Pipes

We figure out which machine to choose for welding polypropylene pipes

Remweld set

Today, many are trying to master some repair technologies on their own and save significant money on hiring professional craftsmen. If you have elementary construction skills, it is not so difficult to reproduce the full cycle of certain works.

Some even decide to change the engineering communications in the house on their own. Replacing pipes is a simple matter if you have the right tool at hand. So, for example, a special soldering iron is needed to weld polypropylene pipes. Before buying it, you should study in detail the features of the welding machine and the welding process.

Features of choice

Any welding machine is a serious and necessary device used in the installation of propylene pipes. It is used to create a sealed non-separable pipeline. The assembly process is based on diffuse welding technology and proceeds as follows:

With the help of the described tool, the seam is heated, along which welding should be carried out.
The soldering iron is applied to the two ends of the connections.
The heated elements come into contact, their temperature decreases, and a sealed seam is obtained - very strong and at the same time quite plastic.

If the welding machine is chosen correctly, the installation of the chain is very fast and of high quality. At the same time, the design of the device is not particularly complex. In fact, it consists of three elements - a heating plate, a comfortable handle and a durable housing.

However, there are two types of tools used for propylene welding on the market. There is a device for manual welding and a device for mechanical welding.

How do they differ from each other?

Manual apparatus

There are some nuances that a layman cannot know. For example, a manual welding preparation designed for welding propylene pipes is capable of performing sealed butt joints under one condition - if the diameter of the elements used to create a single pipeline circuit does not exceed 50 mm.

Manual apparatus

This tool is small. And its simple operation allows you to use a manual welding machine even without the skills to work with such equipment.

But besides the obvious positive qualities, there are also disadvantages. And this is primarily a limitation of functions. Pipes of larger diameter cannot be connected using a manual model. And this must be taken into account when choosing a welding machine for propylene pipes.

Mechanical welding

A more sophisticated tool for welding propylene pipes with a diameter of 40 mm and above is professional equipment that allows mechanical welding. With it, you can mount a pipe line, the diameter of which can reach up to 2000 mm.

The main advantage of the device is its versatility. Using mechanical welding, plastic, polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes of any diameter are connected.

ROWELD P 160 SANILINE

The main disadvantage is the complexity of management. It will not be so easy for a non-professional builder or repairman to work with such equipment. Yes, and a mechanical device is much more expensive than a manual model. Of course, versatility completely eliminates such a nuance, but for one-time work in everyday life, you should not buy a mechanical welding machine - it does not justify itself.

Such a tool is included in the set of a professional master, whose main field of activity is the installation of pipelines of any complexity. Therefore, before choosing the right model, it is worth deciding on the scope of its application.

The type of soldering iron is another important criterion. Sometimes a professional craftsman's set consists of two types of such tools. With the help of a mechanical option, one circle of problems is solved, and with the help of a manual one, another. Practice shows that most often craftsmen who are aimed at a permanent income associated with the assembly of plastic or propylene pipes use a manual type of soldering iron. And all because it is more mobile and has the same efficiency as a mechanical welding machine. Therefore, when working with pipes whose diameter does not exceed 50 mm, they acquire it.

Before choosing and buying a specific model, it is necessary to take into account a lot of factors that affect the overall performance of the process. The main ones are:

Producing country.
Tool power.
The presence or absence of the required number of nozzles.

Why is it so important to pay attention to the brand and manufacturer?

Main elements

According to professional craftsmen, the quality of work largely depends on the brand of the device. It is difficult to argue with this statement. Almost all manufacturers today offer a wide range of different welding equipment. And the negative aspects of his work often appear precisely because of the wrong choice of model.

Of course, there are iconic tools that are sure to be included in the kit of a skilled craftsman. They differ from analog offerings in their versatility. But this does not mean that competitive products are worse. It just can't be used to solve a wide range of problems. Therefore, the main advice is to pay attention to both the brand of the tool and the country of origin.

What kind of welding machine is suitable for domestic use?

A soldering tool made in the Czech Republic is the best tool with a long service life. It is necessarily included in the set of masters for whom the assembly of plastic and propylene pipes is the main type of professional activity. A simple layman who dreams of independently mastering the installation of plastic or propylene communications can choose between Turkish and Chinese manufacturers.

Their products are an order of magnitude cheaper than Czech ones, but it’s hard to say for sure how the “Asian instrument” works. Experienced masters of the "Turk" do not favor. They say about the "Chinese" that it is difficult to choose the best instrument, because it is a big lottery. There are brands that easily compete with European manufacturers, and there are outright fakes. Therefore, the advice to choose a Chinese welding machine is only suitable for someone who purchases such equipment for one-time work.

Soldering iron power

Estimated welding time table

Another important criterion is the power of the device. The choice from this point of view largely depends on the quality of propylene or any other material being processed, as well as on the diameter of the pipe. The selection formula is simple:

For soldering propylene or plastic pipes from 16 to 75 mm, you will need a tool whose power is not more than 0.85 kW.
To connect pipeline elements with a diameter of 90 to 125 mm, you will need a welding machine with a power of 1.5 kW.

Soldering irons with lower or higher ratings are only suitable for highly specialized craftsmen involved in professional pipe laying. In any case, when buying a device, you should carefully study its instructions. It is attached to each tool and it specifies the basic requirements that apply to the use of such equipment.

Nozzle set

As a rule, the described equipment is a standard set, which necessarily includes not only the soldering iron itself, but also a certain number of nozzles for it. They allow using one tool to process pipes of different diameters.

Note! This equipment is typical for both manual and mechanical welding machines. The only difference is in the number of nozzles offered.

Types of nozzles

In a normalized set, there are always as many nozzles as this tool can serve. When deciding which welding machine to choose - with fewer or more nozzles - experts do not recommend chasing advanced equipment.

After all, household communications are assembled from a maximum of 4 standard sizes of plastic or polypropylene pipes. Therefore, for those who are looking for a model for self-assembly of engineering communications, experienced craftsmen are advised to purchase a set that includes only 4 nozzles - with a diameter of 16, 32, 50 and 110 mm.

Note! Nozzles from different manufacturers have different types of coatings. Teflon and metallized Teflon are the strongest of these.

Usage Guide

When deciding which welding machine to choose, you need to understand that welding technology does not depend on the type of tool. Docking seams are soldered together according to a well-thought-out scheme:

Instructions in the kit

First, the joint is prepared by cutting the pipe at the joint with a very even cut. The tightness of the seam will depend on the quality of the cut.
The necessary nozzle is put on the tip of the soldering iron. It will not interfere with the transfer of heat to the junction. The soldering iron is connected to the mains, the power of which is at least 220 volts. It takes some time for the soldering iron and nozzle to warm up well.
The nozzle has two ends. A coupling is inserted into them simultaneously on one side, and on the other, the end of the pipe. Then both elements are removed and quickly inserted one into the other. As the material cools, the pressing process takes place.
A crust forms inside the joint, which ensures the tightness of the joint. At the other end of the coupling, the connection can only be made when the butt joint has stabilized.
Exactly the same operation is performed with a corner, tee or any other connecting element.

Generalization on the topic

Today, many people prefer to carry out some repair technologies on their own and even try to assemble household utilities with their own hands. To do this, you need to have a special tool on hand. Before choosing a soldering iron for, experts recommend studying in detail the features of the welding process and the scope of use of such a tool.