What Is Desoldering and How Can You Do It?

If you need to remove electronic components from a circuit, you'll need to desolder them. Check out our desoldering tips for how to do it properly.

Whether you've made a mistake in your soldering or you're looking to salvage old components, desoldering is a precious skill that you will often refer to in your DIY journey.

Desoldering is essentially the act of removing the solder from components, in order to either correct it with a better solder job or to release the components. In this article we cover why you should desolder, and how you can do it. Read on to find out!

Why Should You Desolder Your Components?

Even the most tin-hardened solder veterans are prone to making mistakes when they solder components. You might mess up the soldering, or perhaps solder the wrong component. Whatever kind of mistake it is, you can reverse it once you master desoldering.

Another use case of desoldering is salvaging components from older projects. Just because something is soldered onto a board doesn't mean that it cannot be reused for another project! You can desolder the components and reuse them in other circuits.

If you're not yet proficient in soldering, then try these fun soldering projects to give yourself some practice.

How to Desolder Properly

You can break down desoldering into two major steps: heating up the solder, and removing it. You can use any instruments to get these two done. For instance, you can use a heat gun or a soldering iron to heat up the solder. As for the removal step, you can use the soldering iron itself, a solder braid or wick, or a desoldering pump. It all depends on what you've got to work with. Ultimately, you can desolder with the same tools that you used for soldering.

1. Heating Up the Solder

Heat up the soldering iron to a sufficient temperature and then nudge the solder with the iron. It's best if you dip the soldering iron in some flux before you do this. Keep on pressing the soldering iron on the solder until the solder melts entirely.

If you don't have a solder braid or a desoldering pump, then use the soldering iron itself to remove the solder. Push the solder away with the tip of the soldering iron, and then nudge the component until it is set free. However, if you've got desoldering tools then move on to the next step.

If you're looking to buy a new tool for soldering, read our article on tips you should consider before buying a new soldering iron to get the best value for your money.

2. Removing the Solder With a Desoldering Pump or a Solder Braid

A desoldering pump, or a solder sucker, is a tool that sucks up the molten solder through a vacuum. You can use this tool to easily remove the solder, especially in PCB boards.

Once you've got the solder heated up, load the desoldering pump by depressing the plunger and then approach the solder. Get the pump's tip as close as possible to the solder. Don't remove the soldering iron, otherwise the solder will quickly cool and freeze again. Once you're close enough, press the button on the desoldering pump. This will suck up and remove the solder.

Solder wicks or solder braids are desoldering instruments made up of metal wires. Soldering braids absorb the solder and thus remove it from the components. Unlike the desoldering pump, solder braids are not reusable. Once the copper wires suck in the solder, they can't do it again.

To desolder with a soldering braid, heat up your soldering iron and once it is heated, put the soldering braid between the solder and the soldering iron and press the solder with the soldering iron. This will heat the solder braid, which will in turn heat up the solder on your component. Due to the solder braid's metallic nature, it will absorb the solder and free your component. If the braid doesn't absorb the solder, then put some flux on the solder and try again.

Ctrl + Z of Soldering

Just as knowing how to solder components is an important skill in working with PCBs and other electrical connections, knowing how to desolder the same solder joints is a key skill. Now that you know how to desolder in theory, it's time to take this knowledge to your workshop and practice it in action.