On the shelves of hardware stores there is a wide variety of gas burners intended for domestic use. Moreover, the assortment includes many miniature designs equipped with small-capacity cylinders, which ensures the convenience of performing various types of work.
We suggest you figure out which gas torch for soldering copper pipes and other purposes can be the best tool among the existing range of equipment. In the article we examined in detail the structure and types of such devices. In addition, they provided advice on choosing gas burners and their use for soldering copper products.
What is a gas burner?
Gas torches are indispensable assistants and tools for many types of gas-flame processing of metals - gas-oxygen welding, soldering, heating.
To choose the burner that is most suitable for your type of work, you need to at least understand a little about the variety of design features, as well as the functional and technical capabilities of gas burners. Most often, burners are divided into three main types according to the combustible gas used:
- Welding torches operating on an acetylene-oxygen combustible mixture;
- Welding torches operating on a propane-oxygen combustible mixture;
- Propane gas-air burners.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Video material about various types of soldering tools for manual use, mobile, universal, etc. A fairly informative video, recommended for viewing:
A tool for soldering copper - a gas burner - is a rather specific piece of equipment, one of the tools that is required only in certain cases, not counting professional activities.
Its acquisition to perform one-time work should hardly be considered a rational matter. It is more practical to borrow the device for a while, for example, to rent, but this requires knowing what a gas burner is and how to use it correctly.
Are you looking for a high-quality gas torch for soldering copper pipes? Or do you have experience using such equipment? Please leave comments on the article, ask questions and participate in discussions. The contact form is located below.
Welding torches operating on acetylene-oxygen combustible mixture
Oxy-acetylene welding uses the heat generated by the combustion of acetylene in oxygen. In terms of power, such burners are found in two common types: G2A and G3A (low and medium power burners). G2A torches are used when welding thin metal. The kit usually contains several tips of different sizes.
Particularly worth highlighting from this series are burners with a full complement of solid-drawn copper tips. The presence of solid-drawn copper tips in the G2A-mini torch kit allows you to carry out welding work in hard-to-reach places such as corner joints, where a conventional torch would be useless.
And the thickness of the copper tubes of the tips ensures a long operating time without overheating, due to good heat dissipation from the tip.
Operational safety
It is not allowed to work with gas hoses made of small pieces connected with wire, as well as to use faulty equipment or carry out repairs on the burner during operation.
The burners operate from a steel liquefied gas cylinder, which, regardless of volume, can become sources of a powerful explosion. Today, the industry has launched the production of cylinders made of metal-composite and composite materials, which are absolutely safe, for the reason that such containers cannot explode.
Basic safety requirements when operating propane burners:
- Work can be performed by persons who have passed a test of knowledge of safety regulations and have received permission to perform work when they reach 18 years of age.
- Operating personnel must have protective clothing and hand and eye protection.
- Before work, it is necessary to carefully inspect the complex of gas burner equipment for serviceability.
- Inspect the technical condition of the gas cylinder, clean the dirt and blow out the valve with a sharp “open-close” turn. If it does not unscrew, the cylinder is considered inoperative and requires repair in a specialized organization.
- The working liquefied gas cylinder is installed in a well-ventilated area at positive outside temperatures.
- Before connecting the gearbox, purge the fitting.
- The minimum distance from the workplace to heat sources is more than 1 m, and to an open fire - more than 10 m.
When using the gas cylinder, personnel are prohibited from installing cylinders at an angle, working without a gearbox and under the scorching sun, heating the gas cylinder with an open fire, and leaving the gas cylinder installation unattended.
Acetylene welding torches
Article: 001.020.781 Acetylene torch G2-4M-01 (No. 0A, 1A, 2A, 3A) Manual welding torch of equal pressure for welding metals up to 4 mm thick.
Equipped with solid-drawn copper lugs No. 0A, 1A, 2A and 3A. Price: RUR 3,545
Article: 001.020.706 Acetylene burner G2A “Baby” (No. 0A, 1A, 2A, 3A)
Injection torch for welding metals up to 4 mm thick. Equipped with brass welding tips with copper mouthpieces No. 0A, 1A, 2A and 3A.
Price: RUR 3,752
Article: 001.020.703 Acetylene burner GZA (No. 4A, 5A)
Injector torch for welding metals up to 11 mm thick. Equipped with brass welding tips with copper mouthpieces No. 4A and 5A.
Price: RUR 3,342
Article: 001.020.702 Acetylene burner G2A MINI (No. 0A, 1A, 2A, 3A)
Injection torch for welding metals up to 4 mm thick. Equipped with solid-drawn copper lugs No. 0A, 1A, 2A and 3A.
Price: RUR 3,612
Article: 001.020.701 Acetylene burner G2A (No. 2A, 3A)
Injection torch for welding metals up to 4 mm thick. Equipped with brass welding tips with copper mouthpieces No. 2A and 3A.
Price: RUR 2,756
What to look for when purchasing
The propane burner has a wide range of uses: in everyday life, construction and industry. In order to select a durable and highly functional device capable of performing the assigned tasks, you will need not only to know its design features, but also to take into account a number of important significant criteria.
The main parameters for choosing gas-air torches for welding:
- Dimensions and weight of the product. The standard weight of the model is from 0.5 to 1.5 kg. It is important that the design fits comfortably in the hand without causing excessive fatigue.
- Working fuel. As a rule, the devices operate on a propane-butane mixture or pure propane for welding. Methane is used only in industrial installations.
- The power of the heat flow determines the strength and length of the working flame and can be adjusted by a valve or lever valve.
- The size of the working opening of the mouthpiece and the material that must withstand high temperatures.
- Ignition method. Most often it is done manually using matches or a lighter. The latest modern models have piezo ignition.
- The maximum flame temperature is from 1000 to 1500 C.
Before buying a welding torch, you need to check the reliability of the connecting hose, the tightness of the connections, and the integrity of the cup. A missed defect can cause an emergency when using the device.
Welding torches operating on propane-oxygen combustible mixture
GZU propane torches are also used for soldering ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and less often for non-critical welding seams of ferrous metal of small thicknesses up to 3 mm. This is due to the lower temperature of the propane-oxygen mixture (up to 2,100°C), which does not allow welding to be performed on equal terms with torches running on acetylene. Nevertheless, such burners are widely used for heating and soldering non-ferrous metals with high-temperature solders.
The compactness of such welding torches, excellent operation of the valve units, allowing for “fine” adjustment of the gas supply, modern, thoughtful design - all this makes the torches convenient and reliable and allows you to work with them both in open space and indoors.
Popular copper soldering methods
Based on the size (weight, volume) of the joint, as well as depending on the conditions of use and operation, soldering methods can be divided into two popular options.
In practice, they most often use:
- soft solder - Tmelt = 250°C maximum;
- hard solder - Melt = 900°C maximum.
Accordingly, based on the conditions put forward, the appropriate gas burner is selected for soldering.
Soft solder in coils, made in the form of wire with a diameter of 1-3 mm, is well suited for soldering by novice craftsmen. There are two types of soft solders - 1S and 3S
The traditional method of torch joints for copper soldering is based on a specifically specified technology.
Sequencing:
- The connected sections of copper pipes are thoroughly cleaned (with sandpaper, brush), and degreased using solvent chemicals.
- If a precise connection is necessary, the articulated parts are fixed in the desired position using temporary fasteners. It is better to use clamps.
- Next, a special flux is used - a solution that is used to treat the joint area - usually using a brush included in the flux kit.
- The next step is to use a gas burner and evenly heat the soldering area until the flux applied to the surface acquires a dark color.
- Solder (soft or hard, depending on the choice) is introduced into the solder point until the entire soldering area is completely covered with molten solder.
The copper soldering method, when low-temperature (soft) solder is used, is considered more practical, especially for work performed by unprofessional (do-it-yourself) hands.
The preference is explained by the fact that thanks to the use of a burner with a low flame temperature, a non-professional has less risk of burning through the metal.
Brazing alloys for copper soldering are well suited for capillary-slot soldering, a method often used in the installation of copper pipes in refrigeration equipment.
Low-temperature solders, of course, provide a less reliable connection from a mechanical point of view, but performing such soldering is much easier and simpler than soldering with high-temperature solders. The latter option requires extensive professional experience and good equipment.
Propane gas-air burners
All burners in this series are injection-type burners with forced supply of combustible gas and air intake from the atmosphere. A propane-butane mixture is used as a combustible gas in such burners.
GV gas-air burners are designed for heating products made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, non-metallic materials, as well as for melting the surface of bitumen roll material in the production of waterproofing.
They are often used for heating when bending plastic pipes, drying reinforced concrete panels, foundry molds, brickwork, all thanks to a wide range and the possibility of using special nozzles.
For example, for large volumes of work on laying rolled roofing materials, it is recommended to use a 2-flare gas-air burner with a wide coverage of the heated area.
For heating and heat treatment of parts made of various materials, burners with three flasks of the GV-3V series and a GV-3V-01 burner with three special nozzles are used (to form a “flat torch”, to form a thin, “sharp” flame, flask ø 25 mm) .
Those who need the ability to solder “in the field” should pay attention to the gas-air propane torch of the GVP series. Complete with a small 5-liter propane cylinder, a propane reducer and a rubber-fabric sleeve, it is a convenient mobile portable soldering kit that is easy to take with you. The maximum flame temperature of such a burner is 700°C.
This is sufficient for telephone cable repair services, decorative blacksmithing, electrical cabinet installers and other similar jobs.
Tips for choosing the best burner
Choosing a torch is a complex issue, given the number of tools available on the commercial market and modern gas torch technology.
Therefore, the term “best”, in this case, should, perhaps, be attributed not so much directly to the tool - a torch for home soldering of copper pipes, but rather to the conditions of work that are expected.
However, if you select a specific device for each individual condition, it won’t take long to go broke, literally. Therefore, it is logical to consider a universal design to be the best burner. A striking example of versatility is, for example, a device from Castolin - model CT27 .
The soldering machine from Bernzomatic, popular among craftsmen of various levels, is one of the good choices that ensures the production of work of varying complexity.
Among the popular companies supplying high-quality gas equipment for copper soldering, in addition to Bernzomatic and Castolin , mention should be made of SLEDOPYT , DAYREX , Flame Gun , Energy , REXANT , Rothenberger . By the way, the products of the last mentioned brand have a rather high price tag.
In addition to the manufacturer, when choosing the optimal device for soldering, it is advisable for beginners to look at the characteristics. If the burner can be used in almost any type of work, including connecting copper pipes and other actions, then a similar model can be taken.
Another criterion is the type of power supply and flame adjustment. It’s good if the portable design you like for copper soldering is designed to be powered by “SAS/Pro” or “MAPP/Pro” cylinders and can provide fine adjustment and fixation of the flame.
An equally important role is played by the weight of the device - for example, a good option is a torch weighing about 400 grams, which, moreover, is specially adapted for soldering in any position
As for the configuration, a torch for a beginner in copper soldering should be equipped with at least three different tips:
- standard;
- cyclone;
- super cyclonic.
This set of tips will allow you to process solder joint points of a wide variety of configurations and form beautiful, inconspicuous seams.
Actually, approximately according to this principle you should select a device for soldering. The modern market opens up extensive opportunities for choosing a suitable burner.
