[Instruction] Do-it-yourself soldering of polypropylene pipes: a description of the types of materials used, components and tools | Video

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The use of plastic instead of metal for plumbing not only makes the construction easier. The connection of plastic products does not require sophisticated equipment and professional qualifications, equipment for soldering of polypropylene pipes affordable and easy to use. Particular attention should be paid to the preparation of products, as well as welding of reinforced pipelines.

Content:

Polypropylene: features of the material for pipelines
- Reinforced PP pipes
Connection methods
How to weld polypropylene pipes
Welding equipment
Do-it-yourself pipe welding mistakes
- Gaps and distortion of the structure
- Non-compliance with the temperature regime of welding
What to look for when planning piping in an apartment or house
- - Polypropylene pipes: types, fittings, accessories. Master class on soldering pipes

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Polypropylene: features of the material for pipelines

Soldering a polypropylene pipe

The use of pipes made of polymeric materials for the organization of cold or hot water pipelines, as well as heating due to a number of qualities of plastics and products made from them. A common material for plumbing - polypropylene (PP) - has several advantages:

temperature/pressure characteristics
lightness compared to metal pipes; no corrosion
possibility of adding a reinforcing layer
increasing thermal stability and maximum fluid flow pressure
a simple method of connecting with each other, as well as with metal pipes and plumbing fixtures; cost

There is a wide range of fittings and fasteners on the market that allows you to organize a plumbing or heating system with turns, branches or connections with products from other materials.

Elements of polymer pipelines

When deciding to use polypropylene products for intra-apartment wiring, one should remember the features of the material:

PP-pipes cannot be bent, a connecting element must be welded at each turn of the line
thin products can be deformed at high temperatures (above + 95 ° C), you should carefully study the marking and technical characteristics
the polymer changes color when exposed to direct sunlight (turns yellow)
the product may crack due to mechanical impact (hitting with a hammer or dropping a heavy object)

In addition to pipes made of polymeric material without additives, there are reinforced ones on the market that have increased strength.

At a liquid temperature of more than + 95 ° C and a pressure of 20 atm, the life of the PP pipe is significantly reduced.

Reinforced PP pipes

Reinforced pipes made of polypropylene on a cut

To increase the strength of polypropylene products, a thin layer of reinforcing materials is added to them. The purpose of reinforcement is to reduce linear expansion and deformation during hot water service. For strengthening use:

aluminum foil
Fiberglass

The reinforcing layer can be located outside or between the layers of plastic. An important feature of an aluminum-reinforced product is the risk of corrosion of the reinforcing layer if it is not cleaned during the welding process and comes into contact with a hot liquid. To solder such pipes, pre-treatment is used, in which a layer of foil is cut off.

Connection methods

Organization of the pipeline system with bends and turns

Unlike metal and metal-plastic products, threaded connections are not used in polypropylene pipelines, their parts are connected by heat treatment, elements partially melted at the joints during cooling form a monolithic polymer.

Depending on the diameter of the products, two main methods are used:

Coupling or “socket” is used if the diameter does not exceed 63 mm. Usually, pipes are connected in this way with fittings at the places where the main turns or branches.
The butt method involves melting sections, their connection under pressure and subsequent cooling. The main problem with self-connection of products by this method is the alignment of the axes of the two parts to ensure their parallelism.

Fitting for connecting a pipeline made of metal with a polymer (PP) part

To connect plastic sections with metal ones, fittings are used with an internal part with a metal thread installed in them, which allows you to attach a pipe made of polypropylene to a metal one using a threaded connection.

Socket-weld parts cannot be joined to each other in a cold state.

How to weld polypropylene pipes

Trimmer for reinforced pipe

Mandatory stages of preparation for welding do not depend on the equipment and type of connection. These include:

pruning. Use a knife that does not crush the product. If pipes with a diameter of more than 40 mm are welded, with the coupling method, a 45 degree bevel is made at the end
Surface degreasing. With poor-quality degreasing, the formation of “rejection islands” is possible, on which the connection of two elements does not occur
Measurement of the depth of insertion of the pipe into the fitting. Both incomplete insertion and the application of excessive forces, as a result of which part of the polymer is squeezed out of the joint and narrows the inner diameter, are unacceptable

Cleaning the weld end

When connecting products made of aluminum-reinforced polypropylene, it is required to pre-clean the aluminum layer. Depending on its location (outside or in the wall), one of the following methods is used:

cleaning the outer layer with a clutch with knives
removal of the inner aluminum layer with a trimmer

Prepared elements must be securely fixed before starting heating. After partial melting of the surfaces, it is necessary to combine the parts of the future pipeline and allow them to cool without exercising excessive pressure on the welding site. The process can be completed only after a visual quality control of the work.

Table of soldering times for polypropylene pipes:

Pipe diameter, mm	Optimal heating time, sec	Optimal time for soldering parts, sec	Optimal time for parts cooling, sec
20	5-8	8	2
25	7-11	10	3
32	8-12	12	4
40	12-18	20	5

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Welding equipment

Pipe soldering machine

It is possible to ensure a long-term high-quality connection of water supply elements if the welding machine meets the following requirements:

provides uniform surface heating up to 260С
allows you to fix the connected elements during welding and during cooling
meets safety requirements during work

Available units range from homemade to professional. The choice of one or another option is determined by the number of welds, the complexity of the architecture of the pipeline system, the diameter of the elements and the experience of the welder.

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Homemade welding machine

One of the names of the welding unit - "iron" - is explained by the possibility of making this device based on a household iron. For assembly, you will need to disassemble the iron and order or purchase additional items. This welding method is not recommended for the following reasons:

it is impossible to calibrate the device at home, not only the heating temperature is not guaranteed, but also its stability
component quality not guaranteed
the time spent and the cost of additional parts are commensurate with the cost of a new unit offered in stores

To save money, it is recommended to consider renting or buying a used welding machine.

Professional welding - scope and speed

Electrical fittings

When installing pipelines at large facilities, the time to complete the piping plays an important role. In this case, you can use professional equipment.

With the coupling method, professional welders use electrical fittings to connect. This method provides maximum speed and high quality of work. Welding order:

cut pieces to desired length
degrease the places of future connections
insert pipes into fittings
connect the welding machine to the electrical fittings using wires
turn on the device, wait for automatic shutdown
visually check the correct connection

Due to its high productivity, this method justifies the price of electrical fittings by increasing the speed of tying several times compared to manual soldering.

Professional butt welding machine

If professional welding is performed by butt-welding pipes, professional welding machines are used, providing a tight connection of the parts to be welded, as well as uniform heating of the surfaces. Professional equipment ensures accurate alignment of center lines and fixation of parts to prevent bending at the weld.

The use of professional plumbing equipment for home plumbing is recommended if it is available from a contractor or an independent repairer can get it for free or at a low cost.

The best choice for self-assembly of parts

Example of a welding kit

To carry out water supply in a separate apartment or private house, you can purchase a plastic welding kit, which includes:

soldering iron with temperature controller
nozzles of various diameters (popular models offer 6 sizes)
cutting knife
measuring ruler or tape measure

Installing the pipe part and fitting in the soldering iron for welding

Additionally, the kit may include a screwdriver, gloves and other materials. The welding machine must be stable so as not to deform the elements during the heating process. It is not recommended to start work without having experience in welding and working with the selected soldering iron model.

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Do-it-yourself pipe welding mistakes

The result of poor soldering

The first experience of assembling a polypropylene pipeline can lead to weak connections and deformation of the elements. The most common problems that you should pay attention to when working:

pipeline deformation
partially covering the lumen with a polymeric material
poor welding quality

Depending on the cause, the effects may appear immediately or after some time.

Gaps and distortion of the structure

Loose fit of soldered parts

The reasons for the violation of the geometry of the pipeline system can be:

poor fixation of long elements during welding and cooling
incomplete insertion of the pipe into the fitting
low heating temperature

Creating stress in a rigid system can lead to pipe rupture, immediately after the soldering of the elements, this error has an aesthetic effect. In the case of a leaky connection due to poor fit of the soldered parts or insufficient heating, the consequences appear instantly - the connections leak, some voids can be detected by visual inspection.

Compliance with the geometry of the connections will provide not only a visually attractive appearance of the pipeline, but also the tightness of the connections due to the arrangement of the elements relative to each other.

Non-compliance with the temperature regime of welding

Consequences of overheating when connecting

If insufficient welding temperature results in leaks, overheating can result in molten polymer entering the pipeline, locally constricting it, and reducing flow capacity.

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The process of welding polypropylene pipes

Self-welding of pipe elements for plumbing and heating will be successful if the following steps are taken in advance:

choose materials of pipelines and methods of their connection
choose equipment for welding PP pipes
identify difficult areas and decide whether it is possible to independently install pipes in these places

If in doubt, you can consult with experts. If you decide to carry out the installation yourself, you should pay attention to the choice of equipment and training.

Polypropylene pipes: types, fittings, components. Master class on soldering pipes

[Instruction] Do-it-yourself soldering of polypropylene pipes: a description of the types of materials used, components and tools | Video

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Soldering polypropylene pipes

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