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Polypropylene pipe welding technology, expert advice

Polypropylene pipes differ from traditional metal pipes in affordable cost and ease of installation. You can install such communications yourself, the main thing is to master the technology of welding polypropylene pipes, understand the specifics of working with the material, clearly follow the instructions and recommendations of specialists in this field.

General information on welding polypropylene pipes

Today, there is a widespread replacement of old metal pipes with modern polypropylene pipes, which are made of a special type of plastic - a rondom copolymer.

Polypropylene pipes are used for arranging various communications (cold pipeline, hot water transportation, heating systems). Between themselves, the pipes differ in wall thickness (PN10, PN16, PN 20) and the presence of stabilized aluminum foil (PN20Al).

The procedure for installing the pipeline allows you to connect pipes to each other without additional components (adapters, tees, fittings or angles), but using various welding methods. The developed technology for welding polypropylene pipes covers the soldering of pipelines of various diameters and any types of connections: welded sections, turns, bypasses, fastening and stop valves.

When working with polypropylene communications, it is important to remember that dismantling the system is impossible.

A welded or soldered joint cannot be separated. Therefore, when welding plastic pipes, you must act carefully, without haste, following the developed sketch of the future heating or water supply system

One of the conditions for obtaining a strong and high-quality weld is that the pipe sections to be joined must be made of polymers of the same chemical composition. Therefore, it is better to choose pipes of the same brand, and the color does not matter.

Welding of polypropylene pipes can be carried out end-to-end and in a socket. Soldering pipes in the first way is carried out without the use of fittings.

The second method is more reliable, but more often used to connect pipes of small cross section or, if necessary, change the direction of the pipeline. In this case, connecting elements made of the same polymer as the pipes are used. During soldering, the parts to be joined are melted - the outer part of the pipe and the inner surface of the fitting.

Polyfusion welding technology for polypropylene pipes

necessary tools and equipment

In order to correctly connect polypropylene pipes, you need to prepare a detailed diagram of the future pipeline, mark all the turns, the location of the valves and prepare the necessary tools.

For polyfusion welding you will need:

  • apparatus for welding polypropylene pipes;
  • nozzles for the welding machine;
  • contact thermometer;
  • pipe cutter or wire cutters;
  • shaver;
  • beveler;
  • meter;
  • marker;
  • non-synthetic canvas;
  • alcohol.

The welding machine, or as it is popularly called, a soldering iron for welding polypropylene pipes consists of a heating plate, a thermostat and a holder. The heating plate has two holes for attaching soldering elements.

The kit with a soldering iron usually includes nozzles for welding polypropylene pipes with a diameter of 20, 25, 30 and 40 mm. They are enough to connect any domestic pipelines. Iron nozzles have a Teflon coating - this prevents the melted plastic from sticking to the surface of the nozzle.

Sometimes a pipe cutter is included in the set of the welding machine, which provides an almost perfect cut accurately and quickly.

Some experts prefer to use wire cutters that can cut various types of polypropylene pipes, including those reinforced with fiberglass or aluminum.

For welding reinforced polypropylene pipes, you will need a shaver, with which the edges of the pipes are cleaned before soldering.

A beveler is needed when the pipe is difficult to fit into the socket. The device chamfers the edge at an angle of 60 degrees, the cutting width is up to 40 mm.

preparatory stage of welding

Do-it-yourself welding of propylene pipes begins with preparing the tool for work:

  • attach nozzles of the desired size to the welding machine;
  • set the temperature regime of the soldering iron and turn it on to the electrical network (the heating time will largely depend on the air temperature);
  • before work, the Teflon surface of the nozzles must be wiped with a non-synthetic cloth;
  • the heating temperature of the welding machine can be controlled using a contact thermometer;
  • the functionality of the cutter or pipe cutter must be checked on a prototype pipe - the cut must be without depressions, otherwise the tool must be sharpened.

Connection pipes must be prepared for welding as follows:


polypropylene pipe welding sequence


weld-in welding algorithm

If the pipeline has already been installed and it became necessary to branch it, then it is not necessary to deform the system and disassemble the pipe section, it is enough to correctly weld the saddle.

The installation procedure for the welded section is as follows:


possible errors in pipe welding

Mistakes made during the soldering of a polypropylene pipeline lead to various problems: seepage and leakage of water at the connection site, pipe rupture, poor water pressure and other problems.

Typical errors in welding polypropylene pipes include:


Cold welding of polypropylene pipes

The method of cold welding consists in gluing pipe sections with a special adhesive that firmly connects various plastic-based synthetic materials, including polypropylene.

Cold welding of polypropylene pipes can only be used when installing a "cold" pipeline, since when it comes into contact with hot water, the glue loses its functions, and the joint joint loses its strength

The procedure for welding polypropylene pipes in a "cold" way:


When working with Cold Welding, it is important to adhere to safety precautions with aggressive substances.

Welding of polypropylene pipes with an electrofitting

Electrofusion fittings (electrofittings) are fittings equipped with embedded wire heating elements that melt at high temperatures and form strong and reliable connections with plastic pipes.

Electrical fittings form joints that guarantee the tightness of the pipeline, protection against leaks and gusts.

To weld with an electrofitting, you will need the same tools as for polyfusion welding.


Technology for soldering polypropylene pipes with an electrofusion fitting:

  1. Cut the pipes with scissors.
  2. Degrease the top of the pipe and the inside of the electrical fitting.
  3. Mark the insertion depth of the electrical fitting on the pipe.
  4. Clear the reinforced pipe from aluminum to the length of the connection with the fitting.
  5. Insert the pipe into the fitting and fix it securely, since when heated, polypropylene will expand and under pressure can pop out of the fitting.
  6. Connect the electric welding machine to the mains and wait for it to heat up.
  7. Connect the welding machine to the fitting with contact wires.
  8. Press the "START" button. The shutdown will happen automatically.
  9. After welding, the cooling of the joint should occur naturally and without any mechanical stress (pressure, rotation, compression).

As you can see, when welding polypropylene pipes, a number of important points should be taken into account in order to avoid mistakes and get a strong and reliable pipeline that will serve uninterruptedly for decades.