If the iron stops heating, you can buy a new one, but often the damage is not very serious and can be repaired yourself. If you know how to use a screwdriver and a multimeter, you can do it. We will talk about how to repair an iron with your own hands in this article.
General device
Since irons are produced by many different companies, they differ slightly - in shape, heating speed, quality of spare parts, etc. But the general structure remains the same. Available:
- Sole with a heating element built into it. If there is a steam function, there are a number of holes in the sole for steam to escape.
- Thermostat with a handle that allows you to set the required heating temperature for the sole.
- Container/reservoir for water used for steaming.
- There is a nozzle for spraying water and forcing steam out. 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 electrical cord, which is attached to a contact block located in the back under the plastic cover.
General structure of an electric iron
Once you have become familiar with what is where, you can begin repairing the iron yourself.
What will you need for work?
To work, you will need a set of screwdrivers - Phillips and flathead. You will need a wide knife or an unnecessary plastic card to pry off the 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 if you need to change any spare parts.
Tools that may be needed when repairing an iron
That's all from tools, but in the process of work sometimes you need electrical tape or heat-shrinkable tubes, you may need sandpaper and pliers.
How to disassemble an iron
The first difficulty faced by those who want to repair the iron themselves is disassembly. This is far from simple and obvious. The easiest way is to remove the back panel. There are several screws that are visible and are not 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 body.
Under it there is a terminal block to which the cord is attached. If there are problems with the cord, you don’t have to disassemble the iron any further. But if everything is fine with the cord, you will have to disassemble it further, and this may cause problems.
Some irons - Philips, Tefal - still have bolts under the cover. We also unscrew them. In general, if we see fasteners, we remove them.
Removing the back cover is 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 several points that are found in almost any manufacturer.
You immediately need to remove the temperature control dial and the steam button, to do this you need to hold them in your fingers and pull them up. The buttons may have latches, so you may need something thin so that you can press them out a little - you can pry them off with a screwdriver.
To disassemble the iron you need to remove the buttons
Some irons, such as the Rowenta, as in the photo, have bolts on the handle (some Scarlet models have them). If there are any, unscrew them. There is also a screw hidden under the removed buttons; we unscrew that too. Then remove the top plastic parts. They are usually secured with snap locks. 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 precise recommendations - there are too many different designs. What can be advised is to act slowly and carefully. And several videos on how to disassemble irons of different brands.
Power cord
Failure of an electrical cord is a fairly common type of breakdown. With such damage, the iron may not turn on at all or work in fits and starts, and the sole may not heat up well. The cord may bend or curl, the insulation may be damaged at the bends, and some wires may 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 iron repair begins with checking the cord. To accurately determine whether it is in normal condition or not, you need to ring it. To do this, simply remove the back cover. The terminal block to which the cord is connected will become accessible. You will need a tester or multimeter. We put it in the dialing mode, press one probe to one contact of the plug, and touch the second one to one of the wires on the block. When you touch the “correct” wire, the multimeter should make a beeping sound. This means that the wire is intact.
Checking the integrity of the power cord
The color of the conductor insulation can be any, but yellow-green is necessarily grounding (it must be checked by installing a probe on a small metal plate at the bottom of the plug). The other two are connected to the pins of the plug. One of these two wires should be connected to 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 working order, you need to wrinkle/twist it during testing. Especially in places where there are problems with insulation. If the squeak from such actions is interrupted, it is better to replace the cord. It must also be replaced if one or both pins “do not ring.” You may be lucky and you won’t need further repairs to your 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 the heating element is to blame.
These are the outputs of the iron heating element
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 outputs of the heating element. We move the multimeter to the resistance measurement position (up to 1000 Ohms), and take measurements. If the numbers on the display are about 25o Ohm, then the heating element is normal, if more, it’s burned out. As has already been said, if the heating element burns out, there is no need to repair 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, onto which the disk is then placed.
This is the thermostat on the iron
Two contacts fit to the plate. We install multimeter probes on them and check their functionality (call them). 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 be 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 got burnt.
In the first case, carbon deposits may interfere, which can be cleaned off by inserting a piece of fine-grain sandpaper between the contacts and “sliding” along the contacts a couple of times. If you don’t have sandpaper, you can use a nail file, but you need to 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 become burnt or fused. Repairing the iron in this case consists of trying to separate them. But such a trick 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 sole of the iron heats up, the bending thermal plate presses on the contact groups, but the contacts cannot open. The result is the same - the iron does not turn off when heating. Repairing an iron is also similar - we try to restore mobility to the plates, trying not to bend them. If it doesn’t work, we change it.
Checking the fuse
A thermal fuse is installed approximately in the same area where the thermostat is located. It is used in case the soleplate of the iron overheats - it burns out if the iron heats up to dangerous temperatures. Usually this fuse has a protective tube attached to it, and most often it is white.
Iron repair: fuse and its continuity
Find contacts, call. In normal condition, the fuse “rings”; if it is blown, there is silence. If you wish, you can move the handset and call directly - there may be a break/burnout in the connecting wire. If a fuse is blown, unsolder it, look for a similar one and install it in place.
There is no need to exclude the thermal fuse from the circuit - it will protect you from a 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 repairs, your home will be safe.
Steam spray system
If almost no steam comes out of the iron, but there is water in the container, most likely the holes are clogged with salts. You can restore functionality with a simple technique. Pour water and vinegar (regular, table) into a bowl with low burs (a frying pan will do). One glass of vinegar per liter of water. The second recipe is to add 2 teaspoons of citric acid to 250 ml of boiling water. Place the switched-off iron into the bowl with the prepared liquid. The liquid should cover the sole.
Cleaning the steam vents on your iron
Place the container with the iron on the fire, bring to a boil, and turn off. Wait until it cools down. Reheat. You can repeat this 3-4 times. Until the salts dissolve.
Sometimes water stops coming out of the sprinkler. This is most likely due to the tube being disconnected. In this case, repairing the iron consists of disassembling the panel on which the injection buttons are attached and installing all the tubes and wires in place.
The second way to descale your iron is to disassemble it completely so that only the soleplate remains. Seal the sole with tape to prevent water from seeping through, but you can also put it in a dish. Pour hot water with vinegar or citric acid into the sole, leave until it cools, drain, and refill. Continue this way until you are satisfied with the result. Then rinse with water and collect.
Similar materials
An iron that fails at the wrong time can ruin all your plans, especially if you are far from hypermarkets and hardware stores. You can try to repair the unit yourself. Not all modern models can be repaired, but there are devices that can be brought back to life. First you need to get to the insides. How to disassemble the Scarlet iron? This, as well as the repair of some other models, will be discussed in our article.
What's happened?
Before you disassemble the Vitek, Scarlet or any other iron, try to figure out what exactly happened. There are different types of problems:
- the iron does not heat up;
- the iron turns off quickly;
- the iron overheats;
- steam comes out;
- steam does not spray out.
In the first case, you must first of all inspect:
- wire;
- socket;
- fork;
- place where the wire and plug are attached.
Socket and cord
If everything is ok, inspect the outside of the wire:
- There should be no knots, kinks or damage to the insulation on the cord.
- There should be no wire sticking out at the junction of the wire and the plug, and the sheath of the wire should be free of cracks and breaks.
- Do not allow the fork to have cracks or loose screws.
What to do with the cord?
If there is visible damage, it is best to replace the wire; fortunately, in any company store of the company that produced the iron, you will also find components. To do this, of course, you will need to remove it.
But sometimes there is no way to disassemble the iron. Therefore, in the damaged area, you need to connect the broken pieces of wire and wrap it all with electrical tape. Or just wrap it if the outer part is torn. It is quite possible that you will not have to get to the terminal block.
Other damage
If everything is fine with the wire and the electrical network in the house is working normally, most likely the heating element has burned out. When the iron quickly turns off or overheats, there may be problems with both the heating element and the thermostat. These parts cannot be repaired; it is best to replace them.
Important! It is better to buy replacement elements from the same company that produced the unit itself - then there is no risk that the parts will not fit.
What does an iron consist of?
Any electrical appliance consists of many different parts. Modern irons, of course, have fewer small elements than old ones. Individual elements are combined into non-separable units, and it is the group of parts that changes.
Regardless of whether you need to disassemble a Scarlet, Vitek or any other iron, you need to understand what’s inside it. Each iron has:
- sole with built-in heating element;
- water tank;
- thermostat with handle;
- nozzle;
- steam regulator;
- cord;
- fork;
- contact block.
Important! Almost all modern models have holes in the sole. They are designed to release steam. Using a thermostat, the ironing mode is set - it is he who is “responsible” for the temperature to which the sole will heat up. The steam unit includes not only a water tank, but also a sprinkler for the forced release of heated steam, and a supply regulator.
We begin to disassemble the iron
Before disassembling a Vitek or any other iron, prepare the necessary tools and materials. You need:
- screwdriver set;
- wide knife;
- multimeter;
- soldering iron;
- solder;
- insulating tape;
- heat shrink tubes;
- sandpaper;
- pliers.
You will need two types of screwdrivers:
- flat;
- crusades;
- with asterisks (rare, but you can find them).
Important! The knife can be successfully replaced with any hard, flat object - for example, a ruler or a bank card that you forgot to throw away. With their help, you will pry off those parts that are attached to the latches.
A multimeter is needed to test the wire and all elements of the electrical circuit that make you suspicious. Sandpaper will come in handy if you need to clean the contacts.
We film what is filmed
Where to start repairing the Scarlet iron? There are not many options - after examining the unit, you will see that there are only a few screws, and besides them, there are removable parts. Therefore, it is better to act in this order:
- Remove the thermostat disc (just pinch it with your fingers and pull it up).
- Remove the steam buttons (in the same way as the disk, and if necessary, press the latches).
- Unscrew the screws on the back cover.
Most of the screws are on the back panel:
- They need to be unscrewed; this is usually not a problem.
- It may very well be that there are additional latches. Use a flat object to pry the cover and remove it from the body.
- Under the cover you will see the terminal block. This is what needs to be checked right away - it is quite possible that the cord has burned out or come loose.
Important! This nuisance can be easily eliminated, and there is no need to further disassemble the Scarlet iron or any other. The burnt wire must be soldered, insulated and ringed with a tester, and then simply screw on the cover.
If the block is ok
If the terminal block is working properly, the iron will have to be disassembled further. It should be taken into account that some models (including Scarlett) may also have fasteners under the cover and on the handle, most often bolts. They also need to be removed. In general, you need to remove all fasteners that are removed.
Important! To keep them from getting lost, place a white sheet of paper on the table and place the screws and bolts on it in the order in which you unscrewed them.
Unscrew the screws until the sole is separated from the body. This is possible for almost all models.
How to ring a block?
For this you need a multimeter:
- Put it in dialing mode.
- Press one probe onto one of the plug contacts.
- With the second probe, touch one wire on the block, and then the other - the device should beep once.
- Repeat the same experiment with another “plug-wire contact” pair. If there is a signal this time, the wire is in perfect order.
Checking the heating element
This is the main part of any heating device.
Important! If the element fails, it is best to buy a new iron - some companies have a very strange marketing policy, when replacing the element is more expensive than a new device.
But first the heating element must be checked. To do this you need to get close to the sole itself:
- Look at the back of the sole - there should be two outlets for the heating element.
- Measure the resistance with a multimeter; to do this, it must be set to measurement mode up to 1000 Ohms.
- Look at the display - when you see a value of about 250 ohm, leave the heating element alone, it is working properly.
- If you see a value greater than 250 Ohm, run to the service center for a new heating element or to the store for a new iron.
Important! To avoid problems with the heating element, you just need to regularly care for the device. And there is nothing complicated about it. See for yourself by looking at several effective and very simple methods.
If the cause of the breakdown is too serious and purchasing a new part will be very expensive, it is reasonable to purchase a new device. Ours will help you in this matter.
Checking the thermostat
It can be extremely unpleasant if you put a disc on “silk” or “synthetic”, and the unit heats up in a second as if you were going to iron cotton. There's nothing you can do, you'll have to deal with the thermostat.
It is a plate with a pin and many contacts. The pin is needed so that the disk can be put on it - the same one that you removed at the beginning of the process. Then we proceed like this:
- We are looking for two contacts that fit the plate.
- We put multimeter probes on them and ring in two positions,
- If the thermostat is set to the “off” position, there should be no squeaking noise.
- In any other position the device should beep.
There may be several problems:
- If in the “on” position the device does not make sounds, the iron does not heat. This case may turn out to be quite simple - it is possible that carbon deposits have formed. The contacts need to be cleaned with fine sandpaper.
- The regulator behaves the same in all positions. In this case, you can try to separate the burnt contacts, but this is not always possible for everyone. It is best to replace the thermostat.
Important! Sometimes the contacts stick to each other. This happens if the iron falls. The iron heats up - the plate presses on the contacts, but they do not open. In this case, the plates must be forced to move, but bending must not be allowed.
Fuse
This detail can also cause a lot of trouble. It is located approximately in the same place as the thermostat, and is needed to prevent overheating. Typically the fuse is protected by a white tube (but may be of a different color):
- Locate the fuse contacts.
- Set the multimeter to dial mode.
- Check your contacts.
- A squeak is heard if the part is in order.
Important! Theoretically, the fuse can be excluded from the circuit, but this is not necessary. It's better to replace it. You can get out of this situation by soldering a piece of copper wire with a cross-section of 0.5 mm in place of the burnt element and putting a piece of cambric on it.
Steam supply system
Doesn't steam come out even though the tank is full? First, let's check the holes. You can deal with the problem quite quickly by performing simple iron repairs.
Option 1:
- Take a clean frying pan.
- Fill it with water.
- Add vinegar at the rate of 1 tbsp. table vinegar per 1 liter of water.
- Turn off the iron.
- Place it in a frying pan so that the solution covers the entire sole.
Option 2
You can make another solution:
- Pour a glass of boiling water into a frying pan (or other dish with low sides).
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons of citric acid.
- Place the iron in the frying pan.
- Place the entire structure on the stove and bring the solution to a boil.
- Turn off the burner.
- Wait until it all cools down.
- Heat the stove again
- Repeat the procedure until the salts that clog the holes dissolve.
Important! In the same way, you can clean not only the iron, but also the soleplate separately - to do this, the top of it must be sealed with polyethylene and tape, and only then lowered into a container of water.
If water does not come out of the sprinkler
This is a fairly simple breakdown, most often caused by a disconnected tube:
- Disassemble the panel on which the injection buttons are located.
- Put all tubes and wires back in place.
Do-it-yourself repair of the Scarlet iron
The irons of this brand are not much different from other popular modern models, but still have some features. As in all other cases, to work you need:
- screwdrivers;
- flat object;
- nail scissors;
- tester.
Important! The most difficult step will be the first step. Irons of this brand have a decorative cap at the back with an unusually shaped screw. The easiest way to unscrew it is with small scissors, but a screwdriver with a corresponding tip may not be included in the set.
- Open the lid of the hole into which water is poured.
- Remove the screw (a Phillips screwdriver will do).
- Remove the back wall (same as with other iron models).
- Unscrew the remaining screws.
- Remove the thermostat knob.
- Open the unit attached to the sole - there is a heat sink there..
- Check all contacts as described in the previous case.
Iron Vitek
The principle of examining a unit of this brand will be the same as for the Scarlet, but again, there are some subtleties, and the first of them is the screws that secure the back cover. You will see three-pointed stars on the slots, so a Phillips screwdriver will not save you, nor will a star screwdriver.
As you can see, most of the likely problems with household appliances can be fixed with your own hands. But still, if you have no idea about the operation of irons and electrical appliances in general, it is better to contact a service and repair center so as not to aggravate the problem.
If the iron stops heating, you can buy a new one, but often the damage is not very serious and can be repaired yourself. If you know how to use a screwdriver and a multimeter, you can do it. We will talk about how to repair an iron with your own hands in this article.
General device
Since irons are produced by many different companies, they differ slightly - in shape, heating speed, quality of spare parts, etc. But the general structure remains the same. Available:
- Sole with a heating element built into it. If there is a steam function, there are a number of holes in the sole for steam to escape.
- Thermostat with a handle that allows you to set the required heating temperature for the sole.
- Container/reservoir for water used for steaming.
- There is a nozzle for spraying water and forcing steam out. 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 electrical cord, which is attached to a contact block located in the back under the plastic cover.
Once you have become familiar with what is where, you can begin repairing the iron yourself.
What will you need for work?
To work, you will need a set of screwdrivers - Phillips and flathead. You will need a wide knife or an unnecessary plastic card to pry off the parts of the iron with latches. To check the integrity of the parts you will need a multimeter (). Another thing that may be required is if you have to change some spare parts.
That's all from tools, but in the process of work sometimes you need electrical tape or heat-shrinkable tubes, you may need sandpaper and pliers.
How to disassemble an iron
The first difficulty faced by those who want to repair the iron themselves is disassembly. This is far from simple and obvious. The easiest way is to remove the back panel. There are several screws that are visible and are not 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 body.
Under it there is a terminal block to which the cord is attached. If there are problems with the cord, you don’t have to disassemble the iron any further. But if everything is fine with the cord, you will have to disassemble it further, and this may cause problems.
Some irons - Philips, Tefal - still have bolts under the cover. We also unscrew them. In general, if we see fasteners, we remove them.
Removing the back cover is 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 several points that are found in almost any manufacturer.
You immediately need to remove the temperature control dial and the steam button, to do this you need to hold them in your fingers and pull them up. The buttons may have latches, so you may need something thin so that you can press them out a little - you can pry them off with a screwdriver.
Some irons, such as the Rowenta, as in the photo, have bolts on the handle (some Scarlet models have them). If there are any, unscrew them. There is also a screw hidden under the removed buttons; we unscrew that too. Then remove the top plastic parts. They are usually secured with snap locks. 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 precise recommendations - there are too many different designs. What can be advised is to act slowly and carefully. And several videos on how to disassemble irons of different brands.
Power cord
Failure of an electrical cord is a fairly common type of breakdown. With such damage, the iron may not turn on at all or work in fits and starts, and the sole may not heat up well. The cord may bend or curl, the insulation may be damaged at the bends, and some wires may 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 iron repair begins with checking the cord. To accurately determine whether it is in normal condition or not, you need to ring it. To do this, simply remove the back cover. The terminal block to which the cord is connected will become accessible. You will need a tester or multimeter. We put it in the dialing mode, press one probe to one contact of the plug, and touch the second one to one of the wires on the block. When you touch the “correct” wire, the multimeter should make a beeping sound. This means that the wire is intact.
The color of the conductor insulation can be any, but yellow-green is necessarily grounding (it must be checked by installing a probe on a small metal plate at the bottom of the plug). The other two are connected to the pins of the plug. One of these two wires should be connected to 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 working order, you need to wrinkle/twist it during testing. Especially in places where there are problems with insulation. If the squeak from such actions is interrupted, it is better to replace the cord. It must also be replaced if one or both pins “do not ring.” You may be lucky and you won’t need further repairs to your 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 the heating element 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 outputs of the heating element. We move the multimeter to the resistance measurement position (up to 1000 Ohms), and take measurements. If the numbers on the display are about 25o Ohm, then the heating element is normal, if more, it’s burned out. As has already been said, if the heating element burns out, there is no need to repair 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, onto which the disk is then placed.
Two contacts fit to the plate. We install multimeter probes on them and check their functionality (call them). 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 be 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 got burnt.
In the first case, carbon deposits may interfere, which can be cleaned off by inserting a piece of fine-grain sandpaper between the contacts and “sliding” along the contacts a couple of times. If you don’t have sandpaper, you can use a nail file, but you need to 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 become burnt or fused. Repairing the iron in this case consists of trying to separate them. But such a trick rarely succeeds. The solution is to replace it.
There may be another point: when falling, the contacts could somehow interlock. When the sole of the iron heats up, the bending thermal plate presses on the contact groups, but the contacts cannot open. The result is the same - the iron does not turn off when heating. Repairing an iron is also similar - we try to restore mobility to the plates, trying not to bend them. If it doesn’t work, we change it.
Checking the fuse
A thermal fuse is installed approximately in the same area where the thermostat is located. It is used in case the soleplate of the iron overheats - it burns out if the iron heats up to dangerous temperatures. Usually this fuse has a protective tube attached to it, and most often it is white.
Find contacts, call. In normal condition, the fuse “rings”; if it is blown, there is silence. If you wish, you can move the handset and call directly - there may be a break/burnout in the connecting wire. If a fuse is blown, unsolder it, look for a similar one and install it in place.
There is no need to exclude the thermal fuse from the circuit - it will protect you from a 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 repairs, your home will be safe.
Steam spray system
If almost no steam comes out of the iron, but there is water in the container, most likely the holes are clogged with salts. You can restore functionality with a simple technique. Pour water and vinegar (regular, table vinegar without dyes) into a dish with low sides (a frying pan or baking sheet will do). One glass of vinegar per liter of water. The second recipe is to add 2 teaspoons of citric acid to 250 ml of boiling water. Place the switched-off iron into the bowl with the prepared liquid. The liquid should cover the sole.
Place the container with the iron on the fire, bring to a boil, and turn off. Wait until it cools down. Reheat. You can repeat this 3-4 times. Until the salts dissolve.
Sometimes water stops coming out of the sprinkler. This is most likely due to the tube being disconnected. In this case, repairing the iron consists of disassembling the panel on which the injection buttons are attached and installing all the tubes and wires in place.
The second way to descale your iron is to disassemble it completely so that only the soleplate remains. Seal the sole with tape to prevent water from seeping through, but you can also put it in a dish. Pour hot water with vinegar or citric acid into the sole, leave until it cools, drain, and refill. Continue this way until you are satisfied with the result. Then rinse with water and collect.
Repairing an iron with your own hands is a classic of the household genre, but now, unfortunately, the currents of surrealism are becoming stronger in it. To disassemble a modern iron, a novice master needs to have the skills to solve Chinese puzzles: There are hidden latches everywhere, clever tenon joints, shaped fasteners. Should I take it to the workshop? The cost of repairs may be such that it is easier to buy a new iron. Let’s still try to fix ours, without professional training and without special tools.
Abstract reasoning
Manufacturers justify turning the iron into a kind of combination lock with safety, design and ergonomic requirements. But, sorry, out of the visible fasteners on the irons there were only 1-2 screws at the back, and they remain that way. Moreover, the body parts of old irons were made from fragile bakelite and polystyrene, while today’s plastics compete with metals in strength.
In fact, we, alas, live in an age of things that are not eternal. One of the fundamental principles of consumer society is inexorable: a product of mass demand must work flawlessly (manufacturer’s reputation, but what) for no more than 2-2.5 warranty periods, and then quickly and irreversibly become completely unusable. Leading manufacturers of consumer goods employ up to half or more of their design personnel to ensure that, God forbid, the product does not turn out to be too durable.
How does the work of the industry in the trash can affect the environment, and the involvement of truly high-quality specialists in actually harmful activities on the mass consciousness, is another question, but the iron almost does not give in to such attempts: it is too simple, and inside it is too hot and humid. Therefore, damage to the iron at the design stage comes down mainly to making it difficult to disassemble it outside the service center. However, it is still possible to repair an iron at home using improvised means if you know where and what secrets may be hidden in it and how to open them without the risk of completely ruining the iron.
Tool
To successfully repair an iron, let's first prepare some homemade tools; It will not take much time and will not require significant expenses:
- 2-4 lid squeezers;
- squeezer for hidden latches;
- a cheap LED flashlight (namely LED) and a magnifying glass;
- a strip of suede, a nail file, alcohol;
- or, instead of step 4 - a pencil eraser, an ink eraser, a piece of a clean cloth, alcohol.
Note: on the purpose of tools according to paragraphs. 4 and 5 see below.
Push-ups
The lid squeezer is made from the top, strongest layer of bamboo, the size and thickness of an ice cream stick; one end of it is cut into a wedge. The covers on the body of irons are often placed on latches without fixing. At the service center, such a cover is compressed with special pliers and removed. To remove it using a makeshift method, you need to pry off the cover: the teeth of the latches without fixing are beveled on both sides and come out of the grooves intact. But open the lids on tight latches with a table knife or a wide screwdriver, as in Fig. on the right, don’t: the steel will leave marks on the plastic. The flexural strength of the surface layer of bamboo is higher than that of plastics, and the shear strength is lower. Therefore, a bamboo squeezer will remove the lid if it is properly lifted, but perhaps it will be crushed from the surface on its own without damaging the plastic. If the lid is not lifted correctly and does not give in, the bamboo squeezer will break without damaging the iron. They use bamboo squeezers in pairs, prying the part from both sides.
A good thin squeezer for fixed latches is obtained from a plastic coffee stirrer cut into a wedge, which are issued by coffee machines. The wringer from the stirrer fits into any gap and gently removes the latches with fixation, without scratching or breaking either them or the body parts.
Flashlight and magnifying glass
Cheap mini LED flashlights produce very hard light with harsh shadows. In this case, this is an advantage: such light penetrates deeply into thin cracks, and under a magnifying glass you can see what the part is holding there. To do this, first they pry off the lid, which is not clear how to remove, with bamboo squeezers, highlight it and look at what is holding it there.
How to handle latches
It is best, of course, to find a diagram for disassembling the iron of this model, but try it! And don’t look for typical layouts of secret locks either: they can be different for the same model from the same manufacturer. Have you read in the instructions: “The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the design that do not affect the performance of the product”? That is, when disassembling the iron, you will most likely have to look for hidden connections yourself.
It must be said that Western companies are gradually moving away from the principle: “Do you want to fix it yourself? Well, break it and buy a new one!” But Asians stubbornly cling to it. For example, if your iron is Chinese, then the nose mounting screw (see below) will most likely be not under the filler cap, but... under the water and steam supply buttons!
Let's light it up and see. Do you see the green circle in the pic? So, this is not a latch, but a sliding tenon in a groove. The latches are on the other side of the buttons. To remove the buttons and disassemble the iron, you need to:
- Push forward button.
- Insert the wringer from the mixer behind it.
- Release the latch.
- Without removing the wringer, lift the button up until it stops. You should hear a faint click of the latch tooth coming out of the groove.
- While holding the button so as not to fall, remove the wringer.
- Continuing to hold the button, move it forward with an inclination so that the sliding tenon turns out of the groove.
- Do the same with the other button.
Shaped fasteners
The screws in irons from Western manufacturers are most often either ordinary with a Phillips or hexagon head. For the latter, there is no point in buying a special screwdriver with a set of bits for a one-time repair: a screw with a hexagonal slot can simply be unscrewed with a flat screwdriver with a thin blade of a suitable width. It can also be used to unscrew screws with a trefoil slot, which the Chinese are very fond of (on the right in the figure), but without strong pressure: this creates a significant lateral force and the screw in the thread can simply jam. If the screw is tight, it is torn off with a series of small jerks, moving the screwdriver to other pairs of slots.
The most difficult thing will be to unscrew the screw with the TORXX slot (on the right in the figure): scissors or tweezers will only take it if the screw is loose in the thread. It is most convenient to unscrew TORXX screws without a special wrench using small duckbill pliers; You can also use side cutters, but then there will be dents on the slot bridge. They won’t do anything to the screw, but if an experienced master suddenly gets hold of this iron, he’ll charge him for repairs for previous unskilled access.
How does a steam iron work?
But where to look for all these secret screws? To do this, you first need to familiarize yourself with the structure of a modern iron with a steam generator (steamer). Its general diagram is shown in Fig.:
An impact steaming system (with superheated steam) is installed only in certain models, because it is effective only in the thermostat position close to the maximum (three points). In good irons with shock steaming, the shock pump is blocked if the regulator is set to 1-2 points. What is always written about in the instructions, how, pray tell, does a normal housewife read the instructions for an iron? That is, if there is no steam boost, then perhaps to eliminate the “malfunction” you just need to turn the temperature regulator.
The positional protection module turns off the heating element if the position of the sole of the iron differs from horizontal: it was placed upright, dropped, etc. This is perhaps the only electronic innovation in irons. In high-quality irons, positional protection is the second most common source of breakdowns (after scale in the steamer, see at the end), but at home it is most often completely repairable.
How the Chinese soar
If you look at the soles of even cheap Chinese irons, it turns out that many of them have fictitious, fake drip humidification nozzles. In fact, when fully heated, a burst of steam is produced by pressing the steam button; in the same position of the thermostat, soft steam comes from the button with droplets, and for drip humidification in this case you need to press both buttons at once.
Electrical diagram
The electrical circuit of the iron is shown in the following. rice.:
The KM relay and the SK position sensor constitute the positional protection. On its board there may be a power indicator, which in this case is LED, and not on the neon. Positional protection can be turned off without compromising the consumer qualities of the iron, but if the indicator is LED, then if the “positioning” is completely turned off, it will stop working. This is inconvenient, so faulty positional protection must be partially disabled (see below).
The numbers with indices show the sequence of testing the “hot” and “cold” circuits with a multimeter: one probe with an alligator clip is connected to the pin of the power plug, and the others go along the points. Both continuities should converge on the contacts of the KM relay. The fact is that the KM contacts are normally open: when the iron is plugged in and the thermostat contacts are closed, the KM pulls, its contacts are closed and current flows through them to the heating element. It is necessary that any malfunction of the positional protection itself disables the heating element (the principle of excess safety), but this circumstance can mislead an inexperienced technician.
Note: when checking, it may turn out that there is a miscontact in the connecting cap, see fig. right. The only way out is to bite it off and reconnect the wires into a new one.
Thermal protection
The thermal fuse (thermal) is triggered if the temperature of the soleplate of the iron exceeds 240 degrees or the current through the heating element exceeds a certain specified value. That is, the thermal fuse to replace the unsuitable one must also be selected according to the current, depending on the power of the iron:
- 2200 W – 25 A.
- 1500 W – 16 A.
- 1000 W – 10 A.
- 600 W – 6.3 A.
Thermal current redundancy is needed because 220 V is the effective (effective) value of the mains voltage; the amplitude is 220 V x 1.4 = 308 V. The duration of the half-cycle of the frequency 50 Hz is 10 ms, and the thermal response time is 4-5 ms. Suddenly, the network voltage jumps to the maximum permissible value of 245 V, the thermal fuse for the operating current of the heating element may burn out in a perfectly serviceable iron.
Thermal fuses are disposable (pos. 1 in the figure), resettable, pos. 2, and self-healing, pos. 3. The first ones burn out and must be installed in a dielectric heat-resistant sleeve (usually made of fiberglass), otherwise a breakdown of the network voltage at the base is very likely. In a resettable thermal fuse, the prestressed bimetallic strip “snaps” and opens the contacts. To restore it, you need to press it through the window in the contact until it clicks back with something sharp. Self-healing thermal protection will return to its original state if the iron is unplugged and allowed to cool completely. Self-healing thermals are structurally combined with a thermostat (see below) and are always supplemented with a current fuse.
Thermostat
The soleplate temperature regulator is the most important component of the iron and one of the most susceptible to breakdowns; It is a mechanical trigger device driven by a bimetallic plate. There are no “magnets, like in a refrigerator regulator,” in the iron’s thermostat. Like the refrigerator thermostat, there is also a mechanical trigger, only of a different design. The principle of its operation is simple:
- The part with the movable contact is pressed against the fixed one by a reversible spring. The contacts are closed, the heating element is heating up. The degree of compression of the spring is regulated by the temperature setting knob.
- On the other hand, the movable contact is connected by a dielectric pusher rod to a bimetallic plate.
- The bimetallic plate, bending from heat, presses through the rod onto the movable contact until it overpowers the spring.
- The spring is thrown over and opens the contacts.
- The heating element turns off, the sole of the iron with the bimetallic plate cools down.
- The bimetallic strip is straightened. When its pressure weakens sufficiently, the spring is thrown back and returns the regulator to its original state.
The heating element heats up again, the cycle repeats. In old irons and some new ones, the thermostat is assembled according to the scheme with a free rocker arm (item 1 in the figure):
Its disadvantages are 2 pairs of contacts susceptible to burning and large hysteresis, i.e. difference between the response and return temperatures of the regulator. Therefore, in regulators with a free rocker there is always an adjustment screw under the handle, which is turned if the iron heats too much (tighten it by 1-2 turns) or weakly (unscrew it the same amount). To access the calibration screw, you need to remove the temperature control knob. It sits on the axis by friction, but is held in the body by claws with stops, see fig. right. To remove the handle, you need to turn it all the way to the minimum (at the first point) and pull it up.
Most modern irons are equipped with a unified double-spring thermostat, pos. 2: it works very clearly and almost never requires adjustment during operation. Its weaknesses, firstly, are the same as in the previous one. case, contacts, see below. Secondly, there is a ceramic rod (indicated in blue), which sometimes cracks. The rod length is 8 mm, and a new one can be made from an MLT-0.5 W resistor, pos. 2a. The resistor leads are bitten to a length of 1.5-2 mm, the paint is washed off with dichloroethane or a surfactant remover, and the conductive layer is cleaned off with sandpaper. If the resistance of the resistor is more than 620-680 kOhm, some people install it instead of the rod as is, the paint burns without smoke or stink. However, then the sole of the iron may unpleasantly “pinch” with electricity. And what is much worse, the resistance of a resistor with an unprotected conductive layer can decrease several times, and the leakage current through it can increase to a dangerous value.
Note 3: sometimes the insert washers in thermostats crack. A new one can be machined from fluoroplastic instead; drawing see pos. 2b.
How to clean contacts
There is no need to clean the burnt contacts of the iron temperature regulator with sandpaper, as many sources advise: they operate under high current and after cleaning with sandpaper they quickly burn again. In the regulators of modern irons, the contacts are thin-walled stamped, and in this case they burn through to holes. To clean the contacts, you need to wrap a nail file along the suede moistened with alcohol, insert it between the contacts and rub until the suede stops getting very dirty with carbon deposits. An alternative is to cut a thin wedge out of an ink eraser and use it to clean the contacts. Then - with the same wedge made from a pencil eraser. Finally, wrap the nail file in a rag moistened with alcohol instead of suede and use it to remove any adhering particles of the eraser from the contacts.
Note: due to the thermostat, such a situation is also possible - the iron heats at maximum, regardless of the position of the temperature setting knob; Adjusting the calibration screw does not help. This means that the contacts of the regulator are welded and it needs to be replaced.
How to get there?
All this is good, but our iron has not yet been disassembled. In general, disassembling the iron is done as follows. way:
- Remove the temperature setting knob.
- Remove the back cover (possibly together with the top).
- Remove the contact block.
- Remove the top cover.
- Remove the body.
- Remove the thermostat casing (if equipped).
After this, all components of the iron become available for inspection and repair. Of course, each stage has its own subtleties and features. We will consider some further, not as examples of models from individual manufacturers, but for now let’s focus on the general “problems”.
Back cover
This is the only part secured with a screw(s) visible from the outside. There may be 2 of the latter below. In this case, 2 options are possible: the back cover is integral with the top and separately. In the first case, the handle of the iron will be straight, and both covers are immediately pulled back, pushing the upper one with your fingers: it sits with horizontal spikes in the longitudinal grooves.
If the covers are separate and the back cover is on one or 2 screws, then again 2 cases are possible: the back cover is flush with the body and on the cover. In the first case, the lid is pulled towards you by the bottom - at the top it is secured with spikes in the grooves, which will turn out and the lid will come out. The second case concerns almost exclusively covers with one screw in the middle. If the lid does not come out after unscrewing the screw and does not pull at the bottom, then it has double tenons in the grooves, at the top and at the bottom. Then you need to push the lid up so that the lower tenons are released, and then pull the bottom so that the upper ones turn out of the grooves.
Block
After removing the back cover, the contact block will be visible, this is already the source of malfunctions. In some irons (not necessarily cheap ones) the contact block is a regular screw one (item 1 in the figure), it can melt, then you need to change it to propylene. Polyethylene and PVC will not withstand the iron!
Pads with slip-on terminals (item 2) are the most reliable, but for further disassembly of the iron, the terminals must be removed. To do this, their protrusions-clamps are pressed through the holes in the contacts with an awl or a thin screwdriver.
To remove the solid cut-in block (item 3), you need to unscrew 2 screws of the power cord clamp and 2 screws holding the block itself. If the network wires do not ring accordingly. sockets of the block (green arrows on item 4), the block needs to be changed or plug-in terminals must be installed on the wires, because The wires in the terminal block cannot be re-terminated.
Top cover
The curved top cover is held in place by tight latches without locking. At home, it is removed with a pair of squeezers (see above), starting, as a rule, from the rear end. It doesn’t work - you need to try from the front.
Positional defense
Under the top cover of most irons there is a positional protection module. The most vulnerable part of it is the position sensor. As a rule, this is a plastic box (red arrows in the figure) with only a couple of terminals. The position sensor is either closed with a tight-fitting lid, or filled with a compound on top that can be picked out.
A malfunction of the position sensor is typical: the iron does not turn on, and if you shake it, it may turn on for a while and turn off spontaneously again. When disassembling the sensor, it is discovered that inside there are a pair of contacts and a metal roller, stuck with something viscous and dirty. The sensor was initially filled with clean and clear silicone grease, but the current in the high power relay coil is sufficient to cause the contacts to spark. The filling becomes contaminated with carbon deposits, the roller does not close the contacts well and does not move as it should.
They remove unusable silicone with table vinegar, but you cannot leave the roller dry: when ironing, the relay will “pop” all the time, the iron will heat up unpredictably, and the sensor will soon completely fail. Instead of silicone, the sensor must be filled with any liquid machine oil; By the way, it is more resistant to contamination and dampens sparks better than silicone. The sensor is washed with alcohol, a needle from a medical syringe is put on the spout of the oil can and the sensor is filled carefully so that the oil does not flow onto the walls. Once filled, the lid is glued back with “Titanium” or other superglue; if the walls are oily, the glue will not hold.
Note: in irons Brown and some. In other cases, the signal from the position sensor is processed by a microcircuit (upper position in the figure). In this case, the position sensor roller can be left dry.
Another possible malfunction is burnt contacts or a burnt-out relay winding, then the iron will not turn on at all. To check, the module must be removed from the iron and its operating voltage of direct or alternating current, which is indicated on the relay body (green arrows), must be applied to the relay winding. A click should be heard and the tester should show contact closure. No - the relay needs to be changed.
Note: If you are not sure that the winding voltage is indicated on the relay, you need to measure its resistance. Suddenly, the winding current at the specified voltage turns out to be more than 80-100 mA; it cannot be supplied to the winding. You need to check the relay from a regulated power source. As a rule, the operating voltage of the winding does not exceed 24 V.
It is quite possible to do without positional defense. To partially turn it off (for the heating element indicator to work), you need to unsolder the white wire and connect it to the brown one, or unsolder the red one and connect it to the blue one. In this case, the relay may click and rattle, so it is better to unsolder it too.
Frame
After removing the back cover and contact block, the tenons in the grooves holding the housing will appear (lower position in the figure on the right) or screws, but take your time: the housing is held in place by another screw or two in the area of the iron nose. How the Chinese hide them has already been said, but in other irons they are on the spout under the filler cap. It remains in place after removing the top cover. To remove the filler cap, you need to lift the filler flap and remove the cap with it using squeezers, then the nose screws (upper position) will be visible.
The body of the iron is removed along with the pumps, and their malfunctions become visible, from which either there is no steam, or water flows into the body, the iron crackles, sparks, beats with current: cracked tubes, pipes and valves (nipples) clogged with salt deposits. There is no point in gluing the tubes; any glue in the iron is like a poultice for the dead. First, you need to clean the hydraulic system from scale. For plastic, this is done mechanically, with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. The nipples are washed with a solution of citric acid (1 tsp per glass of water). A solution of acetic acid (vinegar) emits chemically aggressive fumes that corrode metal. Then the fragments of the cracked tubes are collected together, pieces of heat-shrinkable tube are put on them (HERE, heat shrink) and heated with a household hairdryer.
What's wrong with anyone
Tefal
The Tefal iron repair is unique. First, its body is removed along with the top cover. Second, the nose screw is hidden under the water dispenser cover (left and center in the picture); it is visible through translucent plastic. Third, to get to the pumps, you need to remove the top cover with the housing removed. Its screw is hidden under the buttons (on the right in the figure), and it must be unscrewed so that the cover can be removed.
Finally, Tefal is a leader in the production of cordless irons. They come in several types: with contacts on the platform, with a thermal-accumulating sole, with a discardable (shooting) cord. The first two are unsuitable for amateur repairs, but the last one, which seems to be faulty, may turn out to be quite functional.
The cord from the iron is thrown away by a pusher operating from a separate trigger mechanism with its own bimetallic plate. That is, if you, for example, ironed the cuffs and want to heat up the iron further by inserting the cord, but it doesn’t work, then the iron has not cooled down enough. You need to let it cool further, insert the cord, turn the dial to higher heat and wait until the cord bounces off. It’s inconvenient, of course, which is why irons with a detachable cord are not in great demand.
Phillips
A special feature of Philips irons is their double body. For example, the popular Azur is first dealt with in the usual sequence, poses. And in the figure, but the back cover is secured with 2 screws from the bottom. Under the decorative casing with pumps there is an internal one with protection (pos. B), and already under it there is a massive sole (in fact, the third casing) with a thermostat and thermal pad, pos. IN.
Bosch
The design of Bosch irons can be considered typical, and disassembling Bosch irons is even easier than others: the back cover is on one screw and without tricky fasteners. To remove it, you need to unscrew the screw and pull back the input hose of the power cord (see the figure on the right), the cover will fold back together with the hinge, after which further disassembly has no special features.
Brown
The congenital defect of inexpensive Brown irons is the thin-walled steam generator tank made of galvanized steel and the fastening of the thermostat casing with foldable legs made of the same. Both rust perfectly, see fig. on the right, after which repairing the iron loses its meaning.
How to make steam
The same congenital defect of all steam irons without exception is scale. It is difficult to remove it from the non-removable tank of the steam generator, and in no case should you boil the iron in a frying pan with vinegar to do this, as in Fig. Acetic acid fumes will make the plastic brittle, corrode the nickel on the sole to the point of roughness, and if it is coated with Teflon, it will begin to peel off. Firstly, the iron must be disassembled down to the sole for cleaning, see for example. video on how to clean Philips 3240:
Video: example of disassembling and cleaning a Philips 3240 iron
Secondly, as already mentioned, it is better to use a solution of citric acid rather than vinegar. Thirdly, before cleaning, the heating element contacts together with ceramic bushings must be tightly wrapped with good soft electrical tape in 3-4 layers or, better, with heat-shrinkable tape. Fourthly, if the nozzles are clogged with scale, also pierce them with a toothpick before cleaning. And fifthly, after cleaning, thoroughly rinse the hydraulic system of the sole with clean water from top to bottom, pouring it into the steam generator tank. Then you can rest assured: the iron will serve as well after cleaning as before.
One of the indispensable attributes in the house is an electric iron. Since ancient times, its design has been constantly improved. It all started with the use of improvised means - stones, dies, heated potholders. Then irons appeared that worked using hot coal, alcohol, and gas. In 1903, American Earl Richardson began producing the first electrical appliances.
Design of a modern electric iron
If the iron stops heating and the warranty has already expired, you can try to fix it yourself. To do this, you need to know how to properly disassemble the iron. Modern devices differ from each other mainly in design, and have slight differences in design. Let's list the components:
Possible fixable problems
You should start troubleshooting by checking the power cord. It is constantly subject to twisting during ironing. To check the integrity of the wire and plug, you need to use a multimeter in continuity mode. If the chain breaks, you need to buy a new one.
Then the integrity of the heating element is checked, which is located in the so-called sole, is the heaviest part. The cord is also checked for circuit integrity.
If you already have repair experience, then you can check the heating element, bimetallic regulator and thermal fuse from the terminal block. To see it you only need to remove the back cover. If the heating element has burned out, then you need to decide what is more profitable - ordering the sole of this model or buying a new device. A faulty bimetallic regulator and thermal fuse can be replaced by yourself.
Step-by-step disassembly of the device
Manufacturers, including Philips, are constantly working to complicate the design to make it more difficult to disassemble yourself. But craftsmen find a way out in this case too. Here is an example of how to disassemble a Philips Azur iron:
Disassembling the philips iron begins with unscrewing the screw on the back cover. It can be covered with a plug. Next, remove the cover with the power cord hinge. Then unscrew the two screws from the end that were under the cover, one on top and two on the bottom. There is another one in front under the lid where water is poured. After this, remove the top cover of the handle. If the cover has latches, carefully push them aside using a knife or screwdriver and lift the handle cover.
Below it is an electronic control board. If it is secured, then unscrew the fastening screw.
To avoid confusion during assembly, It is advisable to record or film the disassembly process. Remove the wires from the terminal block. We move everything we removed to the side. Now you need to remove the temperature control knob. Using a knife and screwdriver, lift it up. Remove the main part of the handle. Under it there is a steam generator chamber and a sole with a heating element. It is necessary to unscrew two bolts at the back and one at the front and remove the steam chamber.
Now you have access to the temperature controller, thermal fuse and heating element. A lot of different dirt accumulates in this part, which negatively affects the operation of the iron. The entire surface must be thoroughly cleaned. Check and if necessary clean all water and steam channels of the sole.
It is more difficult to check the electronic board on which the motion sensor is located. This requires skill in repairing electronic equipment. If the board is not filled with epoxy, visually determine where the two ends of the sensor are located and ring them.
The condition of the circuit depends on the vertical or horizontal position of the board. After checking the integrity of the removed parts, you can begin assembling the iron in the reverse order.