split aircons at aldi/bunnings

It solders easily enough though (with the right flux and solder). noone welds copper pipe.

I see no reason why not except possibly galvanic corrosion problems.

To say that ' noone' welds copper pipe is wrong. It's done all the time. You can weld with adhesive, solder, filler rod, gas and electric etc. Copper pipe is often welded together with silver solder.To weld something only means to unite or join.............We often weld pvc sheeting on our jobs

It's not really rubbish. Modern A/C's have different fittings to that of the older units. Therefore quite expensive flaring tools have to be acquired. Of course if you do this a regas would be required. At a cost and then the system vacuumed down.

In the contex -- To solder, to most people means to use soft solder and a low temerature torch. To weld means to use a 2 gas torch or some form of arc to attain the higher temperatures of Silver soldering, brazing or arc welding.

Of course you WELD PVC sheeting, there is no such term or process in plastics as soldering. And yes to the pedantic all the above may be welding but welding often has no added other material in the joint.

Wheras soldering always rquires Solder to join the other 2 pieces.

The real solution to this absurdly long thread is to install a packaged unit as supplied or get professional help to do a custom job.

To say that ' noone' welds copper pipe is wrong. It's done all the time. You can weld with adhesive, solder, filler rod, gas and electric etc. Copper pipe is often welded together with silver solder.To weld something only means to unite or join.............We often weld pvc sheeting on our jobs

Incorrect, Welding does not just mean uniting or joining. Materials welded together have to be at a temperature above their melting point . Soldering or brazing is surface alloying and the joined materials are below their melting temps.

Still rot, we are only talking about shortening the copper between the outside unit and the inside and normal flaring tools are used. A regas would not be needed on a new install.

I never heard of it being done for a domestic or commercial air-con install. is always soldering where pipe sections need to be joined. (unless it's a flared joint etc.)

with adhesive it's gluing, with solder soldering.

if the filler mixes with the pieces being joined it's welding.

you need to get a bigger dictionary.

I've seen welded PVC sheets (eg: beachballs) it's an ultrasonic pressure precess isn't it?

plumbers often weld solid pvc using solvents to get it to coalesce

I've heard of solid polystyrene (not foam) being welded using ether.

Plastic welding is used extensively these days in the automotive smash repair industry. Had a go at it myself back in 81 or 82. It's not a new process by any means and it isn't difficult to do.

That depends on what the other material is. In most welding I have done myself and that which I have seen others do, there is a "filler" material used. The filler material isn't always the same as the material being welded. Electric arc welding rods are a case in point as you can get a huge variety of different types of rods for a wide variety of purposes. These filler materials are selected and used according to the needs of the welded joint and in many cases can make the welded joint much stronger than the surrounding unwelded material.

has anyone here bought one of these air cons and can tell that it is self install ?

I looked at one today at aldi, and the "installation manual" specified that it was necessary to flare the pipe and also to vacuum out the pipes. This doesn't sound like self install to me.

Not sure how you would "vacuum out the pipes"as the outside section is usually charged with gas which you would lose if you tried. with these units you usually connect pre flared tubes, leaving one a bit undone, turn an allen key a bit to release gas up into and through evaporator driving air from the pipes then tighten flare nut after a very short time then fully open allen key valve.

They showed the use of a vacuum pump in the installation manual.

I looked at the bunnings ones today, they were AKAI brand, came in 3 sizes, no one had a clue whether they were self install or not, and the manuals were not accessable.

I don't know ho they do that unless the hose connection with the schrader valve in it is open to the flair connection to the evaporator when the allen key valve is shut. Doing one shortly I will check.(Mine will run on R290 (propane)) All of these units have warnings that licensed people must install but are designed that any one mechanically capable can do it.