Although this device is called a construction hairdryer, it is by no means intended for drying hair - it is too powerful for this. But to weld linoleum, solder, melt soft tiles and cut roofing material a good thermal gun can "cheers". In this article we will tell you how to choose a building hair dryer, which will be a great assistant for a home craftsman.
Content:
Why do I need a building hair dryer and what types of work can I do with it
There is a ton of work that a building hair dryer can do. In particular, he:
#1. It will dry glue, putty, joints of tiles or stucco, the joints of the material before laying the insulation.
#2. Removes from the windows, floor and furniture the remnants of varnish or paint, veneer or wallpaper, tile or parquet. For this, hot air and a spatula-scraper are used.
#3. Forms polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene products (at 300 degrees). Well, at 500 degrees you can work with acrylic and plexiglass. The building hair dryer copes well with pipes and rods made of polyurethane.
#4. Defrosts icy drains, pipes, locks, removes ice from stairs and wires.
#5. Disinfects wood, killing bugs and microorganisms, destroys anthills built in a stone wall or blind area.
#6. Glues large parts with contact glue, increasing the exposure time and heating the joints. In addition, a building hair dryer will help accelerate the setting of two-component adhesives, remove PVC stickers, and remove the screw that is attached to the adhesive.
#7. He presses and solders the PVC pipes in hot form, gives the handles and hoses the necessary shrinkage.
#8. Lap welds pieces of polyvinyl chloride film, tarpaulin. The hot air gun will connect pieces of PVC flooring with a welding rod. By melting the bitumen, it is possible to repair the roof using a heat gun, and cut or weld bitumen cardboard and roofing felt.
#9. Seals pipes using tin or silver solder. For the latter, a temperature of at least 400 degrees is needed. Copper water pipes, wires and cable lugs can be easily soldered (or soldered) with a construction hairdryer.
As you can see, the scope of application of a hot air gun is quite extensive, so it is extremely useful to have such a tool on the farm. And now we will consider what properties and characteristics it is necessary to pay attention to when buying.
Photos of various types of work that can be done with a hot air gun.
Specifications to consider when choosing a hair dryer
In general, structurally, all models of industrial hair dryers are almost no different from each other. The ceramic insulator, together with the heating element (spiral) located on it, is located in a durable plastic case that is resistant to high temperatures. There is also an electric motor with one or two impellers operating at high speeds. Its task is to distill the air heated by the spiral to the nozzle, where it begins to work, falling on guided surfaces. Next, we consider the main technical parameters of the device that must be considered when choosing it.
The device of the building hair dryer.
Maximum temperature of an air stream, productivity, power
The maximum allowable temperature during operation for most models will be 600 or 650 degrees.Although there are also very powerful instances in which this parameter reaches 750 or 800 degrees.
The volume of air passed through the hot air gun per unit of time determines its performance. In middle-class models, this value ranges from 200 to 650 liters per minute. This parameter is directly related to the heating temperature. With an increase in productivity and heating temperature, the device will have more features. Its power, composed of the power of the spiral and fan, will also increase. Power varies from 500 to 2500 watts. If it is more than 2000 watts, get ready for the fact that the device will be overall, heavy and expensive. therefore, if you choose a device for home use, then look at models with power up to 2000 watts.
Air volume adjustment
An important indicator is the adjustment of the volume of injected air. Such adjustment is not available in all models, but it can be extremely useful if overheating of the entire surface with which the work is performed is not desirable or the part to be processed is very light and can simply be blown away by the air stream.
Hair dryer with adjustable air volume.
Heating temperature adjustment
The ability to control temperature is an important parameter. It gives the master the opportunity to adapt the device to work with various materials. If the hair dryer has a “hobby” class, then this adjustment will be of a step type (there are 2 or 3 fixed values).
Construction hair dryer with step-controlled discharge air temperature.
For professional models, the adjustment is more interesting - smooth. They are subject to any material, even very difficult to process. The adjustment method may be electronic or slider.
Infinitely adjustable air temperature.
Electronic temperature control system
The system for maintaining a certain temperature (otherwise, stabilizing the heat flux) is made on an electronic circuit. It allows you to maintain a constant temperature of the outgoing air and saves the heating coil from premature wear. As a rule, such devices have a built-in memory that stores the temperature until the next time it is turned on. Working with such devices is more comfortable and faster, but these are usually professional models that are expensive. Therefore, if you choose a tool for homework, then this is not your option.
Cold air
The presence of cold airflow is a considerable plus. By cooling, for example, the place of adhesion of pipes made of plastic with cool air, the total time of work can be reduced. After all, you won’t have to wait until the hot place cools down by itself. Depending on the model and manufacturer, constructively this is done in two ways: by turning off the spiral or by the presence of a second nozzle. The second method is more modern and "advanced", but the first allows you to quickly cool the spiral after work by packing the device. In addition, the presence of a second nozzle with cold blowing in the device allows gluing thermoplastic materials when the first nozzle is heated, and the second immediately cools the glued surface.
The presence of a filter for incoming air
The filter for incoming air is good when it is intended to use the device often where there is a lot of building dust. It, falling into the hair dryer with air, can very quickly disable the spiral. If air passes through an easily removable filter, then this will not be a problem.
Availability of control indication
When performing delicate work, overheating or insufficient heating of the workpiece can ruin the part. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor the air flow temperature. The control indication can be done using a small screen, as well as using LED backlight.
overheat protection
The thermostop function disables the thermocouple during overheating.And this can happen when a technical hair dryer works perpendicular to the surface of the material. The air flow first goes to the surface to be treated, and then pushes away from it, being on a spiral. This leads to overheating.
Thermal protection cover
The casing for thermal protection is located on the pipe through which air enters the device. It can be either removable or non-removable type. In the first case, this casing can be removed in some situations. For example, to get into some slot. At the same time, you need to work carefully so as not to get burns and damage the material. The body of a building hair dryer is always made of a material with heat-insulating properties.
Handle shape and type
Basically, the handles of these devices are in the form of a gun. However, this is inconvenient if the use of a building hair dryer involves work in a hard-to-reach place. And then it is better to use a straight-shaped cylindrical handle. There are models with a rotary handle. It is good when the handle has anti-slip pads. Also, the handle can be open and closed. The second option is preferable, since it contains protection for the worker from hot particles and hot air.
Hot air gun with an open handle in the form of a gun.
Closed handle for protection against hot air.
Technical hair dryer with a round handle that can be installed at any angle.
The rotary handle allows you to work in tight spaces.
Parking methods
This device is quite “gentle” - when it falls, a ceramic element often breaks or a spiral breaks. Taking a break, you can’t put a building hair dryer vertically, and you won’t put it sideways - this is a problem. Therefore, it is good when there is a loop on the power cord that allows you to hang the device on a hook or nail. There are other options - sometimes, supports and hooks are specially made on the body of the thermal gun. Then it can be installed on any flat base.
About weight, dimensions, power cord
Typically, such devices weigh from 500 g to 1 kg. You should not take a lighter device, as this may affect the quality of the body and handle. And the power will be too small - it will not be enough for a good job. The cord coming from the network needs a three-meter, no less.
We select a configuration option
Nozzles attached to a building hair dryer are called nozzles, nozzles or nozzles. Basically, they are cheap, and if necessary, you can always buy the right one. Here is a list of the main nozzles.
#1. Round focusing nozzles are needed for working with copper pipes and welding tape.
#2. Flat nozzles remove old paint, varnish, wallpaper, deform plastic sheets.
#3. A frontal rounded reflector nozzle is used to bend polymer pipes.
#4. Slotted nozzles overlap pieces of PVC.
#5. The cutting nozzle is in the form of a flattened tube, they are cutting foam.
#6. Side nozzles (with glass protection) will help clean the window frame without heating the glass itself.
#7. Mirror nozzles weld plastic.
Varieties of nozzles for technical hair dryers.
Another thermogun can be equipped with additional handles, scrapers and rollers, rods for welding and adapters (for attaching thin nozzles). All this fits in a suitcase. It’s good if it is made of metal - after all, such devices are very fragile.
Final Choice: A Summarization and a Couple of Tips
When deciding which building hair dryer to choose, you need to clearly know what the appliance will be used for. Construction hair dryers, as well as any other tools can be divided into two categories, these are household and professional.
An amateur technical hair dryer is suitable if:
- the time of continuous work that you need does not exceed 15 minutes;
- the required maximum temperature for heating the air does not exceed 560 0FROM;
- no need for smooth temperature control.
The main thing here is that the brand is reliable. Good devices from Bosch and Makita, AEG, Steinel and Skill, Metabo, Kress, Sparki, DeWalt, Black & Decker.
A professional building hair dryer is needed if you need:
- function of smooth adjustment of temperature;
- function of electronic temperature stabilization system;
- the presence of a removable heat shield;
- the presence of a closed handle.
As for manufacturers, such manufacturers as Bosch, DeWALT, Makita, Metabo, Steinel have proven themselves best in this segment of the market.
Operation tips
#1. To prevent the thermocouple from failing, direct the air at an angle of 45 degrees. According to some reports, 95% of all failures of building hair dryers occur due to overheating, so it is important to be able to use this tool correctly.
#2. Do not work near flammable, flammable liquids.
#3. Make sure that the appliance and the processing surface do not overheat. But do not check the air temperature with your hand - you will get a burn.
#4. After work, allow the hot air gun to cool - do not touch its working surfaces. Please note that on a very hot day, the parts of the device may cool for a long time.
#5. Only remove paint or varnish with a scraper (included), while wearing a respirator.
#6. Work better on the street or in a well-ventilated area.
#7. Unattended plugged in technical hair dryer must not be left.
