A Complete Guide to the Different Heat Gun Nozzles

You can use your heat gun for stripping paint. However, there are many different places where you’ll need to use it and this can require different nozzles on the heat gun for it to really be effective. There are four main types of nozzles available for your heat gun but you will need to purchase them separately from the heat gun itself.

Main Nozzle

The heat gun comes with a single main nozzle. This is fine for general work and unless you’re working on less accessible areas, it will be adequate for most projects. It’s wide enough to spread heat over a broad surface yet small enough to be reasonably concentrated. It’s the workhorse nozzle that will take care of ninety percent of your DIY needs. What you have to decide is whether you really need other nozzles and whether they’re worth the expense; will you get enough use from other nozzles to justify the cost?

Glass Protector Nozzle

Quite often, you’ll be using a heat gun to take the paint off woodwork and this will include window frames. The problem with this is that the heat gun will warm the putty holding the glass in place which can cause it to loosen. In very extreme cases, if the glass hasn’t been properly secured, the pane of glass could fall out.

The glass protector nozzle ensures that the heat is directed away from the glass and onto the wood. This prevents heating the putty that secures the glass. If you have extensive paint stripping to do on wood window frames and you’re going to use a heat gun, a glass protector nozzle can be a suitable investment. This is especially true in older houses that aren’t in the best condition.

Reducer Nozzle

When you have to work in a smaller area, a reducer nozzle is ideal to ensure the heat doesn’t spread over a wider area. Remember that with a heat gun, you shouldn’t focus heat on a single area for more than a few seconds; a reducer nozzle can help you in this and allow you to work over a smaller area safely. For detailed work, especially in very contained areas, a reducer nozzle can make your job much easier.

Flat Nozzle

When you have a thin, extended area where you need to strip the paint with your heat gun, a flat nozzle will work well. It will allow you to focus the heat over a thin, broad surface without affecting other areas. You’ll need some practice to use it effectively but once you master it, it can prove to be a very effective option for this kind of work. It will also save you a lot of time and effort.

Reflector Nozzle

If you’re using your heat gun to heat some copper pipe, a reflector nozzle can make the job a great deal easier. Rather than move the heat gun all over the pipe surface, you can use the reflective qualities of the pipe to spread the heat. It’s a very specialized nozzle type and one that most people will never need.