Disassembling the iron for repair is easy if you have done it before .... Do-it-yourself iron repair - how to disassemble the iron at home Open the Vitek iron

01.06.2020

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.

After you are in in general terms got acquainted with the fact that where it is, 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 (). Another may be required - this is if you have to change some parts.

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 off 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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. In dishes with low sides (a pan or baking sheet is suitable), pour water and vinegar (regular, table without dyes). 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.

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 inside the sole hot water with vinegar or citric acid, stand until cool, drain, pour again. Continue like this until you are satisfied with the result. Then rinse with water and collect.

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

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.

To disassemble the iron, you need to remove the buttons

Power cord

Checking the integrity of the power cord

Checking the performance of the heating element

These are the outlets of the heating element of the iron

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.

Thermostat from a different angle

Fuse check

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.

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.

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.

How to properly disassemble the iron

Start disassembling the iron by unscrewing the hidden screw located under the lid of the water tank. Then, pry with a screwdriver, lift and remove the still unassembled cover of the iron.
Unscrew the first screw. It is located on top. Further disassembly continues in the handle of the iron. They take out the cord with a supporting nozzle located at the end of the handle. The rotary regulator is removed from the front by unscrewing it counterclockwise until it stops, and pulling it up.
There is another screw under the regulator. It is also unscrewed (this will be the second hidden screw) and the buttons are carefully removed.
Then, using a screwdriver, open the handle of the iron and remove the temperature controller. Note that a couple more screws are hidden under the cover of this regulator. The cover must be firmly pulled out with a screwdriver (most often it is held on by three latches) or pushed out from the inside, having previously removed the soleplate of the iron.
Now unscrew the screws located under the regulator and those that are at the end of the soleplate of the iron. Usually there are two small and two large screws.
Then they carefully remove the already “free” part, which is a large (usually white) part of the case. It is important that the details from the buttons are not lost. These are springs, black pistons, mesh filters at the bottom of the cylinders. For safety, it is better to immediately pull out these parts and put them aside.
Care should also be taken with the tube leading to the iron sprayer, so as not to inadvertently tear or damage it.
Now access to the screw located on the spout of the device is open. Before reassembling, be sure to check the integrity and tightness of all existing contacts. Tip: after learning how to disassemble the iron, please note that during assembly, the temperature controller is set to the “maximum” position and is already scrolled counterclockwise.

A characteristic black soot on the corresponding part helps to detect a burnt part. The operation of the contacts is checked with an indicator screwdriver.

Step-by-step instructions and photos that perfectly demonstrate how to disassemble the Tefal iron are presented on this page - Disassembling the Tefal iron. This way you can see if your disassembly process is correct and if you missed any details.

Download detailed instructions how to disassemble a Philips iron is real. Agree, it is more reliable to have your own action guide at hand. You never know when an iron might break, and walking around in unironed clothes is absolutely no fun.

You will be interested in joining the society of iron repairers and learning in detail how to disassemble a Braun iron, and what tricks are hidden in it, on the page.

Remember, the disassembly and assembly of the iron should take place in a calm environment, excluding distractions and irritants. Place the parts away from each other so that they do not get tangled, do not fall off the table, do not break. When assembling the iron, make sure that there are no “extra” parts (gaskets, springs, etc.).

Imagine a situation where your favorite flat iron is released Russian company, stopped working. The question immediately arises of how to disassemble the Vitek iron in order to repair it. If you have on hand essential tool, then in most cases you can restore the device to work with your own hands.

Reliable household appliances manufactured under the Vitek brand are well-deservedly popular among Russians. However, any device can fail. Therefore, the topic of disassembling and repairing various household appliances, including irons, is quite relevant.

How an iron works

In order to disassemble and repair an electric iron, you need to know how it works and works. Without this knowledge, it is useless to start repair work. Almost all steam irons from different manufacturers - Philips, Braun, Tefal, Vitek and others - have the same device and principle of operation. Differences can only be technical performance individual details.

The main part in any electric iron is a sole with a tubular electric heater built into it (hereinafter also referred to as a heating element). Heating element power in modern models Vitek irons are usually 2000W, 2200W or 2400W. Devices are produced with soles made of different materials– stainless steel, aluminum, teflon, ceramics and others. There are holes in the soles through which steam escapes in order to ensure the necessary quality of ironing. The heating temperature of the metal base is regulated by a built-in thermostat.

In devices with the function of steam generation, a reservoir is provided in which water is poured. The liquid must be cleaned and softened - only in this case it is possible to prevent the formation of scale inside the sole. Water enters from the tank onto the heated sole, is converted into steam and exits through the holes. The intensity of steam generation is also adjustable. Most modern models have the function of forced release of the steam cloud with maximum intensity - steam boost.

As a rule, electric irons have nozzles for spraying water. Communication with the mains is provided by an electrical cord that can move freely relative to the housing. Inside the case, the cord is attached to the terminal block. Thus, the device of modern steam irons is not complicated. Even those who are far from technology can understand it.

Common breakdowns

Due to the simplicity of the device and operation, a list of common faults in various models irons Vitek - VT-1201, VT-1209, VT-1244 and others - the same. This statement is also true for devices of other brands, since they have no fundamental design differences. The description of the main breakdowns is given in the table below.

Illustration	Description of the failure
	Breakage or short circuit in the power cord. One of the most common and dangerous defects that occurs as a result of long-term operation. Over time, the cord is subjected to stress, the wires located under the outer insulation are bent and twisted. Thermal insulation can also be damaged, which leads to the risk of melting the insulation of electrical conductors. Such malfunctions may result in electric shock. Breakage is eliminated by replacing the cord
	Scale formation. This is more likely not a breakdown, but the result of improper operation, leading to a violation of the vaporization function. The salts contained in hard water precipitate on the steam holes in the soleplate. To avoid this defect, only purified softened water or distillate should be poured into the iron. To remove scale, the holes are cleaned with a cotton swab or any other object, the hardness of which should not exceed the hardness of the sole material.
	Damage to the thermostat. This part allows you to adjust the temperature of the heating of the sole. The bimetal plate maintains the set temperature by connecting or disconnecting electrical contacts, depending on the temperature. Over time, due to contamination or ingress of fabric fibers, the contact may be broken. As a result, the heating element will not heat the sole. To eliminate the breakdown, you will have to disassemble the iron and clean the contacts with fine sandpaper or any sharp metal object.
	Thermal fuse tripped. This item is a fire protection product. Thermofuz opens the electrical circuit and turns off the electric iron if the soleplate heating temperature exceeds the allowable one. Different models have both disposable and reusable safety devices installed. When diagnosing, the health of the fuse is determined by a multimeter. The resistance of the working device is zero. If the thermal fuse is defective, the multimeter will indicate an open circuit. The failure is repaired by replacing the part.
	Breakdown of the heating element. This breakdown is common and leads to a complete loss of ironing performance. The sole just doesn't get hot. In modern models, the heating element makes up a single structure with the sole and cannot be replaced separately. A multimeter is used to check the health of the heater (see Fig.). A normally operating heating element has a resistance ranging from 20 to 40 ohms. If the multimeter shows an open circuit, you will have to buy a new iron, since the cost of replacing the sole is commensurate with the price of a new device

This video introduces readers to typical faults irons, the order of their diagnosis and elimination:

Preparatory stage

In order to disassemble, diagnose, repair and assemble the Vitek iron, you must have the appropriate tool. As readers have already guessed, diagnostics are performed using a multimeter. Without this device, it is rarely possible to find and localize a breakdown. In addition, for repair work you may need a soldering iron.

In order to disassemble the iron, you should know that the back cover can be screwed on with an original cap that has a star-shaped slot with three rays (see figure). It is these screws that are used in many models of Vitek devices.

With some skill, it can, of course, be unscrewed. If it doesn’t work out, you can make a tool - take a suitable-sized flat screwdriver and cut a small indentation in the middle.

In general, for disassembly and repair, you may need the following tools and materials:

a set of flat and Phillips screwdrivers;
platypuses;
thin flat spatula;

See also if you have the following materials:

heat-shrink tubing;
insulating tape;
sandpaper size zero.

They can also come in handy when repairing an iron.

Disassembly process

The work must be done in stages, adhering to a certain sequence. The following describes how to disassemble the Vitek VT-1259 model.

For other models of electric irons from a Russian manufacturer, disassembly is carried out in a similar way. There may be differences, but they are not fundamental. Description of actions is given in the table.

Illustration	Description of work
	Using a screwdriver with a shaped tip (see photo above), unscrew the bolt holding the back cover, then remove it
	To unscrew the bolt shown in the photo, you will have to carefully pry the buttons located on the handle with a knife or a flat spatula and remove them. Be careful not to damage the latches. Next you will need a Phillips screwdriver
	In order to take off upper part handles, pry the latches along the seam with a knife or spatula and snap them off. Then unscrew the two screws shown in the photo
	You will find another bolt below, next to the two that were just taken out.
	Unscrew all the bolts indicated in the photo at the back of the electric iron. The two unmarked bolts holding the power cord should not be removed. Otherwise, the cord will fall off and interfere with work.
	Unscrew three more bolts in the bow
	Lift the body, separating it from the sole. To get to the parts located inside, unscrew the three bolts shown in the photo
	That's all, the iron is completely disassembled. Now you can find out the cause of the malfunction and repair the device. Assembly is done in reverse order.

In conclusion, only one thing can be added: most users can handle the disassembly of a Vitek iron of any model on their own. But repairs may require certain qualifications.

Video

To learn more about the procedure for disassembling Vitek irons models VT-1207, VT-1229, VT-12125, see the video:

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Ever since people took off their animal skins and began to wear woven clothes, the question arose of removing wrinkles and wrinkles from things after washing. Things were pressed down with flat stones, ironed with frying pans with hot coals, and that only housewives did not come up with, until June 6, 1882, the American inventor Henry Seely patented an electric iron.

And only in 1903, the American entrepreneur Earl Richardson put the invention into practice by making the first iron with electric heating which seamstresses liked very much.

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 begin to heat 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 warm 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 control 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

All circuit diagram iron is mounted on the opposite side of the soleplate, made of high-strength aluminum alloy. This photo shows the wiring diagram electric iron Philips. 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 entry point to 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, there are three wires coming out of the power cord, connected with terminals to the terminals of the iron in isolation different colors. The color of the insulation is the marking of the wires.

Although international standard not yet, but 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 instruction repair of terminal connections in the photographs is given in the article "Restoring the contact of the terminals". 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, this is best suited table lamp with incandescent or LED bulb. 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 welding points 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 a appearance contacts is not suspicious, 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 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

Recently had to repair two faulty irons trademark Braun and Philips. 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 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 a good electrical contact. The switch plate is connected to electrical network. The screw is metal and is a good conductor electric current. 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 soleplate of the iron, fix the soleplate 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 which maximum temperature the electric iron may get hot.

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, due to fear that its plastic part might be damaged, had to be turned off.