Which tool for what job? Choosing the right welder.

Poly pipe electrofusion welders are often needed to fit, join, or fabricate poly pipe on-site.

Welders are most often used by maintenance crews on large scale jobs such as:

• water treatment plants
• chemical process plants; and
• commercial irrigation systems.

They can also be used on civil projects such as:

• water pipelines or renewals; or 
• fire main installations.

When it comes to choosing which welder for what job, we would encourage maintenance and installation crews to look at the environment they’re working in, as well as the size of the fitting or pipe they are likely to be using before making a decision.

A mine site where welders are often transported on the backs of light vehicles, for instance, would require a more heavy duty machine, such as a heavy duty 630mm welder, as it’s suspended on rubber mounts inside a stainless steel frame, allowing it to cope with the rough and tumble of a mining site.

The mini 200 welder is also very well suited to a rural application, as it’s sturdy and strong, and great all rounder.

We would also recommend a welder with a compatible duty cycle, and insist that the capacity of the welder is matched to the work you will be doing. 

Whatever you do, don’t choose an undersized welder.

If you purchase a mini welder and take it into the desert to weld 90 and 63mm poly pipe at ambient temperatures (above the recommended maximum operating temperature), you will push your welder above its capacity and the circuit boards will fail, which can be costly to replace. 

For high temperature, remote environment applications, we carry a Super Duty welder with huge thermo fans that allow the machinery to cope with continuous welding cycles in extreme heat – up to 50 degrees if required. 

Hot weather can really test power equipment – not to mention the people using it – so it’s important to ensure you select your electrofusion welding machine according to your environment.

It’s also important to avoid using a small welder on a larger than recommended coupler or socket, even if the welder does start to work, the joint integrity would always be compromised.

You need the correct amount of energy for the time required to melt and fuse a socket or coupling, so using an undersized welder that can’t provide enough energy will significantly impact the end result.

If you are unsure, it’s best to use a test socket in the size you are most commonly welding before starting your job.

Testing your sockets prior to welding any pipeline will ensure the machine is big enough, and the power source (often running off a generator) is adequate for the machine – this approach can save a lot of heartache.

If you’re still unsure of the right welder to use for your job, Advanced Piping Systems’ friendly customer service team will gladly help you to identify the best machine for your project or environment.