agent) to process the surfaces to be soldered.
Preparation of elements
The pipes are cut to the required length using a special pipe cutter or a sharp assembly knife. Make sure that the cut is strictly perpendicular, otherwise you will not be able to make a tight connection.
Using a shaver 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 a regular pipe made of propylene or fiberglass reinforced must be processed to smoothness with a file, fine-grained skin.
Important! For aluminum-reinforced PVC pipes, it is recommended to remove the top layer of polymer and foil 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 inner part of the fitting purchased in the store, you can begin to solder 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. DIY polymer pipeline installation is performed 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 after setting the required temperature. To solder polypropylene parts to each other, the working part needs to be heated to 260 ° C, when welding PVC products, heating to 220 ° C is required.
- After the device has warmed up, the fitting and the prepared edge of the pipe are put on the nozzles and the parts are heated for a few seconds (the exact heating 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 in the same way.
The depth of pipe welding matches the parameters of the inner part of the fitting - soldering iron nozzles heat the elements to the same depth to ensure maximum contact between the surfaces for better adhesion.
Soldering 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. Once the pipe is inserted into the fitting, it is not moved or rotated so that the heated polymer can form a monolith. If the place of the joint is moved until the material solidifies, the polymer will collect in folds and the joint will be depressurized.
Checking the quality of the connection
Check the tightness of the joints 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 identify 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-check pause should last at least 2-3 hours.
If loose joints are found, it is necessary to drain the water from the system, remount the section of the pipeline by installing new fittings and taking a piece of pipe of the appropriate length. An attempt to somehow seal up a leaky connection or solder it with an electric soldering iron is doomed to failure in advance. Installation of a polymer pipeline requires strict adherence to technology.
At the end of the 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 this test only after heating the coolant in the boiler, at elevated temperatures and pressures.
Conclusion
Instructions on how to solder plastic pipes allows you to understand the technology of the process. If there is a need for one-time work, it is economically unprofitable 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 turned out to be unsuccessful, entrust the installation or repair of pipelines in the house to professionals.
Plumbing and heating systems are integral elements of any modern apartment or house. These systems are based on pipes. The traditional cast-iron and steel structures are being replaced by more durable and easy-to-install polypropylene plumbing and heating structures. They are plastic, easily repaired or replaced, and do not corrode.
The correct choice and their competent connection will ensure the durability of water supply and thermal heating systems.
The main types of polypropylene pipes
The selection of pipes directly depends on the purpose of their application. The main parameters are: the temperature of the medium, which will be conducted through the pipeline and the operating pressure of the system. The diameter of the pipeline is no less important, and it depends on the volumes of liquid that the pipeline must pass.
For cold water pipelines, pipes without a reinforced component with the following markings are used:
- PN 10 - the product is designed for liquid temperatures up to 20 degrees when used in underfloor heating systems up to 45 degrees at a maximum pressure in the system up to 1 MPa;
- PN 16 - the product is used in cold and hot water supply at liquid temperatures up to 95 degrees and pressures up to 1.6 MPa.
Products with higher thermal characteristics and the ability to work in cold and hot water supply systems with high pressure are marked with indices:
- PN 20 are used in temperature conditions up to 95 degrees and maximum pressure up to 2 MPa.
- PN 25 are used in hot water heating systems. They have a reinforced component, which significantly increases the strength. Operating temperature up to 95 degrees and maximum pressure up to 2.5 MPa.
In addition to pipes, for the installation of the system, connecting elements are required that allow you to create an integral heating system or water supply, taking into account all the necessary requirements for each individual case.
Fittings and couplings - types and purpose
When laying a water supply system to connect sections of the water supply main use special couplings and fittings of various shapes... They are straight and angular.
For branching, branching fittings of various configurations are used, as well as fittings for transition of polypropylene pipes to other connectors of the plumbing system, for example, flexible connections leading to drainage points, taps, mixers.
Before installing the plumbing or heating system a drawing is drawn up that takes into account all turns, branches and connections with consumption sources... This is a great help to calculate the required type and number of couplings and fittings. After acquiring all the elements, they proceed to the installation of the structure.
Welding tools
The soldering technique consists in heating until the material of the surfaces to be joined melts, followed by joining and fixing. To carry out these works, it is necessary to prepare special tools.
- Specialized soldering iron.
- Shears for cutting polypropylene pipes.
- A device for cleaning the reinforced part of pipes - shaver.
- Alcohol based degreaser.
And you will also need a tape measure, a knife, a corner, a piece of unnecessary rag, a file or sandpaper, a marker.
Soldering iron
This basic tool, necessary for the soldering of polypropylene products, can be of two types:
- Manual type designed for soldering pipeline parts of small diameter up to 65 mm. There are two types: cylindrical and sword-shaped. It is used for domestic purposes, has a low cost and compact appearance.
- Mechanical type- these are automatic or semi-automatic welding stations for mounting large diameter pipes over 63 mm. The elements are centered and connected using special devices on a hydraulic or mechanical principle of operation. Such a soldering machine has a large size and cost, it is intended for use both indoors and in the field.
For the installation of a heating system, a water supply system in an apartment or house, a hand-held soldering machine and nozzles for it are used. The tips are included with the soldering iron and are available in various sizes to meet the standards for pipes up to 63 mm in diameter. Each nozzle corresponds, on the one hand, to the inner diameter, on the other, to the outer diameter of a pipe of a particular standard. Teflon-coated nozzles. This allows you to easily release the heated part of the products for subsequent soldering to each other.
Scissors
A tool that allows you to cut a polypropylene product at an angle of 90 degrees in relation to the vector of the length of the pipe, while maintaining an even cut edge. This is very important for the reliability of the soldering of the joints.
Shaver
This is a device for the correct stripping of the reinforced layer. Allows you to smoothly and to the required depth to clean the outer diameter of the product to pure polypropylene on pipes with upper reinforcement.
Degreaser
It is necessary for high-quality melting of products and a tight connection of the structure.
Soldering of polypropylene pipes is not difficult, but it requires accuracy and precision in compliance with a few technological requirements. How to properly solder polypropylene pipes will be described below. The connection of the elements occurs by socket soldering with simultaneous heating of the outer part of the pipe and the inner part of the sleeve or fitting with a soldering machine using a nozzle corresponding to the dimensions of the elements to be brazed.
After heating to the required temperature, the parts are removed from the nozzle and quickly connected and form a monolithic unit, in other words, they are fused together. The method is called diffusion, since the parts can be connected without hindrance after heating. After hardening, a tight connection is formed. For a high-quality correct connection of the pipeline elements, you will need to carry out a number of preparatory work.
How to solder pipes
Preparation
Before starting the installation of the pipeline structure, you need to cut the pipes correctly so that there are no problems with the joining of the elements. All material cuts must be made with scissors at an angle of 90 degrees. They make it possible to make the most accurate cut with an even edge.
Then you need to mark the dimensions of the connecting surfaces. For this, the heating depth of the fitting or sleeve is determined by marking with a pencil or marker the size of the deepening of the nozzle. A mark of the same size is made on the pipe.
Soldering iron preparation consists in installing the device on a work stand. Nozzles corresponding to the diameters of the parts to be mounted are attached to the heating surface. The mounting elements should be relatively easy to get into the heated nozzles.
On the temperature control regulator of the soldering iron the optimum temperature is set heating, it is usually 210-260 degrees, polypropylene begins to melt at 170 degrees. The parts to be connected are simultaneously put on to the depth marked with a marker on the heated nozzles.
After waiting for the surfaces to soften (the time required for this can be determined by special unified tables), the parts are connected to each other to the marked depth. The elements are connected with little effort, but without turns along their axis - this is Absolutely forbidden and will break the tightness of the alloy of heated surfaces.
Installation temperature parameters
The soldering temperature of polypropylene pipes depends on the diameter and thickness of the product and starts from 170 degrees. For the convenience of calculating the heating time, there are special tables. Below are the time parameters for heating the main diameters of pipes used in the installation of domestic heating systems or water supply at a heating temperature of the soldering unit of 240 degrees.
Using the parameters of optimal heating, joining and cooling of the connected elements, they achieve reliable soldering of polypropylene pipes and other components of the pipeline.
Cold water pipelines
For the installation of cold water supply, you can use any polypropylene pipes, including grades PN 10 and PN 16. These models are thin-walled and require careful attitude when joining molten parts; minimal effort is applied to join them. And also it is necessary to strictly observe the time required for heating the parts of the joint. For cold water supply, as a rule, non-reinforced pipes are used, so additional processing of the joint ends is not required. Before starting the installation of the basic structure, it is better to first make several test connections to select the optimal heating temperature for the soldering iron.
Heat pipelines and hot water supply
Hot water passing through the pipes causes a slight expansion of the material and, as a result, an increase in the length of the product. To compensate for this phenomenon during installation, it is necessary to make U-shaped curvatures of the line from time to time. High water temperature also requires the installation of specialized reinforced pipes, which are made slightly larger than the diameter required for joining. Carefully cut off the excess layer of material with a shaver. This is necessary to compensate for the expansion in the width of the pipe during heating. Further actions occur in the same way as when joining a cold water supply system.
Repair of failed sections of the highway
In the event of a pipe rupture, leakage or as a result of poor-quality soldering, sometimes it becomes necessary to replace the failed section. To do this, the water supply is turned off and the damaged area is cut out with special scissors. At the cut-off points, the edges of the pipes must be dried, cleaned and wiped with an alcohol-containing degreasing liquid. Only after that, they begin to weld a new serviceable piece using the methods described above, depending on the temperature carried out through the water line.
Cold welding method
This way of connecting the elements of the line is suitable only for cold water under slight pressure. The joint surfaces are degreased. A special glue, sold in hardware stores, is applied, the elements are joined and fixed for thirty seconds. The plumbing will only be ready for use in an hour. This method is not reliable and does not create a monolithic connection of parts.
Polypropylene pipes are a good alternative to classic, steel or cast iron lines. Installation of water and heat supply with their help is simple, not time consuming and cheap. Therefore, these products have taken their large and legitimate place in their segment of the construction market.
All metal pipes are often replaced with plastic ones, in particular, made of polypropylene. They have a long service life (up to 50 years), do not rust, do not rot, weigh a little, and you can also assemble everything with your own hands, without involving specialists. Welding polypropylene pipes requires some skill, but it comes quickly. You can first practice on small trims and inexpensive fittings, and then start creating more serious things.
Types and purpose
Polypropylene pipes are available in four colors - green, gray, white and black. Only black ones differ in characteristics - they have increased resistance to ultraviolet radiation and are used when laying on the ground. All others have similar characteristics and are laid indoors or buried in the ground.
By appointment, polypropylene pipes are of the following types:
There are pipes with different characteristics for both cold and hot water. This is reflected in the marking:
- PN10 are used exclusively in cold water supply systems (up to + 45 ° C) with low pressure (up to 1 MPa). They have a small wall thickness. Not suitable for high-rise buildings.
- PN16. They are often labeled as universal, but more often they are used for cold water - they can withstand heating the medium up to + 65 ° C and pressure up to 1.6 MPa.
- PN20. Thick-walled pipes that can transport media with temperatures up to + 80 ° C can withstand pressures up to 2 MPa. They are used for distributing hot water and heating systems.
- PN25. These are reinforced polypropylene pipes (foil or fiberglass). Due to the presence of a reinforcing layer, they often have a smaller wall thickness than PN20. Medium heating temperature - up to + 95 ° C, pressure - up to 2.5 MPa. They are used for hot water supply and heating.
All of them are available in different diameters - up to 600 mm, but in apartments and private houses they are mainly used in sizes from 16 mm to 110 mm. Note that the inside diameter is indicated as wall thicknesses vary.
What is welding of polypropylene pipes
Polypropylene is characterized by increased rigidity, and fittings from the same material are used to create systems of the required configuration. These are various corners, tees, bypasses, adapters, couplings, etc. They are connected to pipes by soldering. This process is also called welding, but its essence does not change: two elements are heated to the melting temperature and, in a hot state, are connected to each other. If done correctly, the connection is monolithic and serves no less than the pipes themselves.
To connect polypropylene to metals, there are combined fittings, in which one part is made of metal and is connected using a threaded connection, and the other, polypropylene, is welded.
Than to solder
Welding of polypropylene pipes takes place using a special device called a soldering iron or a welding machine. It is a small metal platform with an electric coil inside that heats up the surface. Because of this design, this unit is also called an iron.
To connect two elements, the surfaces to be joined are heated to the melting temperature (+ 260 °). To heat the element to the required depth, two different Teflon-coated metal nozzles are installed on the welding platform:
Two elements to be connected are simultaneously put on the corresponding attachments, kept for a certain period of time (several seconds), then connected. This is how polypropylene pipes are welded.
How to weld
The designs of soldering irons for polypropylene pipes are slightly different, but the principles of working with them are general. There are two main models - flat bed or cylindrical heater. With normal quality, both of them work, there is practically no difference. To whom it is more convenient, then they choose.
This is what a well-made cross-section looks like - as a whole.
Preparatory work
Before starting work, you need to warm up the soldering iron, but everything is not so simple here. The order of its preparation is as follows:
- First, attachments of a suitable diameter are installed on the platform.
- A pin is threaded into the hole in the platform, a mandrel and a sleeve are put on it from both sides, tightened with nuts on both sides.
- If the heating element is in the form of a tube, nozzles are sold for it fixed on a plate. The plate is put on the heating element, the fastening bolt is tightened.
- The required heating temperature is set on the regulator. For polypropylene pipes, the welding temperature is + 260 ° C. We put it on the regulator, plug it into the network.
- We are waiting for the signal of the set temperature. Some models have a beep, but mostly the LED turns on or off (different models vary).
The soldering iron is ready to work. But you still need to prepare the pipes and fittings. The first condition for high-quality welding is an even cut. The incision should be strictly vertical, without burrs and sheds. Such a cut can be obtained using special scissors. They have two wide jaws on the bottom that hold the pipe in place, and the cutting end is on top.
The second condition for good soldering of PP pipes is clean, dry, grease-free parts. If you want the plumbing or heating to serve for a long time and not to flow, you should not skip this procedure. The pipe cut and the fitting are cleaned with alcohol or water and dishwashing detergent. Then they wait until everything is dry, and only after that the soldering process begins.
How long to warm
When welding, polypropylene must be heated strictly to the required temperature. Overheating and underheating significantly reduce the quality of the seam. A too overheated and softened pipe simply will not fit into the fitting, and an insufficiently heated material will not fuse.
The heating time depends on the pipe diameter, air temperature and is indicated in the table.
| Polypropylene pipe diameter | Welding depth | Heating time | Welding time | Cooling time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 12-14 mm | 5 sec | 6 sec | 2 minutes |
| 20 | 14-17 mm | 6 sec | 6 sec | 2 minutes |
| 25 | 15-19 mm | 7 sec | 10 sec | 2 minutes |
| 32 | 16-22 mm | 8 sec | 10 sec | 4 minutes |
| 40 | 18-24 mm | 12 sec | 20 sec | 4 minutes |
| 50 | 20-27 mm | 18 sec | 20 sec | 4 minutes |
| 63 | 24-30 mm | 24 s | 30 sec | 6 minutes |
| 75 | 26-32 mm | 30 sec | 30 sec | 6 minutes |
In general, soldering is possible at + 5 ° C, but the data is given for + 20 ° C. In hotter weather, the holding time of the elements on the soldering iron is reduced by 30-60 seconds, in colder weather, it is increased.
Pay attention to the column "depth" of welding in the table. This mark is placed on the pipe. Before it, you will need to press it into the fitting. This creates a small bead of molten plastic in front of the fitting edge. This will mean that the seam is made correctly.
Another column needs clarification - "welding time". This is the time for which it is necessary to squeeze and fix the welded elements.
In general, if you try to insert a cold pipe into a fitting, it should go in with great difficulty - the outer diameter of the pipe is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the fitting. This is done intentionally, to provide some excess material from which the bead is formed on the seam. In order for the welding of polypropylene pipes to be reliable, it is better to take all the components from one company. So the sizes are guaranteed to match. Otherwise, it is necessary to try on - so that the fitting does not "slip", but is pulled with difficulty.
Technology
As already mentioned, when welding polypropylene pipes, they and fittings must be cleaned, degreased and dried. And only after that you can start soldering.
This preparation is suitable for all types of pipes, except for foil-reinforced pipes. In this case, after the desired piece has been cut off, the cut is cleaned to the foil with a special device - a shaver. A pipe is inserted into it and rotated several times. This removes the top layer of plastic, after which you can degrease and solder.
After the surface has dried, a mark is drawn on the pipe, marking the distance at which it must be pressed into the fitting (the easiest way is with a thin marker or a sharpened simple pencil).
Soldering polypropylene step by step
One note: immediately after finishing welding, inspect the tips on the soldering iron. If there is material residue, remove it with a soft, lint-free, fade-free (white) cloth. You cannot leave the plastic on the soldering iron - the next fragment will stick, it will be difficult to tear it off. You can not clean the nozzles using abrasives - they have a Teflon coating, they are scratched easily. And even microscopic scratches will lead to the fact that the fragment on the soldering iron (iron) sticks.
By the way, it is better to work in cotton gloves - there will be fewer burns.
Before putting the system into operation, it must be checked. This is done by crimping. What it is, and how to do it, read here.
Layout of polypropylene pipes
Polypropylene pipes are used for installing a comb of cold or hot water, heating. The choice of diameter is individual in each case - it depends on the volume of liquid that must be pumped per unit of time, the required speed of its movement (formula in the photo).
Calculation of pipe diameters for heating systems is a separate topic (it is necessary to determine the diameter after each branch), for water pipelines everything is easier. In apartments and houses, pipes with a diameter of 16 mm to 30 mm are used for these purposes, and the most popular are 20 mm and 25 mm.
We count fittings
After determining the diameter, the total length of the pipeline is considered, depending on its structure, fittings are purchased. With the length of pipes, everything is relatively simple - you measure the length, add about 20% to the error and possible defects in the work. A piping diagram is required to determine which fittings are needed. Draw it, indicating all the taps and devices to which you want to connect.
To connect to many devices, a transition to metal is required. There are also such polypropylene fittings. They have a brass thread on one side, on the other - a conventional soldering fitting. Immediately you need to look at the diameter of the nozzle of the connected device and the type of thread that should be on the fitting (internal or external). In order not to be mistaken, it is better to write everything down on the diagram - above the branch where this fitting will be installed.
Further, according to the scheme, the number of "T" and "L" shaped connections is considered. Tees and corners are bought for them. There are also crosses, but they are rarely used. The corners, by the way, are not only at 90 °. There are 45 °, 120 ° each. Do not forget about couplings - these are fittings for joining two pipe sections. Do not forget that polypropylene pipes are completely non-elastic and do not bend, therefore, each turn is done using fittings.
When purchasing materials, agree with the seller about the possibility of replacing or returning part of the fittings. Problems usually do not arise, since even professionals cannot always immediately determine the exact range of products required. In addition, during the installation process, sometimes it is necessary to change the structure of the pipeline, which means that the set of fittings changes.
Polypropylene has a fairly significant coefficient of thermal expansion. If a polypropylene hot water supply or heating system is being installed, it is required to make an expansion joint, with the help of which the lengthening or shortening of the pipeline will be leveled. This can be a factory-made expansion joint loop, or an expansion joint assembled according to the scheme from finishes and pieces of pipes (pictured above).
Laying methods
There are two ways to install polypropylene pipes - open (along the wall) and closed - in grooves in the wall or in a screed. On the wall or in the groove, polypropylene pipes are attached to clip-holders. There are single ones - for laying one pipe, there are double ones - when two branches run in parallel. They are fastened at a distance of 50-70 cm. The pipe is simply inserted into the clip and held due to the elastic force.
When laying in a screed, if it is a warm floor, the pipes are attached to the reinforcing mesh; no other additional fastening is required. If the piping to the radiators is monolithic, the pipes need not be fastened. They are rigid, they do not change their position even when filled with a coolant.
The option of hidden and external wiring in one pipeline (behind the bathroom, the wiring was made open - less work)
Soldering nuances
The process of welding polypropylene pipes itself, as you have seen, does not leave much work, but there are a lot of subtleties. For example, it is not clear how, when joining pipes, fit the sections so that the pipes are exactly the length that is required.
Another point of welding polypropylene pipes is soldering in hard-to-reach places. It is not always possible to put a pipe and a fitting on the soldering iron on both sides. For example, we solder in the corner. The soldering iron, you have to stick it into the corner, on one side the nozzle rests directly on the wall, you cannot pull the fitting over it. In this case, a second set of nozzles of the same diameter is placed and the fitting is heated on it.
How to solder polypropylene pipes in a hard-to-reach place
How to switch from an iron pipe to polypropylene.
Polymer products are used in many areas. Plastic cup, laundry basket, heating radiators - everything is made on the basis of polymers.
Polypropylene is considered universal. Pipes made of this material are used for the installation of the pipeline, the underfloor heating system, and ventilation in the house. Installation technology does not require special skills. You can figure out how to solder polypropylene pipes on your own in half an hour.
Peculiarities
Polypropylene is a synthetic polymer with high physical and mechanical properties. It is durable, flexible and resistant to negative influences at the same time. He is not afraid of shocks, temperature changes, chemistry. With such characteristics, it is difficult to believe that the closest relative of polypropylene is polyethylene.
The material is obtained by the method of propylene polymerization. In order for it to have strength characteristics, catalysts are added to the raw materials. The product of a chemical reaction of substances is a white powder or colored granules.
Granular or powdered polypropylene goes into production, which takes place in six stages:
- Extruding. First of all, the raw material enters the extruder. Inside this device, the granules soften and become a plastic mass. To turn solid raw materials into a viscous mass, it is heated to 250 ° C. For white pipes, raw materials are used in their pure form. If colored products are needed, dyes of the desired shade are added to the extruder. The addition of pigment does not affect the quality of the product.
- Forming. In the next step, the mass is profiled. The extruder "squeezes out" the pipe blanks. According to the standard, the pipe diameter is 16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 62, 75, 90, 110 mm for work in the house. For underground work (laying of communications), products of large diameter are used - up to 120 cm.
- Hardening. Hot workpieces are cooled with cold water. For this, the product is immersed in a cooling bath.
- Application of a protective layer. The hardened pipes are passed through equipment that "wraps" the product in a thin layer of protective film. This film is foil. It helps keep materials usable after long storage. Before installation, the film must be removed.
- Marking. Basic information is applied to the foil. From it, you can immediately determine for what work this or that type of pipe is intended.
- Slicing. This is the last production stage. Sliced products go to the warehouse for packing and storage.
Small and shaped parts from the same raw materials (for example, pipe fittings) are produced in the same way. After the extruder, the liquid mass is fed into the mold, where complex parts are cast. They don't need slicing. Small fragments are produced one by one at once.
The production of reinforced pipes is somewhat more complicated. It means an intermediate or outer layer of more durable materials. This layer is necessary in order to reduce stretching at higher temperatures.
Since polypropylene is close to polyethylene, a stretchable and plastic substance, it also has the property of increasing and decreasing in size when the temperature changes. At low, the material shrinks, at high it stretches.
The tensile coefficient of polypropylene materials is significant. So, a pipe 10 m long at a temperature of 95-100 ° C can stretch by 150 mm. This is of great importance for utilities that use propylene parts.
Stretching is dangerous because the pipe is no longer as strong as before the temperature change. Therefore, it must be prevented in all systems where the maximum heating temperature of the product exceeds 90 ° C.
The scope of polypropylene pipes is determined by their thickness: the thicker they are, the stronger. The stronger, the greater the mechanical and physical stress they will withstand. The more "hardy" pipes are in operation, the wider the range of use.
Manufacturers produce products of two types: thin-walled and thick-walled.
Pipes with PN10 and PN16 markings are considered thin-walled. PN10 can withstand temperature drops up to 45 ° С and pressure no more than 10 atm. Wall thickness - 0.9-1 mm. The scope of their application is very limited by their technical characteristics, so they are the cheapest. They should be used away from high temperatures.
PN16 can withstand heating up to 60 ° С and pressure up to 16 atm. The walls are much thicker - 15 mm. Moreover, this type of pipe has a distinctive feature that makes it difficult to use the material in many areas. This is great extensibility at temperatures above 60 ° C. In almost all heating systems, where pipes are often used, the temperature is higher than this value.
All grades, starting from PN20, belong to thick-walled. This is already a serious piece of equipment with thick, solid walls up to 21 mm. It is universal for any kind of work.
Thick-walled pipes are either reinforced or unreinforced.
The reinforcing layer is located inside the pipe, between the propylene layers or outside the product, like a shell. It protects polymer products from stretching at high temperatures.
Made from different materials:
- fiberglass;
- foil;
- polyethylene;
- aluminum.
Pipes without reinforcement and with a fiberglass reinforcement layer are the easiest to install. They melt well and bond to fittings without obstruction. The connection turns out to be reliable.
Pipes with aluminum and foil are more difficult to work with. If the aluminum is outside the polypropylene layer, it must be stripped to the full width of the joint. Soldering is impossible without stripping. Due to the aluminum protection, it will not be possible to melt the propylene, which means that there will be no high-quality connection.
You need to clean the pipe with a special tool for pipes with aluminum reinforcement. This process is long and laborious, especially with a large diameter of the product.
If the aluminum layer is inside the propylene pipe, it is even more difficult to clean it. But this is necessary. During installation, the inner and outer layers of propylene must fuse together and "solder" the aluminum so that no water gets on it.
Aluminum does not rust, but if water gets between the layers, the pipe can burst.
Combined products and pipes with an aluminum plate inside the product are the most difficult to install, but not the most efficient.
Advantages and disadvantages
The material has quite a few advantages:
- Relatively light weight. Polypropylene pipes weigh 9 times less than metal ones. They are easier to transport and install.
- The price for one pipe 4 m is in the range of 30-110 rubles.
- Installation does not require professional skills. It's worth practicing on spare parts, but it won't take long.
- Reliable and tight connection of pipeline parts and any other design. It is provided by soldering. The joints are protected from water and leaks and are as strong as the pipe itself.
- The material lends itself to processing. You can make straight and oblique cuts, cut them into pieces from 1 cm wide to any desired length. This is convenient when pipes have to be installed in hard-to-reach places.
- The material meets the requirements of GOST. In production, materials are used that can come into contact with drinking water.
- The technical characteristics meet the requirements of SNiP for the installation of pipes in different operating conditions. Suitable for indoor and outdoor installation (underground).
- Polypropylene does not rust. The composition does not contain materials that are susceptible to corrosive processes.
- Products do not need to be painted. They already have a white or other color and a semi-matte surface. The dye is added to the raw materials at the first stage of production, so the pigment is securely fixed. After 10 years of service, the product will have the same color.
- Each task has its own solution. If you need to run cold water, there is PN10, for boiling water - PN25.
- Water flows silently through the pipes. The silence is provided by the thickness and density of the material.
- No deposits from the direct current of water appear inside the pipe.
- Service life - up to 50 years.
- Waste-free use. Useful and beautiful things for home and everyday life can be made from the remains of pipes.
But there are still drawbacks:
- Pipes are susceptible to stretching at high temperatures. Even reinforced.
- Products cannot be bent. To change the direction of the pipe (turning around a corner, down and beyond), you need to use fittings.
- Soldering requires special tools.
- Scratches from mechanical damage can remain on the surface of the pipes. It does not harm the integrity, but the appearance will suffer.
- Reinforced pipes require preparation before brazing. Only fiberglass products can be soldered immediately, while aluminum and foil must be stripped.
Where to apply?
Polypropylene pipes are a multifunctional item in the household.
Here's what you can do with them:
- Plumbing system. For cold water supply, an unreinforced thin-walled or thick-walled pipe is suitable. It is cheap, easy to install, and does an excellent job of transporting water with temperatures up to 45 degrees.
- Hot water supply system. Through pipes marked NP20 or NP25, you can safely supply boiling point water. Propylene begins to melt only at 170 degrees.
- Centralized heating system in a cottage, house or country house. To do this, you need to choose large diameter pipes with fiberglass. They are reliable and do not require complex stripping. Soldering of such pipes goes off with a bang. The heat-conducting elongation of pipes with fiberglass is 10 times less than without it - only 1.5 cm. Due to this, pipes do not sag or deform.
- Water heated floor. If there is not enough heat from hot water pipelines, an underfloor heating system is installed. The disadvantage of such a floor is that it is impossible to roll the pipe with a small step. Plus - in the economy of the system maintenance and its service life. The service life of a water-heated floor is about 50 years. In this case, the system can be installed directly into the floor screed.
- Auxiliary systems: ventilation and sewerage systems.
- Fence in the country. It will not protect from uninvited guests, but it can delimit the territory with neighbors. In guarded summer cottages, this is one of the simple and budgetary options.
- Greenhouse or greenhouse. The pipes are durable and withstand snow load well in winter. Of these, it is convenient to assemble a simple greenhouse 1.5-2 m high.
- Multi-tiered flower bed for garden plants.
- Gazebo and garden furniture. Chairs, wood boxes, awnings, portable tables, sun loungers.
- Houseware. From scraps of pipes, you can make useful things for the hallway, balcony, garage, workshop, children's room. With the help of tees, couplings and pipe fragments, any object of a geometric shape is assembled - a shelf for shoes, a stand for flowers, a clothes hanger, a dryer or a waste basket. Everything that has enough imagination and the rest of the material. It is convenient to assemble playgrounds, swings, houses for small children. If you add a net, you get a great goal for kids soccer.
- Decor elements. Using corners and adapters, you can assemble a loft-style bookshelf. Short cuts of different diameters will go to create photo frames or mirrors, lamps, flower pots and vases.
What is required?
When working with polypropylene pipes, you will need several groups of tools.
The first group is required for measurements. It includes a tape measure, rulers, markers, building levels. In difficult cases, you will have to resort to mathematical calculations. For example, when using propylene pipes to supply water from an outdoor source to a house.
In addition to drawing and measuring tools, you will need alcohol and cotton trimmings. They are needed to degrease the pipe surface. The markings will better lie on the degreased surface and it is more convenient for soldering.
The second group of devices is needed for slicing. The average length of one pipe is 4 meters. From it you need to cut short fragments, adjusting them to the size of the area where the pipes will be installed.
It is not recommended to cut the pipe with improvised materials. It is long, inconvenient, and the cut is of poor quality. Its edge is "furry", it turns out with burrs. It must be sanded or cut with a thin knife.
Single cut tools (can be used to cut 1-2 slices when others are not at hand):
- hacksaw for metal;
- jigsaw;
- saw-grinder;
- self-sharpening knife.
Propylene is soft, so these tools will do the job. If you have to use them in the absence of others, it is important to take into account that the cut will be uneven, and chips will get inside the pipe. These shavings must be removed so that they do not "walk" through the water supply system or underfloor heating system.
Electrical appliances (jigsaw, saw) require careful work. It is necessary to control the force with which the pressure on the pipe occurs and to turn the pipe several times while cutting. This helps to make the cut straight instead of at an angle.
The listed tools must be used correctly - do not cut, but try to fix the product in place and press down with the tool from above. In this case, the cut will be as close to the ideal as possible and there will be less chips. But this method is only suitable for thin-walled and small-diameter pipes. You will have to tinker with reinforced products.
Tools for high-quality pipe cutting:
- special scissors for plastic pipes, including propylene;
- roller pipe cutter;
- electric pipe cutter;
- guillotine pipe cutter.
Pipe scissors are completely different from ordinary ones. Their sharp blade is fixed on only one side. In place of the second, there is a wide metal base. There is a groove inside the base. The sharp edge of the blade enters into this groove when cutting plastic products. The pipe edge is flat and suitable for installation.
To work with such scissors, only muscle strength is needed. To cut the pipe, you need to close the handles of the scissors so that the blade goes through the plastic.
The advantage of these scissors is that they are lightweight, cheap, and easily move from place to place. The downside is that the distance between the blade and the base cannot be increased. Only thin pipes (up to 45mm) pass into it.
Large-diameter products (for sewage, heating) cannot be cut by hand.
Also, some craftsmen consider it a disadvantage that the effectiveness of the instrument is directly related to physical effort.
In contrast, a roll cutter is more geared towards larger diameters. Outwardly, it looks like a clamp. The cutting blade is located on the end face of the clamp.
It's even easier to imagine this tool if you think of a manual can-rolling machine. The device is installed on the pipe and tightened with a bolt. It is important not to overtighten so that the product does not crack. After that, you need to grab the blade handle and turn it clockwise. You will get a circular cut with an even edge.
The advantage of the tool is its convenient use and high-quality result. It is larger than scissors in size and weight. According to the principle of action, it is also associated with physical effort.
An electric (or cordless) pipe cutter is powered by an electric motor. He copes with the task as quickly and effortlessly as possible. However, the diameter of the product is also limited, like with hand scissors.
The guillotine type pipe cutter belongs to hand tools. Its design is fundamentally different from scissors and pipe cutters, and the possibilities are somewhat greater. They can cut pipes with a diameter of 5-35 cm. It is not necessary to clamp the pipe with clamps. The cut is smooth without the risk of cracking the plastic.
The third group of tools is useful for pipe stripping.
Only two tools belong to it, but they are very important:
- bevelling machine;
- calibrator.
The purpose of the chamfer is to remove the edge and the top layer of plastic around the pipe cut. This improves the quality of the solder.
Bevellers differ in diameter. They are also mechanical and automatic. The tool is not universal, so it is important not to miscalculate with the characteristics.
The calibrator is needed for processing reinforced pipes. With its help, the aluminum layer or foil is removed. He is also able to eliminate burrs and irregularities in the cut. Some calibrators can function as a chamfer.
A useful function of the calibrator is to return the cut to a perfectly round shape if the pipe is slightly wrinkled during the cutting process.
The main disadvantage of these tools is that each diameter needs its own calibrator and chamfer.
The fourth group of devices is needed for, in fact, soldering. Welding or soldering of pipes is carried out with a soldering iron with replaceable nozzles. Working with this machine requires caution and safety precautions.
Since the soldering iron heats up to a high temperature, there is a risk of getting burned when working with it. Good heavy gloves, preferably with a heat-resistant coating, should come first on your soldering shopping list.
The soldering iron kit should include replaceable nozzles for pipes of different diameters. You can change the nozzle using a hex key.
A toggle switch for temperature control is located on the side or top of the case. Any soldering iron comes with an instruction with a detailed description of the tool and all the manipulations that can be done with it.
Instructions
In general terms, for a professional, pipe welding looks simple: heated, connected, fixed. The key word here is for the professional. For novice specialists and simply homely owners, the procedure consists of more stages. And it's harder to do them.
There are two methods of welding - butt and socket welding.
When two parts of the pipe are joined end-to-end, no additional parts are used. A pipe of a smaller diameter is inserted into a product of a larger diameter. This is a simple, but not the most efficient way. Thus, it is difficult to connect tubular products if it does not go only in a straight line.
The socket method is much more reliable. It involves connecting parts using fittings of various configurations. With fittings, you can easily change the direction of the pipeline, make branches and complex water supply systems.
In both cases, welding or brazing is the joining of two heated parts. Due to the fact that the parts at both ends are soft and pliable for deformation, diffusion (mutual penetration of materials) occurs. A strong connection is formed. According to its characteristics, the pipeline at the junction does not differ from the characteristics of a factory product made of propylene.
There are many soldering iron models for PP pipes, but their structure is the same:
- Frame. Has a stable bottom, stand and handle.
- A heating element. The maximum heating temperature is 260 degrees. There is a protective cover on top.
- Temperature regulator. It can be mechanical or electronic. There are indicator lights.
- A set of nozzles of different diameters. Some of the nozzles are intended for pipes, some for fittings. The tips are Teflon coated. It provides uniform heating of polypropylene parts and easy cleaning.
Types of soldering irons differ in the shape of the heating element or tip. There are two popular types: "iron" and "rod".
The soldering iron rod appeared earlier. Its sting is a cylinder several centimeters in diameter. The nozzle is fixed on the cylinder. On the one hand, it is adapted for heating the pipe, on the other, for the fitting.
The fitting heats up from the inside. It is put on top of the nozzle. The pipe, in turn, is heated from the outside. It is inserted into the hole of the nozzle.
During operation, the attachment of the nozzles on the rod may "loosen up" due to the temperature effect. They have to be twisted, so a rod-shaped soldering iron is less convenient than in the form of an iron.
The iron tip is a vertical plate with three holes for attaching attachments. The thickness of the plate varies within a few centimeters. Its "nose" is pointed, and in general the plate resembles the sole of an iron, located vertically. Hence the name of this type of sting.
On the one hand, nozzles for pipes are fixed, on the other - for fittings. In the process of soldering, they do not loosen, which is much more convenient than that of a rod.
Also, the width from the edge of the left nozzle to the edge of the right nozzle is smaller than on a rod soldering iron, so it is more convenient for working in hard-to-reach places.
An important role is played by the number of nozzles with different diameters and the quality of their coating. The larger the assortment, the more types of pipes can be used in plumbing work.
Standard kits include 3 or 4 nozzles. For domestic use of a soldering iron, this is enough. But for professional use in plumbing work, you need to buy a few more varieties.
Even when choosing a soldering iron, you need to take into account the power of the tool. It is wrong to choose it according to the principle “the more powerful, the more effective”. Such a tool will only waste energy, and not improve the result of work.
There is a simple rule for choosing a soldering iron for specific needs. The pipe diameter (in millimeters) must be multiplied by 10 W. The resulting number is the required power. When working with products of different diameters and polypropylene, you need to focus on the largest one.
The melting technology of PP pipes is not complicated. But there is a catch in working with them: it is not possible to immediately determine the quality of the soldering. All oversights and leaks can only be detected during the operation of the pipeline. Therefore, it is important to study the nuances of the work in advance and correctly solder the pipeline system.
Detailed instructions for beginners:
- Wipe the soldering iron tips with a clean dry cloth.
- Place the soldering iron on a special stand.
- Install two nozzles of the required diameter on the tip. The nozzles are not placed in a row, but one against the other. The pipe weighs more than the fitting, so the nozzle for it is installed from the side of the working hand. For right-handers - on the right side, for left-handers - on the left.
- Connect the soldering iron to a 220 volt network. When connecting, it is important to ensure that the heating elements do not touch the soldering iron cord.
- Set the welding machine to the maximum temperature - 260 degrees.
- Wear heat-resistant gloves. All manufacturers of soldering machines for PP pipes indicate that for safety reasons, it is forbidden to touch the hot parts of the soldering iron with unprotected parts of the body. Also, children and animals should not have access to the soldering iron.
- Preheat plastic parts. In the process, it is important to monitor the safety of the joint angle.
- Take out hot propylene parts one by one, connect to each other.
- Cool down the soldering machine naturally. Do not cool it with water or cold air. From such manipulations, the product will fail before the warranty period.
Manufacturers do not indicate a universal heating time for different types of pipes. For thin walled products with small diameters and thick walled wide pipes, temperatures and times may vary.
Professional installers determine the degree of warming by experience and intuition. For beginners, the table, which each manufacturer puts in the instructions, helps. It takes into account the time of working with the pipe, depending on its diameter and the length of the connecting seam.
The tables may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.
The exact time is determined by the power of the soldering iron and its model.
Mounting
Brazing or welding PP pipes is an integral part of the installation process. You cannot first solder the entire water supply system into one whole, and then freely install it in the designated place. Some areas still have to be soldered by weight. Therefore, soldering and installation are carried out in parallel.
The work is done in stages.
The first stage is organizational
The organization consists of two important activities: the selection of materials and the creation of the drawing.
Polypropylene pipes must correspond in their technical characteristics to the system in which they will function. If this is a cold water supply system, you can stop at PN16 pipes. For hot, a minimum of PN20 is required. In addition to the pipes themselves, you will need connecting fittings and holders (loops).
A drawing is a diagram of a pipeline installation. It should reflect all the elements, from the source of water supply to the objects of water consumption. On the diagram, it is important to indicate all sections of the system that will be laid in the ground and indoors, at what depth they will be located and to what height the water will be raised. Fasteners should be provided for every 40-50 cm. Also note the location of adapters, branches, couplings, taps, radiators.
Plumbing is installed in two ways: open and closed. Open is easier for DIY installation. A beginner can handle it too. Closed is more laborious and complex. It is better to entrust it to specialists.
In addition to the fact that the drawing provides a visual representation of the location of the pipes, it helps to calculate the amount of materials.
Polypropylene is virtually waste-free. But no one is immune from mistakes when working with him for the first time, so you need to purchase material with a small margin. 5-10% will be enough.
The leftover pipes and fittings can always be used to make useful little things for the home, so it's not a waste of money.
The second stage is preparatory
To make the installation quick and easy, you need to prepare areas outdoors and indoors, through which the pipeline will be laid.
If some of the pipes need to be installed in the ground, then a trench is dug under them. To prevent them from freezing in winter, you need to make a depression below the freezing level. It is recommended to use insulation as additional protection. It is wrapped around PP pipes before being immersed in the ground.
The best option for insulation is mineral wool or foil-based materials.
Inside the house, you need to install fasteners along the pipeline. Their location relative to the horizontal line and to each other is determined using the building level. A laser device is best suited for this. You also need to punch holes in the walls with a puncher through which the pipeline will pass.
During the preparation process, it is easy to identify hard-to-reach areas for installation. It is important to think in advance how best to mount pipes in these sections - to use ready-made parts welded on a table, or to do it by weight.
The temperature of the soldering iron is high to cause damage to any object in the immediate vicinity. Before installation work, you need to clear the path along which you have to move during installation so as not to bump into obstacles.
The third stage is the analysis of pipeline sections in terms of complexity
At this stage, you need to work on the diagram in order to bypass the entire installation path and note which pipeline elements can be mounted on the desktop, and which can be welded only by weight.
The resulting areas should be marked on the diagram. Some of them may be too short, so they can be combined. Some, on the other hand, may be too long. They need to be equipped with an additional mount on the wall or divided into several parts so that the pipe does not sag or stretch.
Fourth stage - pipe cutting
Thin-walled products are well cut with PP scissors and pipe cutters. In rare cases, a jigsaw will do.
Thick-walled pipes with aluminum and foil reinforcement need to be stripped prior to cutting. A multifunctional trimmer or shaver copes with it.
If there were no special tools and the cut turned out to be uneven, it needs to be sanded. It is more effective to use two types of sandpaper - first with a larger grain, then a fine-grained one.
When cutting pipes, it is important to take into account that 15-30 mm of length will go to the connecting seam. They need to be added to the length of the pipe, which is marked on the pipeline diagram. If the connecting parts are located at both ends of the pipe, then 15-30 mm must be added twice.
The excess can always be cut off, but it will no longer be possible to build up the missing few centimeters. In order not to be mistaken, you should not cut all the elements of the pipeline at once, including complex sections.
The sections of pipes that will be heated with a soldering iron should be marked with a marker.
The end of the pipe must enter the nozzle up to the mark.
The fifth stage - welding (soldering) of parts on the work table
As mentioned above, in practice, pipe brazing consists of more steps than heating and joining.
In order for the seam to be reliable, and the system to function correctly, you need to solder step by step:
- Degrease the soldering machine nozzles, the inner surface of the fittings and the ends of the PP pipes. Alcohol can erase marker lines. If necessary, it can be updated by specifying the measurements on the ruler.
- Place the soldering iron on the stand. It must be heat-resistant and the work surface flat and stable.
- Wear heat-resistant gloves.
- Secure attachments of a suitable size.
- Connect the tool to the mains, set the temperature to 260 degrees.
- The fitting is pushed onto the nozzle and the pipe is inserted into it. This heats up the inside of the connecting piece and the outside of the pipe. It is important to follow the heating time recommendations (in seconds) given by the manufacturer. The larger the pipe diameter and the thicker the wall, the longer the time. Usually after 6-8 seconds it is already possible to solder (connect the parts together).
- Connect the heated parts. Insert the pipe into the fitting, hold it for a few seconds to start the diffusion process, and then put it aside until it cools completely.
- Check the connection. This can be done no earlier than 2 hours after welding. You can check the strength of the part mechanically by moving the parts with your hands, or pass water through them. If the pipe does not flow and the water runs well, the connection is successful.
- Solder all parts that can be connected on the table.
Sixth stage - laying the pipeline
In fact, this is the installation of all elements in their assigned places. To connect some of them, in the process you will have to weld parts by weight. This is also done step by step, as on the work surface.
Seventh stage - system check
A few hours after welding, the parts set and cool down. The performance and reliability of the system is checked by running water through the pipes.
Typical mistakes
Plumbing novices and self-taught craftsmen who want to save money on the services of professional installers often make the same mistakes. At first glance, these are trifles, but they lead to the fact that the system quickly fails.
What not to do when installing PP-pipes with your own hands:
- To rush too much. Welding PP pipes requires some promptness. But this only applies to the speed of joining parts while they are still hot. Otherwise, haste has negative consequences. Most often, novice craftsmen simply do not allow the soldering iron to heat up to the desired temperature. As a result, the "adhesion" of the parts is poor.
Slow installers have another problem - they warm up the parts to the desired temperature, and then adjust for a long time before inserting the pipe into the fitting. During these few seconds, the temperature of the products drops, and with it the quality of diffusion decreases.
- Rely on the temperature readings of the thermometer built into the soldering iron. If the equipment is old or from an unscrupulous manufacturer, the required 260-270 degrees on the display may appear due to a malfunction. The actual temperature of the nozzles is often below this parameter. For insurance, it must be checked with a contact thermometer. Such a device is inexpensive, and it will be useful on the farm not only for working with a soldering iron.
- Overheat propylene products. For beginners, it may seem that the longer you heat, the better the connection will be. In fact, this is not the case. If the plastic is melted too much, then a sludge will form in the pipe. It will prevent the free flow of liquid through the pipeline or even block the pipe section.
- Weld pipes outdoors in cold weather. At low temperatures, the parts cool too quickly, as does the joint. They do not have time to securely grab.
- Do not clean pipes and nozzles from dust and grease. It also negatively affects the quality of the connection.
- Do not cross-cut pipes with aluminum reinforcement. The melting temperature and time of aluminum and propylene are different. Although aluminum is an anti-corrosion material, it can cause pipes to leak.
- Mount all pipeline elements at once on the floor (table, ground). Such a constructor can no longer be installed according to the scheme.
- Use thin-walled pipes for hot piping. They will not withstand high temperatures, stretch out and burst over time.
- Cut the pipes with a hacksaw or jigsaw without further cleaning the cut with an emery cloth.
- Try to speed up the cooling process of the pipe with cold water or air.
It is not enough not to make mistakes, you also need to take into account the welding tricks that have been developed by professional installers over the years. Conventionally, they can be divided into "life hacks" for the choice of materials and tools, and useful tips for work.
How to choose pipes:
- Take as a rule that thin-walled pipes can only be used for cold water and decorative items. To work with hot water, you should choose only reinforced thick-walled ones. Ventilation requires pipes labeled PHP.
- Products with fiberglass as a reinforcing layer are versatile. They are suitable for beginners who are just learning how to use a soldering iron and last up to 50 years. You should not be led to the stories of consultants about the best quality of pipes with aluminum.
- The appearance of the pipes can also tell a lot. If the product has a uniform color, an even round cut and smooth walls inside and out, it is of high quality. If the coloring is spots, the cut is not round, and the walls are rough - the product will fail during operation.
- The pipe needs to be sniffed. Only pipes made of low-grade raw materials have a characteristic pungent plastic smell. A product made of high-quality propylene has almost no smell.
- The pipe must enter the fitting tightly and only when hot. If there is a gap between the walls of at least a millimeter, this is a marriage.
- All components must be purchased from one manufacturer.
There are many more tricks of welding and installation. They come with experience, and each master has his own techniques. But there are some universal tips.
So, every craftsman knows that soldering machine nozzles are processed with a special solution in production. It protects the instrument from negative environmental influences prior to use. The protective layer evaporates when the soldering iron with nozzles is turned on for the first time. Evaporation produces a characteristic odor and light soot. Therefore, you need to start the device for the first time on the street and let it warm up until it evaporates completely. Only then proceed to soldering.
The second secret concerns the treatment of pipes and a soldering iron with a degreasing agent. Better to choose pure alcohol. It evaporates quickly and leaves no odor inside pipes, unlike acetone and solvent.
If the ambient temperature is close to zero, slow down the cooling of the joint. To do this, use warm cloth napkins.
Wipe the parts with a lint-free cloth. It will smolder inside the soldering iron tip.
For a double circuit of pipes (hot water and cold), it is preferable to locate the hot circuit over the cold one. This will prevent condensation from forming on the pipes. It is possible to connect parts at the transition from horizontal to vertical only at an angle of 90 degrees.
Soldering polypropylene pipes is an operation that sometimes has to be done in your own home with your own hands. It is not at all advisable to buy a welding machine specially for this. Therefore, many are trying to find such instructions, such methods that would save them from expensive acquisition. Today we intend to offer a method that is quite applicable at home and does not require any special equipment at all.
You can get as much information about polypropylene pipes and how to weld them.
Do-it-yourself soldering of small diameter propylene pipes
We are talking about such pipes that are most often used for wiring inside the house, i.e. about pipes with a diameter of 20 mm. Let's say we need to weld a pipe and an adjacent corner fitting.
Soldering of propylene pipes of this diameter can be easily done if there is some kind of safe source of fire at hand, which, for example, such a miniature gas burner can be.
According to the existing regulations and to ensure the required quality of the connection, the pipe must go into the fitting by 14 mm. In order not to violate this standard, it is advisable to measure this distance from the edge of the pipe in advance and put a mark with a pencil.
Having done this, you can proceed to deep heating of the elements to be soldered. The fitting, of course, must be warmed up from the inside.
The pipe end is heated from the outside.
When both parts are well warmed up, they can be inserted into each other.
When inserting the pipe, you should be guided by the previously applied pencil mark, which should be exactly along the edge of the fitting.
After that, the connection made should be cooled without exposing it to any external influences. The cooled joint will be very strong and in no way inferior in strength to those joints that are usually made using special welding machines. This can be verified by cutting the newly made solder joint.
As you can see in the above photo, the junction of the pipe and the fitting is completely monolithic, and such a pipe can be safely included in the home water supply system.
So, if you need to solder polypropylene pipes, you can easily do this work on your own, without purchasing any special tools for this. To do this, you just need to take note of the recommendation we have given.