How to solder a plastic pipe without a soldering iron. Soldering polypropylene pipes: rules of work and analysis of possible errors

Standard in the past metal pipes today they are increasingly being replaced by plastic, or rather, polypropylene (as well as PVC). And if a welding machine is usually used for the installation of the former, then polymer analogs are mounted using a special soldering iron. However, the latter may not be at hand at the moment when it will be necessary to solder one of these pipes. Is there a way out of this situation? In fact, yes. In addition, here we will consider soldering wires.

  • Installation of water supply, sewerage and heating systems;
  • Repair work on heating and water supply systems;
  • The need to connect two wires;
  • Awning repair - patching holes.

Is there an alternative to a professional soldering iron for polypropylene pipes?

Before disassembling the soldering of wires and awnings, let's dwell on the pipes. The device for welding them costs several thousand rubles. Mostly professionals buy it for themselves, but for an ordinary person this device simply will not pay off. In this regard, we have to look for an alternative option, which can become much more common in ordinary houses gas-burner.

Such a burner perfectly shows itself both in repair and installation. At the same time, both small diameter pipes and rather large analogs can be soldered to it. It is used not only for connecting pipes, but also as a means of installing plastic taps to control the supply of water to the pipeline.

Tips for joining polypropylene pipes without a soldering iron

  • The quality of the connection largely depends on the cleanliness and absence of grease on the pipes themselves. Therefore, before work, it is recommended to degrease and clean them from dirt;
  • All pipes, as well as fittings and other parts must be from the same manufacturer. So you can be sure that the same temperature effect must be applied to connect them. In addition, you should not skimp on quality. Its absence can manifest itself both during the soldering process and during subsequent operation;
  • Do not solder in cold conditions. If, for some reason, the temperature in the room has dropped by less than +5 degrees, the connection may be fragile;
  • It is recommended to practice on unnecessary pipe sections.

Alternative - PVC pipes

There are plastic pipes that do not need soldering, since they can be glued together. In addition, they have all-plastic pipe threads located on the inside and outside.

In addition, there is a special solvent-based cement for PVC and CPVC pipes. After processing with such cement, the surface becomes soft and can be quickly glued.

The procedure for soldering polypropylene pipes

  • Drafting detailed diagram, marking of places of turns, location of cranes, corners and other elements of the system;
  • Cutting pipes. It is best to take with a margin of 25 millimeters, which will be fused onto the fitting;
  • The pipe and fitting are heated with a burner. The temperature is approximately 280 degrees Celsius;
  • Fused elements are held together until they cool.

The universal way to solder the awning

With the arrival of the warm season, the need for awnings increases. By placing on your local area or taking a small tent for a picnic, you can find an unpleasant surprise- a hole. Is it worth buying a new awning after that, or can the situation be somehow corrected?

For soldering we need construction hair dryer, on which there will be a special crevice nozzle, as well as a patch with a roller. After preliminary cleaning the place of damage and patches from dust and grease, it is necessary to put the awning on a flat surface. Having applied a patch to it, we begin to warm up both surfaces using a slotted nozzle, simultaneously fastening with a roller. The better you heat the surfaces, the better they will stick together. But here it is extremely important not to overdo it and not burn a hole.

Soldering wires without a soldering iron using a soldering tape

Although ordinary soldering iron found in our homes much more often than its analogue for plastic pipes, it may still not be at hand in the right moment when you need to connect two wires. Of course, you can try to twist them and wrap them up with "blue duct tape", but this option is only temporary. At the same time, you can connect the wires "forever" without a soldering iron.

A special soldering tape will help us with this, which allows you to create a durable polymer layer around the wire, providing a full connection and insulation problem place... The stages of working with this tape are as follows:

  • Stripping the wires that we will connect and their subsequent twisting;
  • Removing the protective layer from the tape and wrapping around the twist;
  • Heating the tape with an open flame until it melts and evenly covers the problem area. For this, ordinary matches are suitable;
  • After the tape has cooled, remove the excess flux. The wire is fully connected and ready for further use.

Welding wires with a special paste

The paste is used to connect various metals such as steel, nickel, copper and others. The reason for this versatility is that this material is made on the basis of silver. In general, the paste contains flux, solder and binding components crushed to a powder state. In the vast majority of cases, this method is used to solder small wires. So, if your favorite headphones are out of order, and there is no soldering iron at hand, then ideal solution will become just the paste. The way to use it is extremely simple:

  • We clean the wires and twist them together;
  • Apply the paste to the twist site as evenly as possible;
  • With help regular lighter the paste is heated until it melts and turns into a full-fledged solder;
  • After that, the place must be insulated with all exposed parts of the wire. The ideal remedy for this is a heat shrink sleeve. We put it on the place of the adhesion, after which we heat it up and get reliable insulation.

Soldering polypropylene pipes is an operation that sometimes has to be done in own home do it yourself. 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 existing regulations and to ensure required quality 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 seam 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.

To independently install a water supply system from plastic pipes, you do not need a lot of knowledge and experience, since this process is not difficult. However, in order to improve the quality of the work performed, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the technology and some of the nuances of connecting pipe elements of this type. It is also important to learn a few lessons about how to connect different types plastic pipe and the highlights of the process.

Methods for connecting plastic pipes

Firstly, it is worth noting that plastic pipes include products made from the following materials:

  • Polypropylene.
  • Metal-plastic.
  • Polyethylene.
  • Polyvinyl chloride.

Each material has certain properties, therefore, the connection of products is performed different ways, including soldering polypropylene pipes without a soldering iron (read also: ""). For greater awareness, it is worth learning the connection methods water pipes from the named materials.

Polypropylene products

Polypropylene pipe is the most popular material for plumbing. This is due to the presence of some advantageous points: acceptable price, high strength and long service life. Therefore, the study of methods for connecting all types of plastic pipes should start with this particular type.

Polypropylene pipes are connected by welding with the obligatory use of couplings, angles, tees and other fitting elements. When connecting polypropylene pipes for water supply, you need to purchase pipes and fittings from the same manufacturer. Otherwise, even strict adherence to the welding technology cannot guarantee complete tightness and quality.


To connect the plumbing with your own hands polypropylene pipes, you need to have the following tools on hand:

  • Special soldering iron. This is a simple name for a welding device with a set of special nozzles that allow you to connect pipes of different cross-sections. In this case, the nozzle is selected individually for each pipe in accordance with its section.
  • Stripping. With this tool, the reinforcing layer at the ends of the pipes is cut. Stripping is used only for multilayer reinforced pipe products.
  • Pipe cutter. By the name, you can determine that the device helps to cut polypropylene pipes.
  • A tape measure, pencil or marker may also be needed when joining PP tubing.


Installation of a plumbing system made of polypropylene pipes is carried out as follows:

  1. Turn on and warm up the welding machine. The device must go through three phases: heating to a certain temperature, shutdown, reheating. The operating mode can be monitored by the indicator light (read also: "").
  2. During the heating of the soldering iron, the reinforcing layer is cleaned in the place where the fitting will be welded.
  3. From the surface of the connected elements, dust and dirt are cleaned and damp places are well wiped. Please be aware that failure to follow these steps may result in a loose connection.
  4. The end of one pipe and the connecting piece are inserted into the heating nozzle and held for a certain period of time. The heating time must be strictly controlled, since long retention leads to deformation of the elements, and if the heating is insufficient, the strength of the connection of plastic water pipes decreases. Therefore, each welding machine is accompanied by a special table, which indicates the heating time of parts with a certain diameter.
  5. The heated elements are pulled out of the attachments and quickly connected. The strength of the joint also depends on the speed of action at this stage, so the process must be carried out quickly, but accurately. The pipe is inserted into the fitting until it stops, but at the same time it should not deform. The connected parts should be held until the plastic has cooled completely.
  6. In a similar way, all the elements of the water supply are connected. To avoid damage to the material, you need to perform actions on unnecessary pipe scraps. The process of welding polypropylene pipes is quite complicated, but after a few trial actions, you can proceed to independent work... From the remnants of the material, you can make various homemade products from polypropylene pipes, which look quite original.

Docking of pipes made of metal-plastic

Compound metal-plastic pipes products can also be done by hand using one of three methods:

  1. Connection with compression fittings involves the following steps: the end of the pipe is put on the collet, secured with a compression ring and squeezed with a clamping nut.
  2. Compression fitting involves pressing the ring at the end of the fitting using a special press.
  3. Push fitting is a new joining method that does not require any tools. This method can be the answer to the question of how to connect plastic pipes without soldering.


Regardless of the chosen method of connecting metal-plastic pipes, tools are still worth preparing. In particular, you will need a pipe cutter, which can be replaced with an ordinary mounting knife, and a calibrator, which can be any cylindrical object of a certain diameter.

The most popular is the connection of metal-plastic pipes using compression fittings, which implies the following:

  • First, the pipes are cut with a knife or pipe cutter, ensuring a right angle of the cut line.
  • Before connecting the pipes, the cut ends are processed, that is, the diameter is calibrated and chamfered, using a calibrator in both cases.
  • The nut is removed from the fitting and put on the end of the pipe, followed by a compression ring.
  • Now the collet is inserted into the end of the pipe, after checking the presence of the rubber O-rings.
  • The clamping ring is pushed onto the collet and the nut is tightened on the fitting. In this case, do not allow the nut to be tightly tightened, as this leads to damage rubber seals(read also: "").


The connection of all elements of the water supply system is performed in a similar way. This installation has one advantage: minimal set tools for work, which is at hand at any owner. In addition, this is the only option that allows you to obtain a plug connection, which is necessary in some situations.

Compression fittings are connected in the same order, except that the compression ring and nut are replaced with a ferrule. A manual or electric press is used to squeeze it.

Push fittings make it possible to obtain a connection of metal-plastic pipes much faster than previous methods. To complete the work, it is enough to insert the prepared end of the pipe into connecting piece, and all actions are performed without much effort.


Push fittings can be used to connect reinforced plastic and XLPE pipes.

The connection by any of the listed methods is hermetically sealed and reliable, so you need to choose depending on the available tools and financial capabilities.

Polyethylene pipes can be connected using one of the following options:

  • With compression fittings.
  • Electrofusion welding.

The connection with compression fittings is carried out by analogy with metal-plastic pipes, but in a certain sequence:

  • The pipe is cut and chamfered.
  • A clamping nut is put on the pipe.
  • It is followed by a collet.
  • Next, in turn, put on the thrust and sealing ring.
  • The pipe is inserted into the fitting body, all parts are shifted to the edge and the nut is tightened.


This method is most often used when assembling household irrigation systems in country houses or at their summer cottage.

The connection of metal-plastic pipes in domestic water supply systems is carried out by welding with an electric coupling. Therefore, to carry out the work, you need to have a special welding device and an electric coupling having a diameter in accordance with the section of the elements to be connected.


The welding procedure involves the following actions:

  • Surface preparation of the elements to be joined. To do this, remove with a special scraper upper layer pipe products and degrease the cleaned place.
  • The ends of the elements to be connected are inserted into the electrofusion coupling, while the joint must be located exactly in its middle.
  • The electrical coupling is connected to welding machine and the spirals inside it begin to heat up. As a result, the polyethylene begins to melt and the edges of the pipe elements are welded.

The device for this type of welding has a very high price, therefore, if its further use is not expected, it is better to rent the device for several days than to spend large amount for its one-time use.

PVC tubular products are connected using a special adhesive. However, it is very difficult to call it glue, since when processing the surfaces to be joined with this substance, the plastic melts, and the edges are welded, and not glued. In other words, pipes are brazed without a soldering iron.

The process of connecting pipes of their polyvinyl chloride is as follows:

  • First, the edges of the pipes to be connected are cleaned of dust and dirt and dried well.
  • Then the chamfer is removed from the ends. This action must be performed without fail so that the adhesive does not scrape off when joining the elements.
  • then one end of the pipe is inserted into the fitting to measure its depth. A corresponding mark is made on the pipe with a pencil or marker.
  • The end of the pipe is treated with adhesive up to the mark using a brush. At the same time, one should not forget that the glue must not be left on the surface for more than 25 seconds.
  • The elements are connected and slightly rotated, which evenly distributes the composition over the entire surface. The adhesive should dry naturally without any external influences... The drying time of the adhesive can be affected by air temperature and other factors.


Based on all of the above, we can conclude that in most cases the connection of plastic pipes can be done by hand, without having any special devices at hand and without having special knowledge and skills. The main condition is strict adherence to technology. It is also important to heed the advice of professionals. This will help to complete the installation of a water supply system without unnecessary material costs.


Polypropylene pipelines, with high-quality assembly, can last up to half a century without repair. The popularity of plastic communications in construction individual houses due, among other things, to the fact that the installation polypropylene pipelines available for self-execution.

The choice of the method of connecting plastic pipes depends on the availability special tool, the nature of the materials to be joined, the purpose of communications.

All methods of installing polypropylene pipes can be divided into two large categories. One involves welding materials by heating an organic polymer to a melting point. The second includes all "cold" joining methods, with the exception of cold welding.

  1. Welded joints are called one-piece. This is where diffusion processes are involved. Homogeneous polymers mix at the molecular level to form a monolith. This joint is the most durable, but requires a special tool or glue (for cold welding). The second disadvantage is the impossibility of temporary dismantling of communications without destroying part of the structure.
  2. Detachable (threaded) connections are made using special fittings. They are used when joining thin-walled pipes of small diameter, when performing structures from different materials, joining polypropylene with polyethylene, with metal elements.

Diffusion welding

Distinguish between butt welding (pipe to pipe) and using additional fittings (coupling). These are technologies based on melting polypropylene, which differ in the nuances of work.

Diffusion socket welding is carried out on polypropylene pipes with a diameter of 16 to 40 mm.

Here the fitting is used to supply additional quantity polypropylene so that the connection is reliable.

For thicker-walled materials, butt welding is carried out, connecting the pipe parts directly, without the use of additional parts. PP material manufacturers offer fittings entirely from polymer materials, combined, with a transition to a thread for metal elements.

The configuration of the fittings is selected based on the characteristics of the pipeline. Manufacturers offer the following types of connecting elements:

  • corners, tees, couplings;
  • fittings for connecting elements of one diameter, with a transition to another diameter;
  • fully polymer or polymer-metal combinations;
  • with internal, external thread.

Then the most often used for this is the so-called, cold welding... This technology involves the use of an adhesive special purpose and fittings.

Pros of using a pipe joint without hot soldering

If you are thinking about how to connect a polypropylene pipe with a polypropylene pipe, then you can use a method that involves the use of special fittings. This technique has many advantages, among them it is especially possible to highlight an increase in the efficiency of installation of drainage and water supply systems, a decrease in the possibility of leaks that can occur during butt welding or chemical compound... Among other things, the described technology is less labor-intensive and also involves less energy consumption. Among other things, it is associated with less material consumption. are quite cheap. With the help of fittings and glue, pipes of all possible diameters can be connected, which vary from 6 to 400 millimeters.

Comparison of cold brazing with mechanical and welded joints

Before joining PP to PP pipe, you should consider all the benefits of cold soldering. Thus, this technique, with insignificant material consumption, speed and quality of the work carried out, is not inferior to traditional welding. This gluing technology does not provide for the use of special equipment, which greatly simplifies the manipulation. You do not have to use a special machine designed for welding, which consumes quite an impressive amount of electricity during operation. Due to this, it is possible to reduce the cost installation works... If you are faced with the task of how to connect a polypropylene pipe with a polypropylene pipe, then it is worth comparing with the help of fittings and mechanical coupling of elements. The latest technology is not so energy-consuming, but more material-intensive. This is due to the need to purchase additional fittings, which leads to an increase in the cost of work.

Features of the connection using fittings and glue

If you do not know how to connect a polypropylene pipe with a polypropylene pipe, then it is important to familiarize yourself with the technology. For this, you will have to use glue, which is designed to connect pipes with parts by the type of fittings. The latter are most often made of chlorinated polyvinyl chloride. After application, the glue begins to dissolve the surfaces of parts by 1/3 of the thickness. This allows diffusion cold welding to be realized. On this process the temperature and humidity of the air affects. Before connecting polypropylene pipes using cold welding and fittings, you must make sure that the temperature environment ranges from 5 to 35 degrees. If there is a need for installation work at temperatures below zero, then you should purchase frost-resistant glue, which can be applied until the thermometer mark drops to -18 degrees. If the work is carried out in hot weather, then gluing must be done in a much shorter time, which will exclude the possibility of the composition drying out before the manipulation is completed. Before connecting polypropylene pipes using the described technology, you must make sure that the glue has a uniform consistency, sufficient fluidity and does not have foreign inclusions.

In between work, containers with adhesive composition it is necessary to close it as tightly as possible, which will exclude the evaporation of volatile active components.

Pipe connection technology using fittings and adhesives

If you decide to use the cold join method, then you need to use the technology described below. At the first stage, you need to cut off a part of the pipe so that you can get an element of the required length. For which it is recommended to use a pipe cutter, special scissors or a hacksaw for metal, the latter of which has rather small teeth.

If you are thinking about the question of how to properly connect polypropylene pipes, then at the next stage, a chamfer is removed at the end of the product, while it is important to observe an angle of 15 degrees. In the process of carrying out these manipulations, a chamfer is used, it is important to exclude the formation of burrs. The next step is to thoroughly clean the socket of the fitting, as well as the pipe from dust, dirt and moisture.

In order to achieve effective cleaning of the connected elements, it is necessary to use cleaners designed for pipes made of CPVC. With the help of this composition, it will be possible to prepare the surfaces well enough for further gluing.

Nuances of work

If you are faced with the task of how to connect polypropylene pipes without a soldering iron, then at the next stage you can apply glue. In this case, you need to use a brush, carefully distributing the composition over the surface of the socket and pipe. Elements are inserted into each other, for uniform distribution composition, you need to turn the fitting 90 degrees relative to the pipe. Parts are locked for 30 seconds, during which no repeated turning should be carried out. It is important to complete the entire process within 1 minute. If you are thinking about how to connect polypropylene pipes without soldering, then after gluing you need to check for the presence of a roller, which is a uniform adhesive layer located around the circumference. You may need to dispose of excess glue using a soft cloth.

Why use the cold method of connecting plastic pipes

Before connecting polypropylene pipes with fittings, you need to weigh all the positive negative sides other technologies. If it comes about the glue joint, which was described above, it is worth highlighting the advantages, which consist in the possibility of high-quality installation of pipes even in those places, access to which is especially difficult. The master does not have to use additional expensive equipment that can consume a large amount of electricity during operation. The whole process can be carried out independently, without resorting to the help of professional companies. In the process of gluing parts, the formation of a structure occurs monolithic type, which ensures the tightness of the joint. If you decide to use cold glue welding, then, unlike the usual one, no sagging will form on the inner surface of the product, which can narrow the gap and contribute to the settling of solid particles.

Conclusion

If you observe the connection of polypropylene pipes to each other, observing the above simple rules and recommendations, then leaks and sagging of the pipeline will be excluded. The service life of a pipeline installed using a similar technique can reach 50 years.