How to desolder a potentiometer with solder in both board faces.

[Johanx2]

Hi, few minutes ago, I tried to desolder a potentiometer of a double layer circuit board, I found that some pins are soldered in the surface, and I can not access that area because the potentiometer body are hidden them. So I only could use a copper mesh to remove the solder of the pins in one side of the board.

How should one do in this case to desolder the hidden pins? I simply should use a sucking desoldering pump expecting to get the solder that is located in the other side? will that solder pass through the pin and hole if sucked it?

 

[FvM]

A good desolder pump can probably do the job. Hot air desoldering (heat from the bottom side, pulling the part from the bottom) is often the more gentle method. Or a solder tweezer with wide tips that can heat three pins in line at once.

 

[Johanx2]

I did it with a desoldering pump, but I did a dirty and difficult job, somebody told me to put an excess of solder that covers all pins, so now with all the pins hot at the time, all I need is to pull the piece and remove it once the solder is still very hot, I hope I knew this before doing anything, will do it next time since I think its wonderful idea.

 

[FvM]

somebody told me to put an excess of solder that covers all pins, so now with all the pins hot at the time, all I need is to pull the piece and remove it once the solder is still very hot

This might work if pins aren't too far apart, or you have a sufficient large solder tip. Hot air is a more general approach to achieve the same.