Heat Guns

Home Heat Guns

Home heat guns, also known as hot air guns, are used for a variety of purposes. They are good to strip paint and to use for arts and crafts projects. They operate like hair dryers; however, they provide a flow of air that is much hotter than that created by a typical hair dryer.

These devices are used for a variety of purposes around the home. The most common one is stripping or drying paint, depending on the unit's settings and its distance from the wall or object. They are used to soften adhesives to remove labels easily. Other uses for these devices include applying hot air to frozen pipes to thaw them, embossing items, and repairing leather and vinyl.

Industrial models can be used for mixing chemicals, bending plastic, and tightening temperature-sensitive shrink wrapping.

In general, these units often reach temperatures between 200-1,000-degrees Fahrenheit, with some of them reaching over 1,400-degrees Fahrenheit. Some units are adjustable, allowing you to adjust how hot the outgoing air becomes. For fixed units, be sure to pick one that matches your needs and the heat threshold.

Here are some common things for most of these units:

• Temperature Settings: The vast majority of these units have heat settings that you can adjust to match your needs. These settings allow you to use the device for various purposes.
• Flexible Length: An adjustable length gives you even greater control of the heat and how wide it spreads over a surface.
• Nozzles: Nozzles can be used to adjust the spread of the heat, making it wider or narrower. There are also wraparound nozzles to get around edges and protector nozzles to protect certain materials from the heat.
• Safety Features: Conventional heat guns have several safety features. They will shut off if the wattage or the heat gets too high. The trigger is also designed so that all power is cut off when finger pressure is removed.

There are several types of hot air guns from which to choose. An electric type is the most common. This kind plugs into the wall and has an internal heating element. There are also gas-powered units that use gas as a heating source. There are infrared guns that can either be plugged in or mobile, while operating on batteries, depending on the unit. Industrial hot air guns are larger than the rest. They may be directly connected to an electrical power supply and produce the hottest air flows.

A hairdryer is technically a specific type of hot air gun, but its purpose is very different. Hairdryers only reach about 130-degrees Fahrenheit, which is significantly lower than a conventional heat gun. While a hairdryer may be able to perform some similar functions, like helping paint to dry or potentially thawing pipes, it is not nearly as powerful.