Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Yup.

Thanks,
Stephen.

On 2 June, 18:33, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.



It's most likely to be that the cable has broken near the flexible
cord reinforcement.
It might be possible to feel a break through the outer sheath of the
flex.

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:33:28 +0100, Stephen
wrote:

Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

You don't say whether or not you checked the continuity of the cable
from plug to iron. You will need a multimeter. The most probable
problem is a break in one of the wires at the iron end

Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

get a multimeter and find out where the fault is. Good chance its
easily repairable


NT

wrote in message
...
Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

get a multimeter and find out where the fault is. Good chance its
easily repairable


NT

....but the elements do fail. They are embedded and cannot be replaced.

"John" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

get a multimeter and find out where the fault is. Good chance its
easily repairable


NT

...but the elements do fail. They are embedded and cannot be replaced.


As the OP said "When plugged in the pilot light does not come on" I assume
this is the light to tell you the heater is on, usually wired in parallel to
the heater, so it sounds like power is not getting as far as this, I would
expect a failed element to still light the light, but fail to heat.

So I would guess it is either the thermostat that has packed up (to the OP -
Does it click when you turn it all the way down and the up - most of the
ones I have used do) or as others have suggested, the cable - if you put the
irn on max, then bend the cable that enteres the iron back and forwards,
does it help?

Toby...

Toby wrote:
"John" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

get a multimeter and find out where the fault is. Good chance its
easily repairable


NT

...but the elements do fail. They are embedded and cannot be replaced.


As the OP said "When plugged in the pilot light does not come on" I assume
this is the light to tell you the heater is on, usually wired in parallel to
the heater, so it sounds like power is not getting as far as this, I would
expect a failed element to still light the light, but fail to heat.

So I would guess it is either the thermostat that has packed up (to the OP -
Does it click when you turn it all the way down and the up - most of the
ones I have used do) or as others have suggested, the cable - if you put the
irn on max, then bend the cable that enteres the iron back and forwards,
does it help?

Toby...

if the stat failed, in most cases it would still click. The op needs a
multimeter. If money is so incredibly tight that that isnt an option,
a bulb & battery could be used.


NT

On 3 June, 18:55, wrote:
Toby wrote:
"John" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Our steam iron isn't working. When plugged in the pilot light does not
come on and the sole plate does not warm up. I checked the fuse and
that was ok. I managed to unscrew it (with the power switched off of
course) hoping to find something black and charred so that I could
replace that part, but there's nothing that looks obviously damaged
and not much inside to go wrong. Is it like a kettle whose element
only lasts so long. Do the sole plates eventually give up?

Thanks,
Stephen.

get a multimeter and find out where the fault is. Good chance its
easily repairable

NT

...but the elements do fail. They are embedded and cannot be replaced.

As the OP said "When plugged in the pilot light does not come on" I assume
this is the light to tell you the heater is on, usually wired in parallel to
the heater, so it sounds like power is not getting as far as this, I would
expect a failed element to still light the light, but fail to heat.

So I would guess it is either the thermostat that has packed up (to the OP -
Does it click when you turn it all the way down and the up - most of the
ones I have used do) or as others have suggested, the cable - if you put the
irn on max, then bend the cable that enteres the iron back and forwards,
does it help?

Toby...

if the stat failed, in most cases it would still click. The op needs a
multimeter. If money is so incredibly tight that that isnt an option,
a bulb & battery could be used.

NT- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Take a bloody long time to do the ironing with a bulb and battery!

wrote:
On 3 June, 18:55, wrote:

if the stat failed, in most cases it would still click. The op needs a
multimeter. If money is so incredibly tight that that isnt an option,
a bulb & battery could be used.

NT

Take a bloody long time to do the ironing with a bulb and battery!

hehe


NT

On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 04:36:32 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

if the stat failed, in most cases it would still click. The op needs a
multimeter. If money is so incredibly tight that that isnt an option,
a bulb & battery could be used.

Take a bloody long time to do the ironing with a bulb and battery!

Perhaps a 100W mains bulb, if they still exist?

Thanks for all your replies. I have checked the continuity of the flex
and it is perfectly ok. The cable goes inside the iron where it is
then crimped.

Starting with the neutral side of things:

The blue neutral wire from the plug is crimped to another blue wire
inside the iron. This blue wire runs to a square metal box at the
bottom of the iron. I guess the box contains the element? The
continuity from the neutral pin of the plug to the crimp to the "box"
is ok (tested with multimeter bleeping).

The live side: the brown wire from the plug (fuse checked and ok) is
crimped to a white wire inside the iron and the white wire runs to the
thermostat dial. The continuity of the plug, fuse, white wire,
thermostat is ok.

The other side of the thermostat is connected to another blue wire
(seemed a funny choice of colour to me) and this second blue wire goes
to the metal box. This seems to be the problem: I had noticed before I
took it apart that the thermostat dial is not clicking when it is
turned. If I connect the meter across the white and blue wires on the
thermostat, the result is open circuit. No bleep. I have tried the
various resistance ranges on the meter, none gives a value (I have
turned the thermostat dial through its complete range whilst doing
this).

If I measure the resistance across the two blue wires to the "box" I
get a reading of 23 Ohms. Does this mean the element is ok?

There is something small sitting on top of the "box" from which a wire
runs to the neon pilot light. This is also open circuit but I presume
it is a bimetallic strip that turns on the neon when the element is
heating?

So I think the problem is the thermostat. It looks as though it just
screws in. Does it? Are these available and is it an economic repair?
Any idea who stocks them?

It is a Bosch iron. Bosch power tools come with an exploded diagram; I
wonder whether such a thing exists for the iron? I did take a couple
of photos to remind me how to fit it together but I want to be sure

Thanks,
Stephen.

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:37:35 +0100, Stephen
wrote:

It is a Bosch iron

I went to the Bosch site and it sells parts and includes a diagram - I
wasn't sure where those ball bearings had come from

I assume the thermostat has broken, as soon as someone confirms this,
I'll place the order.

Thanks again,
Stephen

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:37:35 +0100, Stephen
wrote:


There is something small sitting on top of the "box"

The Bosch web site lists this as a thermal fuse. Should it show a
resistance? Does this also need replacing?

http://www.bosch-eshop.com/eshop(bD1...02&ESHOPTYPE=S

Hi Stephen

Stephen wrote:
On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:37:35 +0100, Stephen
wrote:


There is something small sitting on top of the "box"

The Bosch web site lists this as a thermal fuse. Should it show a
resistance? Does this also need replacing?

http://www.bosch-eshop.com/eshop(bD1...02&ESHOPTYPE=S

If it's listed as a thermal fuse, then it should show continuity -
unless it's blown (= failed) in which case it'll look like an open-circuit.

So - looks like yours has 'died' - and you would need to replace it

Hope this helps
Adrian

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:34:08 +0100, adrian
wrote:

If it's listed as a thermal fuse, then it should show continuity -
unless it's blown (= failed) in which case it'll look like an open-circuit.

So - looks like yours has 'died' - and you would need to replace it

Thanks. Why would this blow: does it mean the plate has got too hot?
Since the stat has failed in the off position, it shouldn't have got
hot at all! Do thermal fuses blow the same way that electrical fuses
do? I thought they were a bimetal strip that closed on cooling? I
assume that I need to buy a stat too, since that is also o/c?

Thanks.

HI Stephen

Stephen wrote:
On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:34:08 +0100, adrian
wrote:

If it's listed as a thermal fuse, then it should show continuity -
unless it's blown (= failed) in which case it'll look like an open-circuit.

So - looks like yours has 'died' - and you would need to replace it

Thanks. Why would this blow: does it mean the plate has got too hot?
Since the stat has failed in the off position, it shouldn't have got
hot at all! Do thermal fuses blow the same way that electrical fuses
do? I thought they were a bimetal strip that closed on cooling? I
assume that I need to buy a stat too, since that is also o/c?

Thanks.

I'm no expert on steam irons - but the thermal fuses I've seen come in
two flavours - one self-resets as it cools down, the other is one-time
only....

Again - it's hard to see from this distance g - but an o/c 'stat isn't
good news - odd that it's failed like that - unless, possibly, the stat
failed 'on', the iron element 'went critical', blew the thermal fuse and
then the residual heat about the place was sufficient to kill the 'stat
as well - but it's an odd failure mechanism.

You'd sort of expect the thermal fuse to protect the other components -
like they don't in transistorised circuits g

Puzzling - but the only way to know is to replace bits. You may find
that it works out just as expensive as buying a new iron, though...

Adrian

On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:48:46 +0100, adrian
wrote:

I'm no expert on steam irons - but the thermal fuses I've seen come in
two flavours - one self-resets as it cools down, the other is one-time
only....

Again - it's hard to see from this distance g - but an o/c 'stat isn't
good news - odd that it's failed like that - unless, possibly, the stat
failed 'on', the iron element 'went critical', blew the thermal fuse and
then the residual heat about the place was sufficient to kill the 'stat
as well - but it's an odd failure mechanism.

You'd sort of expect the thermal fuse to protect the other components -
like they don't in transistorised circuits g

Puzzling - but the only way to know is to replace bits. You may find
that it works out just as expensive as buying a new iron, though...

Sorry for the delay in replying. The thermostat and fuse seem to be
quite cheap from Bosch, cheaper than a new iron, which is a nice
surprise in today's disposable age. Unfortunately the thermal fuse is
screwed to the element "box" and the screw is very, very rusty. I
haven't been able to remove it. SWMBO has a new iron now any way

If I could move the screw, I might buy the parts (£12 IIRC) just to
see if it can be bought back to life.

Thanks.

"Stephen" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:48:46 +0100, adrian
wrote:

I'm no expert on steam irons - but the thermal fuses I've seen come in
two flavours - one self-resets as it cools down, the other is one-time
only....

Again - it's hard to see from this distance g - but an o/c 'stat isn't
good news - odd that it's failed like that - unless, possibly, the stat
failed 'on', the iron element 'went critical', blew the thermal fuse and
then the residual heat about the place was sufficient to kill the 'stat
as well - but it's an odd failure mechanism.

You'd sort of expect the thermal fuse to protect the other components -
like they don't in transistorised circuits g

Puzzling - but the only way to know is to replace bits. You may find
that it works out just as expensive as buying a new iron, though...

Sorry for the delay in replying. The thermostat and fuse seem to be
quite cheap from Bosch, cheaper than a new iron, which is a nice
surprise in today's disposable age. Unfortunately the thermal fuse is
screwed to the element "box" and the screw is very, very rusty. I
haven't been able to remove it. SWMBO has a new iron now any way

If I could move the screw, I might buy the parts (£12 IIRC) just to
see if it can be bought back to life.

Thanks.
Try Asda price for a new iron.