How To Desolder Components

Removing the Component

To remove the component, just pull it with your fingers. If it is still stuck, there are some additional tips depending on the component.

If the component uses axial terminals (i.e., the terminals are in opposite sides of the component), you can hold the terminal on the component side of the board with a needle-nose pliers and pull it while, on the solder side of the board, touching the terminal with the soldering iron tip. This kind of component is rare in boards used in computers, however.

If the component uses radial terminals (i.e., the terminals are near at each other and placed on the same side of the component – like in the electrolytic capacitor we used as example), you may push it at one of its side with your thumb while touching the corresponding terminal with the soldering iron tip on the solder side of the board. For example, if you are pushing the capacitor left to right, you should heat the terminal located on the left. With electrolytic capacitors you can never use pliers to pull them off, because usually when you do that the capacitor will pop on your hand while its terminals will remain soldered. With components that have a “hard” surface – like transistors and integrated circuits – you may use pliers, if you think it will be useful.

For integrated circuits with DIP (Dual In Parallel) packaging, you can use a small flat-tip screwdriver to help you out. Just insert the screwdriver at one end of the integrated circuit (between the board and the component) and use it as a lever to lift the integrated circuit while heating the integrated circuit terminals on the same side as you put the screwdriver. Then do the same thing to the other side. Repeat that until you can fully remove the integrated circuit.

Beware. You can only follow those tips after performing all the standard procedure we described in this tutorial. If you try to pull a component without sucking its solder the way we explained, you may pull together with the component the metallic tube from the hole. This metallic tube is what makes contact between all the printed circuit board layers. If you do that, you will destroy the board, since the contact between the layers will be gone.

Figure 21: Removing the component.

Figure 22: Removing the component.

Figure 23: Component removed.

Pay attention to the polarity of the component you are removing, because you will need to match the polarity of the component you are going to install in the place of the component you’ve removed.

The desoldering process isn’t over yet. There is one final step. Keep reading.