The main reasons why your iron does not heat up. How to repair an iron with your own hands. Secrets of disassembly and repair Round plate on the heating element of the iron

and reassembly of the iron.

Do-it-yourself iron repair

So, an iron has broken down in your house, no matter from which manufacturer, the question arises: "How to fix the iron."

Testing the electrical circuit, as well as for all household appliances, is carried out with a probe \for example, OP-1\

or digital multimeter.

There is no significant difference in the schemes of irons from different manufacturers.

Iron diagram

For a general idea, consider a series electrical circuit of connections Philips iron

The first wire of the phase or zero potential from an external power source has a plug-in contact with the terminal, from the terminal through the thermostat - the wire goes to the heating element. The second wire from the external power source has a plug-in contact with the second terminal, from the second terminal the electrical circuit has a serial connection passing through the thermal fuse and closes at the second terminal of the heating element. The control lamp and the fuse are connected in parallel to two contact connections of the heating element.

The electrical circuit closes on the heater - heating element and light bulb. The temperature regulator sets a certain temperature regime for heating the iron.

The closing and opening of the electrical circuit occurs in the thermostat itself due to a change in the bimetallic plate under the influence of the heating and cooling temperature of the heating element. The reasons for the malfunction of the iron are as follows:

broken cord wiring at the base of the plug;
mechanical damage to the cord wiring along its entire length;
burnout of heating element \sole of iron\;
oxidation of the contacts of the bimetallic plate of the thermoregulator;
thermal fuse blown

What can be replaced here during testing:

replace cord;
replace the cord plug;
clean the contact of the thermostat;
replace thermostat;
replace thermal fuse

It does not make sense to replace the heating element in case of its malfunction, which is the sole of the iron, since the sole of the iron itself is more than half the cost of the iron itself. In this case, the soleplate of the iron is thrown away, everything else from the iron goes to spare parts. When dismantling \ disassembling \ iron, care should be taken to avoid damage to the iron body.

It should be remembered that testing to identify a malfunction of the iron is carried out in a passive way without connecting to an external power source. Immediately before connecting the iron to an external power source, it is necessary to measure the total resistance of the electrical circuit with a digital multimeter, which should not be zero on the display of the device.

Iron repair - Mulinex

This topic is supplemented with personal photographs and an accompanying description of the repair of the iron. As an example, consider the malfunction of the Mulinex iron.

Photo-with explanations

So, before us is the Mulinex iron and the cause of its malfunction is unknown to us in advance, that is, we need to establish the exact cause of its malfunction.

In the back of the iron \photo No. 1\, in order for us to remove the cover, we need to unscrew the screw. The screw head, as you pointed out, is not suitable for our domestic screwdrivers. How to get out of the situation if there is no such screwdriver? - Here, too, you can find a way out, for this we need small scissors with sharp ends. We insert the two ends of the scissors and it is easy for us to unscrew the screw.

After unscrewing the screw, carefully open the cover with a screwdriver \photo No. 2 \. At the same time, we try not to damage the cover body.

After removing the back cover of the iron \ photo No. 3 \, we can see the terminal connection of the wires of the network cable with the elements of the iron:

thermostat;

heating element \heating element\.

To directly get to the contacts of the thermostat \ photo No. 5 \ and the heating element, or in other words - the soles of the iron, we unscrew the parts one by one.

For beginners, you should remember the sequence of such disassembly so as not to create confusion for yourself in the further assembly of the iron.

A screwdriver in the photographs shows the attachment points of such parts.

That is, here you need to be careful about disassembly. The body and individual parts of the iron are supplemented with fasteners such as latches.

The screwdriver shows the thermostat knob \ photo No. 7 \ and we need to remove another cover, which is the heat sink of the iron plate.

The photograph shows additional places for such connections \photo No. 8 \, we also continue to unscrew the screws and release the sole of the iron from the cover.

Well, we got to the most interesting, so to speak - thermostat contacts \ photo No. 9 \. The thermostat contacts are indicated by the tip of a screwdriver.

The thermostat knob sets the heating of the iron sole set by us. To prevent overheating of the heating element, the design of the thermostat has a bimetallic plate, which, upon reaching the set heating temperature, disconnects the contacts. As the bimetallic plate cools down, the electric circuit closes and the sole of the iron heats up again.

We carefully examine the contacts of the thermostat, that is, we check this section of the electrical circuit with a probe.

For this example, the malfunction of the iron was the oxidation of the thermostat contacts. We clean the thermostat contacts with a piece of fine sandpaper and once again carry out diagnostics with a probe for this area.

Additionally, of course, you should also check the heating element of the iron itself.

Iron diagnostics

The photograph shows a signal lama \photo No. 10\. The lamp in the electrical circuit is connected in parallel and if it burns out, this does not entail a malfunction of the iron as a whole.

In this photograph, the fingers of the hand show the contacts of the heating element \photo No. 11 \. We carry out diagnostics of the heating element.

To do this, set the multimeter device to the resistance measurement range. With two probes of the device we touch the contacts of the heating element, on the display of the device we can see the resistance reading - 36.7 Ohm.

The reading of the device corresponds to the resistance of the heating element. We carry out diagnostics for the general electrical circuit of the iron \ photo No. 13 \.

We connect two probes of the device with the pins of the plug, the result is clearly visible to us on the display of the device. That is, the resistance reading for the general electrical circuit of the iron is obtained by two tenths more.

So we figured out the malfunction and fixed the iron. As you have seen, we cannot do without diagnostics both for individual sections and for diagnosing the circuit as a whole.

The theme will be updated in the future.

If the iron stops heating, you can buy a new one, but often the damage is not very serious and you can fix it yourself. If you know how to work with a screwdriver and a multimeter, you can handle it. We will talk about how to repair the iron with your own hands in this article.

General device

Since irons are produced by very diverse companies, they differ slightly - in shape, heating rate, quality of spare parts, etc. But here the general device remains the same. Available:

A sole with the heating element built in it. If there is a steamer function, there are a number of holes in the soleplate for steam to escape.
Thermostat with a handle that allows you to set the required heating temperature of the sole.
Container/reservoir for water, which is used for steaming.
There is a nozzle for spraying water, forced steam output. There is also a steam intensity regulator. With its help, the frequency of automatic supply of evaporated water is set.
The iron is connected to the network using an electric cord, which is attached to the terminal block located in the back under a plastic cover.

General device of an electric iron

After you have in general terms familiarized yourself with what is where, you can start repairing the iron with your own hands.

What will be needed for work

To work, you will need a set of screwdrivers - Phillips and flat. You will need a wide knife or an unnecessary plastic card - pry off parts of the iron with latches. To check the integrity of the parts, you will need a multimeter (read how to use it here). You may also need a soldering iron - this is if you have to change some parts.

Tools that may be needed when repairing an iron

Of the tools, everything, but in the process of work, sometimes you need electrical tape or heat-shrink tubing, you may need sandpaper, pliers.

How to disassemble an iron

The first difficulty faced by those who want to repair the iron on their own is disassembly. This is far from simple and obvious. The easiest way is to remove the back panel. There are a few screws that are visible and which are difficult to unscrew. In addition to screws, there may be latches. So, having unscrewed all the visible fasteners, we pry the cover with the tip of a screwdriver or an old plastic card, and separate the cover from the case.

Under it, a terminal block is found to which the cord is attached. If there are problems with the cord, you can not disassemble the iron further. But if everything is fine with the cord, you will have to disassemble it further, and this may cause problems.

In some irons - Philips (Philips), Tefal (Tefal) there are still bolts under the cover. We twist them too. In general, if we see a fastener, we remove it.

Remove the back cover - the first thing to do when disassembling the iron

How each manufacturer develops its own design, and it often changes from model to model. That is why difficulties arise. But there are a few points that are found in almost any manufacturer.

Immediately you need to remove the temperature control dial and the steam supply buttons, for which they must be clamped in your fingers and pulled up. The buttons may have latches, so you may need something thin so that you can wring them out a little - you can pry with a screwdriver.

To disassemble the iron, you need to remove the buttons

In some irons, such as Rowenta, as in the photo, there are bolts on the handle (there are some Scarlet models). If there are, we unscrew them. A screw is also hidden under the removed buttons, we also unscrew it. Then remove the top plastic parts. They are usually fastened with latches. To make it easier to remove them, you can insert a knife blade or a piece of plastic (plastic card) into the lock.

There are usually a number of bolts under the covers. Having unscrewed them, we continue disassembling until the body and sole are separated. Unfortunately, it is impossible to give more accurate recommendations - there are too different designs. What can be advised - to act slowly and carefully. And a few videos on how to disassemble irons of different brands.

Power cord

Power cord failure is a fairly common type of breakdown. With such damage, the iron may not turn on at all or work in fits and starts, the soleplate may not heat up well. The cord can bend, curl, the insulation is damaged at the bend, some wires can fray completely or partially. If there is such damage, it is better to replace the cord, regardless of whether it is the cause or not. In any case, all places with damaged insulation must be insulated.

In case of any damage, any repair of the iron begins with a cord check. To accurately determine whether it is in a normal state or not, it must be called. To do this, just remove the back cover. The terminal block to which the cord is connected will become available. You will need a tester or multimeter. We put it in the dialing mode, we press one probe to one contact of the plug, with the second we touch one of the wires on the block. When you touch the "correct" wire, the multimeter should beep. This means that the wire is intact.

Checking the integrity of the power cord

The color of the insulation of the conductors can be any, but yellow-green is necessarily grounding (it must be checked by placing the probe on a small metal plate at the bottom of the plug). The other two are connected to the pins of the plug. Here one of these two wires should ring with the pin to which you pressed the multimeter probe. We repeat the same operation with another pin.

To be completely sure that the cord is in good condition, you need to wrinkle / twist it during the dialing. Especially in those places where there are problems with insulation. If the squeak from such actions is interrupted, it is better to replace the cord. It is also subject to replacement if one or both pins “do not ring”. You may be lucky and you will not need further repair of the iron.

Checking the performance of the heating element

If the iron does not heat up at all, the heating element may have burned out. If this is the case, then it is worth buying a new iron, since a replacement will cost almost the same amount. But first of all, you need to make sure that it is the heater that is to blame.

These are the outlets of the heating element of the iron

In order to check the heating element, we get to the very sole of the iron. On it, closer to the back, there are two outlets for the heating element. We translate the multimeter into the position of measuring resistance (up to 1000 Ohms), we take measurements. If the display shows numbers of the order of 25 ohms, then the heating element is normal, if more, it burned out. As already mentioned, in the event of a heating element burnout, it is not worth repairing the iron - it is more profitable to buy a new one.

Checking the thermostat

The thermostat looks like a plate with a group of contacts and a protruding plastic pin, on which a disk is then put on.

This is an iron thermostat.

There are two contacts on the plate. We install the probes of the multimeter on them and check the performance (we call). In the “off” position, the sound of the multimeter should disappear, when turned on and turned to any position, it should continue to sound.

The damage may lie in the fact that in the “on” position there is still no contact - then the iron does not heat at all. There may be a different situation - it is not turned off by the regulator and / or does not respond to the position of the regulator. Both reasons are in contacts. And, most likely, they burned.

In the first case, carbon deposits can interfere, which can be cleaned off by putting a piece of fine-grained sandpaper between the contacts and a couple of times and “crawl” over the contacts. If there is no sandpaper, you can use a nail file, but you must act carefully - the temperature settings depend on the bending of the plates. So you can't bend them too much.

In the second case - if the iron does not turn off - the contacts may have burned out - fused. Iron repair in this case consists in an attempt to separate them. But such a focus rarely succeeds. The solution is to replace it.

Thermostat from a different angle

There may be another point: when falling, the contacts could somehow interlock. When the soleplate of the iron is heated, the curving thermoplate presses on the contact groups, but the contacts cannot open. The result is the same - the iron does not turn off when heated. Iron repair is also similar - we are trying to restore mobility to the plates, trying not to bend them. If it doesn't work, we change it.

Fuse check

Approximately in the same area where the thermostat is located, a thermal fuse is installed. It stands in case of overheating of the soleplate of the iron - it burns out if the iron is heated to dangerous temperatures. Usually a protective tube is put on this fuse and most often it is white.

Iron repair: fuse and its continuity

Find contacts, call. In the normal state, the fuse "rings", if blown - silence. If desired, you can move the handset, ring directly - there may be a break / burnout of the connecting wire. If the fuse is blown, unsolder it, look for a similar one and install it in place.

It is not worth excluding the thermal fuse from the circuit - it will save you from fire in case of problems with the thermostat: it will simply burn out and the iron will not work. And although the iron will require repair, your home will be safe.

Steam spray system

If almost no steam comes out of the iron, and there is water in the container, most likely the holes are clogged with salts. Restoring performance can be done with a simple trick. Pour water and vinegar (regular, table) into dishes with low burs (a frying pan is suitable). One glass of vinegar per liter of water. The second recipe is for 250 ml of boiling water 2 teaspoons of citric acid. In a bowl with the prepared liquid, lower the switched off iron. The liquid should cover the sole.

Cleaning the steam outlets on the iron

Put the container with the iron on the fire, bring to a boil, turn it off. Wait until it cools down. Warm up again. So you can repeat 3-4 times. Until the salts dissolve.

Sometimes water stops flowing from the sprinkler. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the tube is disconnected. In this case, the repair of the iron consists in dismantling the panel on which the injection buttons are fixed and reinstalling all tubes and wires.

The second way to descale the iron is to disassemble it completely so that only one soleplate remains. Seal the sole with tape so that water does not seep through, but you can also put it in a bowl. Pour hot water with vinegar or citric acid inside the sole, let it cool down, drain, pour again. Continue like this until you are satisfied with the result. Then rinse with water and collect.

The principle of operation and electrical circuit of the iron

electrical circuit diagram

If you look at the electrical circuit of the Braun iron, you might think that this is an electric heater or electric kettle circuit. And this is not surprising, the electrical circuits of all these devices are not much different. The differences lie in the design of these household appliances due to their different purposes.

The supply voltage 220 V is supplied through a flexible heat-resistant cord with a molded plug to the XP connector installed in the iron body. The PE terminal is a grounding terminal, does not take part in the work and serves to protect a person from electric shock in the event of a breakdown of the insulation on the case. PE wire in cord usually yellow - green colors.

If the iron is connected to the network without a ground loop, then the PE wire is not used. The terminals L (phase) and N (zero) in the iron are equivalent, which terminal receives zero or the phase does not matter.

From the output L, the current is supplied to the Temperature Controller, and if its contacts are closed, then further to one of the outputs of the heating element. From the output N, the current through the thermal fuse is supplied to the second output of the heating element. Parallel to the terminals of the heating element, a neon lamp is connected through the resistor R, which glows when voltage is applied to the heating element and the iron heats up.

In order for the iron to start heating up, it is necessary to supply voltage to a tubular electric heater (TEN), pressed into the sole of the iron. For quick heating of the sole, high-power heating elements are used, from 1000 to 2200 watts. If such power is constantly supplied, then after a few minutes the sole of the iron will heat up red-hot and it will be impossible to iron things without ruining them. For ironing items made of nylon and anide, an iron temperature of 95-110 ° C is required, and things made of linen 210-230 ° C. Therefore, to set the required temperature when ironing things from different fabrics, there is a temperature adjustment unit.

The temperature control unit is controlled by a round knob located in the central part under the iron handle. Turning the knob clockwise will increase the heating temperature, turning it counterclockwise will lower the soleplate heating temperature.

Rotation from the handle to the thermostat assembly is transmitted through an adapter in the form of a sleeve or a metal angle, put on a threaded rod of the thermostat. The handle on the body of the iron is held by several latches. To remove the handle, it is enough to pry it over the edge with a little effort with a screwdriver blade.

The operation of the Philips iron thermostat and any other manufacturer is ensured by installing a bimetallic plate, which is a strip of two metals sintered together over the entire surface with different coefficients of linear expansion. When the temperature changes, each of the metals expands to a different degree and as a result the plate bends.

In a thermostat, the plate is connected to a bistable switch through a ceramic rod. The principle of its operation is based on the fact that, thanks to a flat curved spring, when passing through the equilibrium point, the contacts instantly open or close. Speed is necessary to reduce the burning of contacts as a result of the formation of a spark when they open. The switching point of the switch can be changed by turning the knob on the body of the iron and thus control the heating temperature of the soleplate. When the thermostat switch is turned on and off, a characteristic soft click is heard.

To increase the safety of iron operation in case the thermostat breaks down, for example, the contacts are welded together, in modern models (there was no thermal fuse in Soviet irons), a FUt thermal fuse is installed, designed for a response temperature of 240 ° C. When this temperature is exceeded, the thermal fuse breaks the circuit and voltage is no longer supplied to the heating element. In this case, in what position the temperature control knob is located does not matter.

There are three types of thermal fuse designs, as in the photo, and they all work on the principle of opening contacts due to bending of the bimetallic plate as a result of heating. In the photo on the left is the thermal fuse of the Philips iron, on the lower right is the Braun. Usually, after the temperature of the sole drops below 240 ° C, the thermal fuse is restored. It turns out that the thermal fuse works like a thermostat, but maintains a temperature suitable for ironing only linen items.

To indicate the supply voltage to the heating element, a neon lamp HL is connected in parallel to its terminals through a current-limiting resistor R. The indicator does not affect the operation of the iron, but it allows you to judge the performance. If the light is on and the iron does not heat up, then the heating element winding is broken or there is poor contact at the point where its terminals are connected to the circuit.

wiring diagram

The entire electric circuit of the iron is mounted on the opposite side of the sole, made of high-strength aluminum alloy. This photo shows the wiring diagram of a Philips electric iron. Wiring diagrams of irons of other manufacturers and models of irons differ slightly from those shown in the photo.

The supply voltage 220 V is supplied from the power cord with the help of captive terminals put on pins 3 and 4. Pin 4 is connected to pin 5 and one of the pins of the heating element. From pin 3, the supply voltage is supplied to the thermal fuse and then to the temperature controller of the iron, and from it already through the bus to the second output of the heating element. A neon light bulb is connected between pins 1 and 5 through a current-limiting resistor. Pin 2 is grounding and is riveted directly to the sole of the iron. All circuit busbars are made of iron, and in this case this is justified, since the heat generated in the busbars is used to heat the iron.

Do-it-yourself electric iron repair

Attention! Care must be taken when repairing an electric iron. Touching exposed parts of a circuit connected to an electrical outlet may result in electric shock. Don't forget to remove the plug from the socket!

To carry out an independent repair of the iron is within the power of any home master, even without experience in repairing household appliances. After all, there are few electrical components in the iron, and you can check them with any indicator or multimeter. It is often more difficult to disassemble an iron than to repair it. Consider the technology of disassembly and repair using the example of two Philips and Braun models.

Irons stop working for one of the following reasons, listed by frequency of occurrence: breakage of the power cord, poor contact of the terminals at the point where the cord is connected to the wiring diagram, oxidation of the contacts in the thermostat, malfunction of the thermal fuse.

Checking the health of the power cord

Since the power cord constantly bends during ironing and the greatest bend occurs at the point where the cord enters the body of the iron, in this place the wires in the cord are usually frayed. This malfunction begins to manifest itself when the iron is still heating up normally, but when ironing, the heating on indicator flashes, without being accompanied by a click of the thermostat switch.

If the insulation of the conductors in the cord is frayed, then a short circuit may occur with an external manifestation in the form of a flash of fire with a loud pop and the circuit breaker in the shield will turn off. In this case, you need to unplug the iron cord from the outlet and do its own repair. A short circuit of the wires in the cord of an iron is not dangerous for a person, but housewives are very impressive.

If the iron stops heating, then first of all it is necessary to check the presence of voltage in the outletby connecting any other electrical appliance to it, such as a table lamp, or connect the iron to another outlet. Before doing this, do not forget to turn the temperature control on the iron clockwise at least to the first circle on the scale. In the extreme left position of the thermostat knob, the iron can be turned off. If the outlet is working, and the iron does not heat up, then, with the cord plug inserted into the network, move it at the entrance to the iron body, simultaneously pressing it in, while observing the power indicator. The same operation must be done in the area where the cord enters the power plug. If the indicator lights up even for a moment, it means that there is definitely a wire break in the power cord and you will have to take the iron to a service workshop or repair it yourself.

Using a multimeter or pointer tester

If you have a multimeter or pointer tester, you can check the power cord without connecting it to the mains, which is more secure by connecting the probes of the device, which is switched on in the resistance measurement mode, to the pins of the mains plug. A working iron should have a resistance of about 30 ohms. Even a slight change in the reading of the device when the cord is moved will indicate the presence of a wire break in it.

If the power cord is frayed at the point of entry into the electrical plug, then you will not need to disassemble the iron, but it will be enough to replace the plug with a new one, cutting it off at the point of damage to the wire.

If the power cord frayed at the point of entry into the iron or the proposed method did not allow to determine the malfunction of the cord, then the iron will have to be disassembled. Disassembly of the iron begins with the removal of the back cover. Difficulties may arise here due to the lack of a suitable bit for the head of self-tapping screws. For example, I don’t have bits for an asterisk type slot with a pin in the center, and I unscrew such screws with a flat screwdriver with a suitable blade width. After removing the cover from the iron, all the contacts necessary to find the faulty part in the iron will become available. It will be possible, without further disassembly of the iron, to check the integrity of the power cord, the serviceability of the heating element and the thermostat.

As you can see in the photo of the Philips iron, three wires come out of the power cord, connected with terminals to the terminals of the iron in insulation of different colors. The color of the insulation is the marking of the wires.

Although there is no international standard yet, most European and Asian electrical appliance manufacturers have adopted yellow-green mark the ground wire with the color of the insulation (which is usually denoted in Latin letters PE), brown– phase ( L), light blue- neutral wire ( N). The letter designation, as a rule, is applied on the body of the iron next to the corresponding terminal.

Conductor in isolation yellow-green color is grounding, is for safety, and does not affect the operation of the iron. The current-carrying wires are brown And light blue insulation, so they need to be checked.

With table lamp

There are many ways to check the iron's power cord, and it all depends on what tools the home master has at hand. If there are no tools at hand, then you can use the simplest method.

To do this, you first need to remove the cord terminals from the iron terminals. The plug-in terminals on the iron contacts are usually held by latches and in order for them to be easily removed, it is necessary to press the latch with a sharp object, as shown in the photo. At the same time, at the same time, it is necessary to inspect the contacts for their oxidation or burning, and if any are present, clean the contacts from below and above to a shine with fine sandpaper. If the terminals are put on without effort, then it is necessary to tighten them with pliers. Step-by-step instructions for repairing terminal connections in photographs are given in the article "Restoring terminal contact". After that, you need to put the terminals in their places and check the operation of the iron by connecting it to the network. It is quite possible that this was a malfunction and the iron will work.

If the terminal connections are in order, then you need to remove the terminals attached to the brown and blue wires and connect them to the pins of the plug of any electrical appliance using insulating tape, a desk lamp with an incandescent or LED bulb is best suited for this. The switch in the table lamp must be in the on position. After that, plug the iron plug into the mains and crumple the iron wire at the point where it enters the body and at the plug. If the table lamp shines steadily, then the iron wire is working and you will have to look for a malfunction further.

With phase indicator

Checking the tubular electric heater (TEN)

Heating elements in irons rarely fail, and if the heating element is faulty, then the iron has to be thrown away. To check the heating element, it is enough to remove only the back cover from it. Typically, the outputs of the heating element are connected to the extreme outputs and, as a rule, the outputs of the heating on indicator are connected to the same outputs. Therefore, if the indicator is on, but there is no heating, then the reason for this may be a break in the heating element spiral or poor contact at the points of welding of the iron leads to the contact rods coming out of the heating element.

There are models of irons, such as the Braun model, shown in the photograph, in which the thermostat is included in the gap of one output of the heating element, and the thermal fuse is in the gap of the other. In this case, if the thermal fuse is faulty, then an erroneous conclusion can be drawn about the failure of the heating element. The final conclusion about the state of the heating element can only be made after the complete disassembly of the iron.

Checking the health of the iron thermostat

In order to get to check the thermostat, you need to disassemble the iron completely. The handle of the iron and the plastic part of the body are attached to its metal part with screws and latches. There are a huge number of models of irons, even from one manufacturer, and the methods of fastening in each of them are different, but there are general rules.

One attachment point is usually located near the nose of the iron and the plastic body is fixed with a self-tapping screw, as in this photo of a Philips iron. In this model, the self-tapping screw is located under the steam quantity adjustment knob. To get to the head of the screw, you need to turn the handle counterclockwise until it stops and pull it up. After removing the steam adjusting unit, the self-tapping screw can be unscrewed.

In the model of the Braun iron that I had to repair, the self-tapping screw was hidden under the decorative cap of the water nozzle. To unscrew the screw, the nozzle had to be removed. She just stuck in tight. By the way, this way it can be removed for cleaning in case of clogging.

The second attachment point is usually located in the power cord entry area. The plastic body of the iron can be fastened both with self-tapping screws and with latches. The Philips iron model shown in the photo uses a threaded fastening method. From the point of view of the maintainability of the iron, fastening with self-tapping screws is preferable, since during disassembly the risk of damage to the fasteners of the plastic case is reduced.

And in the model of the Braun iron, the plastic part of the body with the handle is fixed with two latches hooked on the lugs. For disassembly, you need to disengage the latches by spreading them to the sides.

This work must be done carefully so as not to break the latches and eyes. The latches are disengaged and the body part with the handle can now be separated from the iron. It, in turn, is attached to the transition cover with screws or with flags.

In this photo of a Philips iron, the lid is attached to the soleplate with three self-tapping screws. Before unscrewing the screws, you need to remove the power indicator, which is held by the terminals on the terminals of the iron.

And for the Braun iron model, the lid is fixed to the sole with four metal flags threaded through the slots and rotated. To release the cover, you need to turn the flags with pliers so that they become along the slots. In this iron, two flags at the spout completely rusted out, and I had to bend a special adapter out of a steel strip and cut two threads in it for screw fastening.

After removing the cover, the thermostat assembly will become available for dialing and repair. First of all, you need to inspect the condition of the contacts. The Philips iron also has a thermal fuse in the thermostat assembly. When cold, the contacts must be closed.

If the appearance of the contacts does not raise suspicions, then you need to ring them using a dial tester or a multimeter included in the minimum resistance measurement mode. The photo on the left shows the continuity diagram of the contacts of the thermal fuse, and on the right - the thermostat. The multimeter should show zero. If the multimeter shows 1, and the dial gauge shows infinity, then the contacts are the fault, they are oxidized and require cleaning.

Checking the contacts of the thermostat assembly can also be checked using an indicator to find the phase according to the method of checking the power cord described above, by touching one and the other contacts in sequence. If the indicator shines when touched to one contact, but not to the other, then the contacts are oxidized.

You can do without checking by immediately cleaning the contacts of the thermostat and thermal fuse with sandpaper. Then turn on the iron, it should work.

If there are no devices for checking contacts at hand, then you can turn on the iron in the network and use a screwdriver blade with a well-insulated plastic handle to short-circuit the contacts. If the indicator lights up and the iron starts to heat up, it means that the contacts are burnt. Do not forget about extreme caution.

To clean the contacts, you need to insert a narrow strip of fine sandpaper between the contacts and stretch it a dozen times. Next, turn the strip 180° and strip the second contact of the contact pair. It is useful to clean the contacts of the thermostat to extend the life of the iron if, for example, when repairing the steam supply system, the iron had to be disassembled.

Examples of self-repair of irons

I recently had to repair two defective Braun and Philips irons. Describe the problems that had to be fixed.

Braun electric iron repair

The iron did not heat up, the indicator did not shine at any position of the thermostat adjustment knob. When bending the power cord, there were no signs of iron operation.

After removing the back cover, it was found that the supply voltage was supplied through the terminal block. Access to the terminal blocks was difficult. The marking of the wires corresponded to the generally accepted color marking. Previously, the iron had already been repaired, as evidenced by the broken left latch on the terminal block.

The appearance of the removed terminal block is shown in the photo. It also has a neon indicator lamp for supplying voltage to the heating element.

The input contact busbars for supplying voltage were covered in places with an oxide film of rust. This could not have caused the iron to break, which was confirmed by connecting it after removing traces of rust from the contacts with sandpaper.

After complete disassembly of the iron, the thermal fuse and thermostat contacts were rang with a multimeter. The thermal fuse of the display resistance is zero ohm, and the thermostat contacts are infinity.

Inspection showed that the contacts fit snugly together, and it became obvious that the reason for the failure lay in the oxidation of their surfaces. After cleaning the contacts with sandpaper, the contact was restored. The iron began to heat up normally.

Philips electric iron repair

I got my Philips iron in for repair after the owner cleaned the steam system. The thermostat did not work, and the iron was heated to the opening temperature of the thermal fuse.

After complete disassembly of the iron, it turned out that the ceramic pusher, which should be between the bimetallic plate and the thermostat switch, was missing. As a result, the bimetallic plate was bent, but its movement was not transmitted to the switch, so the contacts were permanently closed.

There was no old iron from which to remove the pusher at hand, there was no opportunity to buy a new one, and I had to think about what to make it from. But before making a pusher with your own hands, it was necessary to determine its length. The bimetallic plate and the switch had coaxial holes 2 mm in diameter, in which the standard pusher was previously fixed. To determine the length of the pusher, I took an M2 screw and two nuts. To fix the screw instead of the pusher, I had to raise the thermostat by unscrewing one self-tapping screw.

Attention! The bimetal plate is in contact with the soleplate of the iron and has good electrical contact with it. The switch plate is connected to the electrical network. The screw is metal and is a good conductor of electricity. Therefore, touching the soleplate during the described adjustment must only be carried out with the iron plug removed from the socket!

The screw was inserted into the hole of the bimetallic plate from below, as in the photograph, and fixed with a nut. Due to the possibility of clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the second nut, it became possible to adjust the height of the pusher imitator in order to adjust the thermostat to maintain the temperature set by the control knob.

The length of the pusher, at which the heating temperature of the iron corresponds to the position of the adjustment knob, can be selected by doing trial ironing. But for this you have to assemble and disassemble the iron every time. It is much easier to use an electronic thermometer. Many multimeters have the function of measuring temperature using an external thermocouple.

To measure the temperature of the sole, you need to put the handle on the thermostat and set it to the position marked one, two or three circles against the pointer on the iron body. Next, fix the thermocouple on the sole of the iron, fix the sole in a vertical position and turn on the iron in the network. When the soleplate temperature stops changing, take readings.

As a result of the experiment, it was determined that a pusher with a length of about 8 mm was needed. Since the iron inside the case can heat up to a temperature of 240 ° C, the pusher had to be made of a heat-resistant material. A resistor caught my eye and I remembered that in it a resistive layer is applied to a ceramic tube. The 0.25 W resistor was just the right size, and its shortened copper leads threaded through the holes will serve well as clamps.

The resistor will fit any value. Before installation in the iron, the resistor was heated to red on the gas column burner and the burnt layer of paint and resistor coating was removed with sandpaper. Everything has been removed down to the pottery. If you use a resistor with a nominal value of more than 1 MΩ, which you must be 100% sure of, then you can not remove the paint and the resistive layer.

After preparation, the resistor was installed instead of the spacer ceramic element, and the ends of the taps were slightly bent to the sides. The iron was assembled and the thermostat was re-tested, which confirmed that the thermostat maintains the temperature within the data given in the table.

What is the maximum temperature that a Philips iron can reach?

When calibrating the thermostat, I decided at the same time to find out what maximum temperature an electric iron can heat up.

To do this, the terminals of the thermostat and thermal fuse were shorted. As you can see in the photo, the device showed 328°C. When the soleplate was heated to this temperature, the iron, for fear that its plastic part might be damaged, had to be turned off.

An iron is one of the most necessary electrical appliances in the house, but, like any household appliance, malfunctions occur in it. For example, you plugged the appliance into the mains, waited a while and realized that the iron was still cold. You can deal with this problem yourself, without resorting to the help of service center specialists. Below we will look at the most common reasons why your favorite iron does not heat up, and give tips on how to fix this breakdown.

In some situations, you can understand what the problem of lack of heating is without even disassembling the unit. If you make sure that the iron is plugged in, there are no power outages in the house, and the indicator light on the iron body is on, it means that heating element damaged iron (in other words, "ten"). Unfortunately, in this case, the prognosis is unfavorable.

The fact is that the heating element is connected directly to the soleplate of the iron. If the bindings are one-piece, then most likely you will have to contact the specialists and replace the entire soleplate, or buy a new iron. If the heating element is attached with tips, then theoretically it can be disconnected from the sole and then cleaned with sandpaper to clean the damaged contacts.

If the problem is in the heating element, it is very difficult to solve it on your own, and it will be more profitable to purchase a new electrical appliance, because replacing the part in this case will be expensive.

However, this is far from the only version according to which the iron does not heat up. Let's try to diagnose other malfunctions:

Damaged power cord. This is one of the most common breakdowns. You need to check the inclusion of the iron in the network and consider the wire: is there a break or damage somewhere. The integrity of the power cord and plug can be diagnosed using a multimeter. This device measures the resistance in an electrical circuit. You need to ring the cord and determine its performance. Verify that there is power in the outlet by setting the multimeter to the mode indicated by the letter V. This is a sign of alternating voltage. After the Latin letter V, as a rule, the symbol "~" follows.
Is there voltage at the outlet, does the iron turn on, but does not heat up? Check is the wire kinked whether the contacts with the heating element have loosened. You can also shorten the cord by a few cm yourself. Perhaps after this procedure the damaged area will be removed and the problem will be solved. If the device still refuses to turn on, replace the cord with a new one.
The thermostat has failed. The temperature control is a knob that we turn to set the heating temperature to the minimum or maximum, depending on the type of fabric to be ironed. It regulates the temperature to which the sole is heated. This part has a simple design, it is represented by a bimetallic plate, the tension of which is regulated by a special spring. When the temperature of the regulator changes, the contacts alternately close and open, at this moment a high voltage current flows through them. If the contacts become dirty, dust or lint gets on them, then this will certainly affect the performance of the equipment. In this case, it would be more correct to carefully clean the contacts with sandpaper (do not forget to unplug the iron from the power supply!).
The problem is with the thermal fuse. What should I do if everything is in order with the cord, the power indicator light is on, and the thermostat is working? Checking the thermal fuse. In any model of modern irons there is a built-in fuse, which is responsible for the safety of the device during operation. With an excessive increase in temperature inside the structure, this element is destroyed (disconnects the electrical circuit) so that a fire does not occur. Accordingly, after the fuse has “flew”, the iron stops heating. You can check the operation of the fuse using a dial. If it turns out that the cause of the malfunction lies precisely in it, replace it with a new one. However, it all depends on the model of the device. Thermal fuses are replaceable and cast, fusible and non-fusible.

How to disassemble the iron yourself

If you have never disassembled electrical appliances in your life, then this can be a big puzzle. In current models, not a single fastener, screw or connector is visible from the outside. How to be in this case and how to disassemble the structure? Indeed, in Soviet, grandmother's irons, everything was arranged much simpler and more understandable.

Take a close look at the body of your electric assistant. Today, the design of electrical appliances is arranged in such a way that all elements, parts, are connected to each other. hidden latches. Find a flathead screwdriver and carefully pry the latches. Next, you will find the very screws that hold the main parts of the iron together.

Remember that the iron in the disassembled state is strictly forbidden to be plugged into the outlet.

Some popular manufacturers of household appliances, such as Tefal, Philips, Brown often use screws with branded, not quite standard heads. Here you will have to suffer a lot and pick up the right screwdriver, or even contact the manufacturer's service center.

In order to prevent malfunction of the iron, it is best to take care of careful care in advance.

Prepare a clean ironing board and check the soleplate for dust, wool, lint, and other debris. When heated, this can also affect the operation of the iron, and ruin the item you are ironing.
Woolen things, silk fabrics, organza are best ironed through a special fabric. In the case of wool, part of the villi may remain on the soleplate of the iron, and delicate fabrics are easily damaged, stains and scorch marks may remain on them.
Adjust the temperature according to the fabric material.
Products made of faux fur, suede, leather are not recommended to be ironed with steam. Steam exposure negatively affects the fibers (they can melt, remain on the base of the iron).
It is advisable to iron matte fabrics from the inside out so that unnecessary shine does not appear on them after ironing.
Keep the flat iron out of the reach of children and pets. So, the dog can easily ruffle the wire, as a result of which the iron will stop functioning.

Conclusion

So, we found out the main reasons why your iron does not turn on or does not heat up, and we have given ways to fix this problem. No matter what advanced technologies manufacturers invent (touch control, automatic steam supply, water supply, lack of wires), the causes of the malfunction are universal for almost all irons. This may be a bad contact of the power cord, a malfunction of the heating element, a broken fuse, or a banal dusting of the contacts. If you were unable to diagnose yourself, seek qualified help, but do not forget that repairs are an expensive process, and in some serious cases it will be more cost-effective to purchase a new electrical appliance.