Soldering for the first time? Confused and facing problems is expected, then. Even if it’s not your first time, you may face some difficulties.

A common problem that most people face is solder not melting. Don’t worry if you are facing the same. Every problem comes with a solution. Here, with different solutions.

Soldering is pretty easy. But you have to follow proper procedure. Or else it will look complicated. Also, it will take a lot of time.

Before going to our main topic, we’ll let you know of some important things regarding soldering.

Solder Not Melting

Solder And Soldering

Soldering is a process of joining wires to connectors, wires, or PCB. Solder is a mixture of metal alloys. The mixture contains lead, tin, and flux. Some solders may not contain flux.

Flux makes the joint stronger. That’s why applying flux when soldering is necessary.

You have to be really careful when soldering. Soldering requires high heat. For heating, soldering iron is used.

Soldering Iron And Soldering Station

Soldering iron is used for melting solder. Solder requires high heat for melting. And it depends on the solder.

Soldering iron can be heated up to 150 to 800 c. And these irons come with different tips.

You can also use a soldering station. Soldering stations give better benefits. In soldering stations, soldering iron gives a special feature. Here, the temperature of soldering iron is adjustable.

Still, sometimes, soldering iron may not be able to give proper heat. It’s better to use a soldering station for big projects.

After knowing the basics, you must have found out your problem. If not, let’s discuss the common problem and its solutions.

Solder Not Melting

Waiting for a long time, yet the solder is not melting? It’s a common problem. Everyone faces it less or more.

Now should you be waiting till the solder melts? Even if it does, how long do you have to wait?

Well, solder takes 2-4 seconds to melt. In that span of time, if it doesn’t melt, there must be a problem. Let’s go step by step and check your problem.

Heating

 There are various reasons for solder isn’t melting.

The most common reason is not heating properly. Soldering requires heat from 300-400c. If you put less heat, the solder will not melt. And If you continue heating at low temperature, it will not work.

So, Raise the temperature of the soldering iron.

First, check if the soldering iron is heated or not. Put a piece of paper on the tip of the iron. The high heat will burn the paper. If not, then your iron is not heated enough.

Make sure the cord is plugged in properly. Otherwise, the tip of the iron will not be heated.

Do not overheat. Overheating may burn the wires. So, avoid overheating.

Reminder: Do not touch the tip with your hands. The heat has the capability to burn your skin.

Soldering iron

Soldering iron can cause many problems while soldering. If low heat is not your problem, you may find your solution here.

Well, using an adjustable soldering iron is good. But sometimes, it may fail to provide proper heat.

Give enough time to heat the iron. The iron takes at least 10-15 minutes to heat. So, don’t rush.

Or the tip might have some problem. If your tip has dirt on it, you should clean it. You can also put flux on it. Flux helps to remove dirt. Still, if it’s not working, you can try changing the tip.

Sometimes the tip does not work because of oxidation. As we all know, iron gets easily oxidized in the presence of oxygen. So, you should not leave the iron openly.

Instead, put some solder on it after using. Solder will create an extra layer on the tip and prevent getting oxidized.

Before soldering, cleaning is a must. You should clean the wires as well.

Solder

 There are various types of solders available in the market. Some are thick, and some are not. Thicker solders take a long time to melt. In comparison, a thinner solder takes less time.

So, check your solder as the melting time depends on that. There is also flux containing solder. If your one doesn’t contain flux, you should put flux on the tip of the iron. Or else switch your solder.

Old solders don’t work. Doesn’t matter how much heat you put.it will not work. So, do not use old solder. If all these solutions are not working for you, change your soldering iron. And it’s the last option.

There is nothing more you can do about it. Well, these are all possible solutions. Try fixing it.

Also, make sure to wear gloves and eyeglasses as lead is harmful. When melting solder, toxic smoke is formed. So, wear masks as well.

Be careful.

Final Remarks

Soldering becomes really confusing and annoying when it doesn’t work. Especially when the solder doesn’t melt, solder is the most important component here.

Without melting the solder, wires will not joint. Even if it does, it will not stay for long. So, choose solder wisely. I hope now you know what to do when solder not melting.