No matter the application, having a powerful hot air tool is key for ensuring you complete a project efficiently and professionally.

Knowing what to do in the event your hot air tool isn’t starting—or working properly—is also key in preventing downtime and avoiding costly repairs.

If you experience challenges with your hot air tool, take a look at these five common equipment issues, troubleshooting tips to repair them, and prevention tips for future use.

1. Your Hot Air Tool Isn’t Heating Up.

One of the most common issues a user may encounter is a lack of heat output from their hot air tool. In this case, the heating element is likely faulty and will need to be replaced. In other cases, you may only need to replace your insulator tube, rather than the entire heating element. When searching for a qualified servicing vendor to repair your tool, keep in mind their costs, experience, and replacement part offerings. While IHS offers world-class service, repairs, and support, we also offer IHS-brand replacement parts that cost a fraction of the name-brand cost.

Prevention tip: Remember to check the airflow nozzle attachment and heating element inside the airflow cavities for any blockages, and remove them. Also avoid dropping your hot air tool, especially while the heating element is hot.

2. You Can’t Adjust The Temperature.

Every hot air professional knows it’s critical to use the correct temperature when welding. Fluctuating temperatures can result in weak welds, cracks, or even burned plastic. When a user can’t adjust the temperature of a hot air tool, the tool likely has a faulty electronic control circuit board that must be replaced.

Prevention tip: Maintain a clean inlet air filter to reduce the chance of internally overheating the hot air tool. Also, perform frequent visual inspections of your hot air tool to search for signs of overheating, such as darkened areas on the heating element.

3. Your Tool’s Heat Output Isn’t Consistent.

As noted above, the right temperature is critical to performing a successful weld in any application, from roofing to civil engineering. When your hot air tool isn’t maintaining a consistent temperature output, the cause may be a temperature adjustment switch or potentiometer malfunction, either of which will need to be replaced.

Prevention tip: Make sure to conduct regular preventative maintenance for your hot air tool. These tasks can include cleaning the airflow inlet air filter or welding nozzle, as well as checking the power cable for mechanical and/or electrical damage.

4. Your Hot Air Tool Isn’t Blowing Any Air.

Another issue users often experience is lack of air output. If your hot air tool’s blower motor isn’t working, you’ll likely need to replace your blower motor brush. If your motor brush doesn’t need to be replaced, the blower motor may need to be replaced instead.

Prevention tip: Like the tip mentioned above, keeping your blower motor in peak condition requires routine maintenance of your hot air tool, including regularly cleaning the parts within and removing any blockages.

5. Your Hot Air Tool Isn’t Starting.

If your hot air tool isn’t starting and your power switch isn’t illuminated, your power cord may be faulty. In this case, you’ll need to determine where the power cord is broken: between the strain relief inside the hot air tool, within the power plug, or between the strain relief and power plug.

To do so, first plug your power cord into your power source and move the cord back and forth. If the tool intermittently turns on and off, then the power cord is faulty. If this doesn’t occur, perform a continuity test with a continuity tester or an ohmmeter. If the power cord has continuity, then it doesn’t need to be replaced. Next, conduct a continuity test for the power switch. If the power switch doesn’t have continuity while turned on, then the power switch is faulty and will need to be replaced. If the power switch has continuity, contact IHS for technical support.

Prevention tip: Like any issue that can occur with your hot air tool, performing regular maintenance check-ups on your tool can prevent your power cord or power switch from breaking.

Hot Air Hand Tools for Any Application

Are you in the market for a hot air hand tool but not sure where to start? At IHS, we have decades of experience, which translate into unmatched industry knowledge. Paired with the hundreds of tool options we carry, we promise to find the right tool for your application, whether it be manufacturing, plastic welding, civil engineering, or anything in between.

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