On-site Shot of Welding Defects in PE Electrofusion Fittings: Can Such Products Still Be Used?

On-site Shot of Welding Defects in PE Electrofusion Fittings: Can Such Products Still Be Used?

Summary

Do not use electrofusion fittings in case of jetting, short circuit, or other similar abnormal conditions.

On-site Shot of Welding Defects in PE Electrofusion Fittings: Can Such Products Still Be Used?

Can Products with These Welding Defects Still Be Used?

No. Do not use electrofusion fittings in case of jetting, short circuit, or other similar abnormal conditions.

During the pre-welding inspection and welding process, if jetting, a short circuit, or another abnormal phenomenon occurs, the fitting shall be prohibited from use. Stop the welding operation immediately, then troubleshoot and handle the cause.

On-site jetting defect in a PE electrofusion fitting
On-site welding defect in a PE electrofusion fitting.

Defects That Require Immediate Rejection

1. Jetting

During electrofusion welding, jetting refers to the phenomenon where a large amount of plastic melt gushes out from the observation hole of the fitting. It is mostly caused by excessive welding voltage, overlong welding duration, internal defects of the fitting itself, insufficient insertion depth of the pipe, or excessive clearance between the pipe and the fitting.

Jetting will lead to the loss of molten material inside the fitting, inadequate fusion at the welding interface, and a significant drop in weld strength. This makes leakage and pipe burst highly likely in the later stage, posing a potential safety hazard of pipeline leakage.

Electrofusion fittings with jetting defects are not allowed to be repaired and reused. They must be directly scrapped and replaced with new ones. Meanwhile, check the welding machine parameters and troubleshoot installation problems before re-welding.

2. Short Circuit

After the welding machine is connected to the terminals of the electrofusion fitting, the equipment may prompt a short circuit and give an alarm, with sparking and heating at the wiring part. This is generally caused by a damaged resistance wire inside the fitting, overlapping resistance wires, damp and oxidized terminals, or a short circuit at the wiring terminals.

A short circuit can cause overload damage to the welding machine and spark burns to operators. A short circuit of the resistance wire inside the fitting will also lead to abnormal heating, making it impossible to form effective fusion and resulting in weld failure.

When a short-circuit alarm occurs, disconnect the output of the welding machine immediately. It is forbidden to force continued welding. Scrap the fitting, check the welding cable, eliminate the line fault, replace it with a qualified fitting, and then carry out welding.

WELPING PE electrofusion equal tee
WELPING Electrofusion Equal Tee

Other Conditions That Prohibit Use

In addition to jetting and short circuits, do not use electrofusion fittings with cracked bodies, damaged or deformed terminals, exposed resistance wires, dampness or water infiltration, or obvious collision damage. Fittings with abnormal welding are strictly prohibited from being buried and put into the pipe network, helping prevent pipe rupture and water leakage accidents during later pipeline operation.

How to Weld a Pipe Fitting Properly

  1. First, remove the oxide layer on the pipe surface.
  2. Second, insert the pipe into the fitting to the full depth.
  3. Third, select a welding machine that meets the welding parameters of the fitting.
  4. Fourth, ensure that the input voltage meets the specified requirements.
  5. Fifth, weld according to the specified parameters, then carry out a fracture test until a satisfactory welding effect is achieved.
WELPING PE electrofusion coupling
WELPING Electrofusion Coupling