So this is the second installment in the web series 'How the heck DO things work?', your favourite blog series that you share with your friends probably because I have your Credit Card Information. Fun!!!
So today we learn how an iron works.
1.At the back end of the iron, take out the"tested" sticker and open the screw. Pull back the cover carefully and set it aside.Remove the vertical cord lift.
2.Take off the top spray button if your iron is a steam one and remove the screw under it.Take out the handle.
3.Further remove screws at these locations. Remove the plastic shell.
4.Carefully press the center of the end of the wires called thimbles and slide them out. Again remove two remaining screws.
1.Sole plate - This is the part which actually gets heated up and removes the wrinkles off the clothes. A common choice for this material is aluminium coated with non sticky material.This part includes something called as an element. It is actually very crucial to the iron as this is a large resistor which heats up the sole plate(H = I2RT). Even though it was detachable in the older models, it is no longer so.
2.Thermostat - This is probably the only thing which will save your clothes while you're off all carefree stuck to your computer watching YouTube. It also includes a bi-metal, which is made up of two metals and is connected to the thermostat, allowing it to stop the flow of electricity. Further information on its working given in the theory part.
3.Water reservoir - Although many irons don't have this feature, most do. The water reservoir is where the water is stored. On pressing the button, some is sprayed out on the clothes. Can also be used as a pichkari on Holi. Pew Pew Pew!! Additional tip, you can burn whoever thinks its funny to drench you with a bucket full of filthy, disgusting mud on the occasion - thanks dad!!
4.Handle - You see this is the part with which you hold the iron. I prefer skipping this part to save some money and holding the iron by it's sole plate while using it. Don't worry - your body's 70% water so even if something happens you can't possibly get that burnt anyways, right?
5.Fuse - This is the small wire covered with white plastic and is usually made of aluminium. In case of an overload, the metal melts, breaking the circuit and saving other crucial parts from damage. As in yon olden days the fuses were too expensive, a detachable element was put in instead to replace a burnt one.
1.Leakage of water - Water from the reservoir can leak into the other parts thus helping in corrosion of the elements. It can also cause a short circuit of wires.
2.Thimbles get damaged - The thimbles on the wire connections are relatively fragile and thus can get damaged or rusted and broken. In this case scrape off the rust. You can also try wrapping the connection with a strip of aluminium sheet, which will act as a makeshift wire.
3.Short circuit - Another common problem. Wires or other connections can get short circuited due to water leakage, connection of two wires or various other reasons. Check for a burning smell of rubber if problem came up recently.
4.Does not stop automatically on overheating - The thermostat can stop working if the bi-metal gets damaged, thus causing the iron to keep on heating. Also the fuse, or in the older models, the element, can get damaged thus needing to be replaced.
There's actually not a lot of theory in this one - just a short paragraph on the bi-metal.
This part has two pieces of different metals bolted together to form what's called a bimetallic strip (or bimetal strip). The strip works like a switch - normally the strip carries electricity through the circuit. However when the strip gets hot, one of the metals expands more than the other so the whole strip bends very slightly such that it breaks open the circuit, cooling down the sole plate. As the iron cools, the strip cools too and bends back to its original shape, so the heating switches back on.
So today we learn how an iron works.
Procedure
1.At the back end of the iron, take out the"tested" sticker and open the screw. Pull back the cover carefully and set it aside.Remove the vertical cord lift.
2.Take off the top spray button if your iron is a steam one and remove the screw under it.Take out the handle.
3.Further remove screws at these locations. Remove the plastic shell.
Different parts of the Steam Iron
1.Sole plate - This is the part which actually gets heated up and removes the wrinkles off the clothes. A common choice for this material is aluminium coated with non sticky material.This part includes something called as an element. It is actually very crucial to the iron as this is a large resistor which heats up the sole plate(H = I2RT). Even though it was detachable in the older models, it is no longer so.
2.Thermostat - This is probably the only thing which will save your clothes while you're off all carefree stuck to your computer watching YouTube. It also includes a bi-metal, which is made up of two metals and is connected to the thermostat, allowing it to stop the flow of electricity. Further information on its working given in the theory part.
3.Water reservoir - Although many irons don't have this feature, most do. The water reservoir is where the water is stored. On pressing the button, some is sprayed out on the clothes. Can also be used as a pichkari on Holi. Pew Pew Pew!! Additional tip, you can burn whoever thinks its funny to drench you with a bucket full of filthy, disgusting mud on the occasion - thanks dad!!
4.Handle - You see this is the part with which you hold the iron. I prefer skipping this part to save some money and holding the iron by it's sole plate while using it. Don't worry - your body's 70% water so even if something happens you can't possibly get that burnt anyways, right?
5.Fuse - This is the small wire covered with white plastic and is usually made of aluminium. In case of an overload, the metal melts, breaking the circuit and saving other crucial parts from damage. As in yon olden days the fuses were too expensive, a detachable element was put in instead to replace a burnt one.
Problems that could come up
1.Leakage of water - Water from the reservoir can leak into the other parts thus helping in corrosion of the elements. It can also cause a short circuit of wires.
2.Thimbles get damaged - The thimbles on the wire connections are relatively fragile and thus can get damaged or rusted and broken. In this case scrape off the rust. You can also try wrapping the connection with a strip of aluminium sheet, which will act as a makeshift wire.
3.Short circuit - Another common problem. Wires or other connections can get short circuited due to water leakage, connection of two wires or various other reasons. Check for a burning smell of rubber if problem came up recently.
4.Does not stop automatically on overheating - The thermostat can stop working if the bi-metal gets damaged, thus causing the iron to keep on heating. Also the fuse, or in the older models, the element, can get damaged thus needing to be replaced.
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| Detachable element of older irons |
Theory
There's actually not a lot of theory in this one - just a short paragraph on the bi-metal.
This part has two pieces of different metals bolted together to form what's called a bimetallic strip (or bimetal strip). The strip works like a switch - normally the strip carries electricity through the circuit. However when the strip gets hot, one of the metals expands more than the other so the whole strip bends very slightly such that it breaks open the circuit, cooling down the sole plate. As the iron cools, the strip cools too and bends back to its original shape, so the heating switches back on.
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| Inside view of the entire sole plate. |
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