Electronic circuit boards contain individual components soldered onto them which work with each other to regulate and to manipulate the flow of electricity. If any of the individual components wear out or become damaged, the rest of the circuit will not behave in a calibrated, predictable manner. When such a component requires replacement, the metallic solder holding it on the board must be melted and removed before the component may be lifted from the board and replaced.
Instructions
1 Preheat your soldering iron for approximately five or ten minutes so that the tip comes to it's highest possible temperature. If your iron has adjustable heat, set it to no higher than 35 watts, as a higher setting may overheat the metal runs on the circuit board, damaging them while removing the old component.
2 Unroll a 1-inch length of desoldering braid from the spool and press the tip of it over the solder holding one leg of the component on the board.
3 Place the tip of your soldering iron over the portion of the desoldering braid that is covering the old solder of the component and allow the braid and the solder under it to heat up to the point of melting. The solder will become liquid and will be absorbed into the desoldering braid. Once the solder has been absorbed, quickly lift the iron and the desoldering braid off of the circuit board.
4 Perform Step 3 above for the other leg(s) of the component, then allow the component to cool for 30 to 60 seconds before removing it from the board. Alternatively, you may choose to use a pair of tweezers to remove the old component if you don't want to wait for it to cool.
