Working temperature of the iron. How to properly use a steam iron. Iron temperature in degrees or how to iron delicate fabrics

16.10.2019

Temperature regime of ironing always set depending on the type of fabric. It is better to start with the minimum temperatures, increasing as necessary to the limit value.

Many manufacturers foresee doubts of housewives in choosing the temperature regime for ironing and instead of degrees they write hint phrases on the iron relay: “cotton”, “linen”, etc. And if you put the iron in steam mode, there will be fewer wrinkles on the fabric.

Be sure to run the iron a couple of times over any fabric - suddenly there are stains and traces of water on the soleplate of the iron, which can be accidentally transferred to your wardrobe item.

First of all, pay attention to the clothing labels - they contain all the information about the care of the product: how to wash, how to dry, and, finally, at what temperature to iron:

The label is lost - it doesn’t matter, the table of ironing modes will tell you at what temperature this or that fabric should be ironed:

Table of temperature regimes for ironing various types of fabrics

Textile	Temperature	Steam	Iron pressure	Fabric Features
pure cotton	140 - 170 degrees	wet steam	high pressure ironing	need hydration
Cotton with polyester	110 degrees	a small amount of steam	usual	see cotton, polyester
Polyester	temperature mode "minimum" or "silk"	no steam	lung	iron with a slightly heated iron, because material melts easily
Compressed products	110 degrees	no steam	usual	—
Viscose	120 degrees, temperature mode "silk"	a little steam	usual	Viscose should not be wetted, as there is a high probability of water stains. Iron lightly damp viscose only from the wrong side or through a wet thin fabric from the wrong side.
Cotton fabric with linen	180 degrees	a lot of steam	strong iron pressure	see cotton, linen
linen fabric	180-200 degrees	a lot of steam	strong pressure	linen should be ironed with a hot iron from the inside, using a humidifier
Silk	60-80 degrees	—	usual	Silk is looked at with a dry iron, through a thin damp cloth, but not gauze (it will leave traces); iron along the shared thread (vertically) to avoid stretching the product. When ironing, you can not additionally moisturize - stains will remain.
Nylon	Better than a ferry. But if necessary, iron carefully at 60-80 degrees	vertical steam ironing	—	After washing, nylon usually does not need to be ironed. Material can melt: all nylon items are very sensitive to heat
Chiffon	60-80 degrees, gentle ironing at low temperature	no steam	light pressure of the iron	Do not spray clothes with a spray bottle (water stains may remain). Iron through damp gauze. The sole of the iron should be flat and free of sticky particles - puffs may remain on delicate fabrics.
Wool and semi-wool	100-120 degrees through fabric	vertical steaming of wool is preferable to ironing	lung	- Ironing wool through a damp cotton cloth. - Steam embossed items. - Do not iron fluffy woolen products.
Denim fabrics	Coarse: 180-200 degrees, Soft cotton jeans: 150 degrees	steam	strong	Jeans need to be ironed from the wrong side, when they are still slightly damp. On the front side - through gauze or fabric.
Tweed	140-170 degrees from the wrong side through a damp cloth	a lot of steam	—	it is better not to iron the view, but to steam it with a vertical steamer
Drap	140-170 degrees, but better with a steam iron or a steam cleaner	a lot of steam	—	difficult to iron, it is better to steam
chintz	140 – 170 degrees, use steam iron at max. temperatures	a lot of steam	strong pressure	ironed on the front side, pre-moistened
Terry cloth (towels, sheets, bathrobes)	do not iron	—	—	from ironing becomes hard and does not absorb moisture well
Knitwear	minimum or average temperature	steaming knitwear correctly with a steam iron in a suspended position	do not press, so as not to crush the villi	it is necessary to iron in the direction of the loops from the wrong side

What do the numbers or dots indicated on the panel of the electric iron mean?

The power of the iron affects the heating temperature of its soleplate, as well as the heating rate. Modern home models usually have power in the range of 1400-1900 W (1.4-1.9 kW). The most common power is 1400-1500 W (1.4-1.5 kW), which is quite suitable for ironing jeans or shirts.

On the iron panel, dots or numbers usually mark the temperature range.

One dot or number 1 on the panel indicates:

The maximum temperature is 115C.
The minimum temperature is 75C.
Rated - 95C.

Two dots or the number 2 shows the temperature:

Maximum - 155C.
The minimum is 150C.
Rated - 130C.

Three dots or the number 3 on the panel indicates the temperature:

Maximum - 205C.
Minimum - 145C.
Rated - 175C.

What material are the soles made from?

In order for the ironing result to be perfect, the soleplate of any electric iron must be heated evenly. This ability is possessed by devices with a ceramic surface. There are also irons with a metal (aluminum, steel, cast iron) sole. They are distinguished by good slip, good heat capacity, strength.

Most modern irons have built-in thermostats, tubular electric heaters (heaters) and warning lights. More expensive models are equipped with steam humidifiers. However, all this functionality has no practical effect on the heating temperature of the soleplate of the electric iron. So in order to determine what temperature to set for ironing things, it is better to focus on the above ranges.

About optimal temperature conditions

For each type of fabric, there are ironing modes that allow you to bring clothes to a decent look without harming them. All models of irons are now equipped with a temperature adjustment function according to the type of fabric. And for this you need to know at what temperature this or that thing should be ironed.

Advice. Almost every item has special labels indicating at what temperature this product can be ironed.

If there are no labels, but the material from which this thing is made is known, you can use general recommendations. Knowing the maximum and minimum heating temperatures of the soleplate of the iron (205 and 78 respectively), having an understanding of the material of the product, you can easily choose the optimal mode for ironing.

How to choose the right iron for your home

When choosing this home assistant, it is important to pay attention to its design and various functional additions:

The working plane of the iron in contact with the fabric during ironing is called the sole. Its characteristics largely determine the functionality of this electrical device. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this when buying. The sole can be made of aluminum, steel or cermet. The cost of the appliance also depends on the material of the sole.
Steam humidification function that can help iron any fabric quickly and well. Here it is important to estimate the volume of the water tank, which can range from 200 to 400 ml.
Water sprinklers are needed to moisten things before ironing in cases where it is absolutely impossible to process them with steam. Moreover, it is necessary to use only purified water so as not to leave dirty stains on clothes.
The “forgetful” function when using a special sensor will help protect both clothes and the iron itself (after 20-30 seconds of inactivity in a horizontal position or a few minutes of inactivity in a vertical position, the iron will automatically turn off).

It is also necessary to pay attention to the electricity consumption of the appliance, that is, the power consumption of the iron, which can significantly affect the heating rate of the soleplate and the process of steam generation:

Models of irons with power less than 1500 W (1.5 kilowatts) are usually small in size and are convenient travel models. They do not have a steam function.
Electric irons with a power of 1500-2000 W (1.5-2 kW) are suitable for a small number of items that require ironing.
Irons with a power of over 2000 W (2 kW) should be chosen if you constantly iron a lot of things at once. With the built-in steam function, the speed and quality of ironing will be significantly higher. Such models are more related to professional ironing devices than to home ones.

Before you buy the most powerful iron, find out in advance how much voltage is in your electrical network and whether it corresponds to this power.

If you need to purchase an electric iron for daily use with small amounts of clothes, you should choose models with a power of 1.4 - 1.5 kW. You should also not forget about the compliance of the power and capabilities of the electrical network of your home. It is very important to consider how much electricity the iron consumes and what additional functionality it has.

Since people took off their animal skins and began to wear woven clothes, the question arose of removing wrinkles and folds 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 brought the invention to life by making the first electric heated iron, which seamstresses really liked.

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 heat up red-hot and it will be impossible to iron things without ruining them. For ironing items made of nylon and anide, an iron temperature of 95-110 ° C is required, and things made of linen 210-230 ° C. Therefore, to set the required temperature when ironing things from different fabrics, there is a temperature 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 photograph, and they all work on the principle of opening contacts due to bending of the bimetallic plate as a result of heating. In the photo on the left is the thermal fuse of the Philips iron, on the lower right is the Braun. Usually, after the temperature of the sole drops below 240 ° C, the thermal fuse is restored. It turns out that the thermal fuse works like a thermostat, but maintains a temperature suitable for ironing only linen items.

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

wiring diagram

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

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

Do-it-yourself electric iron repair

Attention! When repairing an electric iron and any other household electrical appliances included in the household network, extreme caution should be exercised. Touching an unprotected part of the human body to live wires and live parts can cause serious damage to health, up to cardiac arrest. Don't forget to unplug the iron!

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

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

Checking the health of the power cord

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

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

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

Using a multimeter or pointer tester

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

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

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

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

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

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

With table lamp

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

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

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

With phase indicator

Checking the tubular electric heater (TEN)

Heating elements in irons rarely fail, and if the heating element is faulty, then the iron has to be thrown away. To check the heating element, it is enough to remove only the back cover from it. Typically, the outputs of the heating element are connected to the extreme outputs and, as a rule, the outputs of the heating on indicator are connected to the same outputs. Therefore, if the indicator is on, but there is no heating, then the reason for this may be a break in the heating element spiral or poor contact at the 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 were completely rusted out, and I had to bend a special adapter out of a steel strip and cut two threads in it for screw fastening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Examples of self-repair of irons

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

Braun electric iron repair

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philips electric iron repair

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do the numbers or dots indicated on the panel of the electric iron mean?

On the iron panel, dots or numbers usually mark the temperature range.

One dot or number 1 on the panel indicates:

The maximum temperature is 115C.
The minimum temperature is 75C.
Rated - 95C.

Two dots or the number 2 shows the temperature:

Maximum - 155C.
The minimum is 150C.
Rated - 130C.

Three dots or the number 3 on the panel indicates the temperature:

Maximum - 205C.
Minimum - 145C.
Rated - 175C.

What material are the soles made from?

About optimal temperature conditions

Advice. Almost every item has special labels indicating at what temperature this product can be ironed.

How to choose the right iron for your home

When choosing this home assistant, it is important to pay attention to its design and various functional additions:

The working plane of the iron in contact with the fabric during ironing is called the sole. Its characteristics largely determine the functionality of this electrical device. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this when buying. The sole can be made of aluminum, steel or cermet. The cost of the appliance also depends on the material of the sole.
Steam humidification function that can help iron any fabric quickly and well. Here it is important to estimate the volume of the water tank, which can range from 200 to 400 ml.
Water sprinklers are needed to moisten things before ironing in cases where it is absolutely impossible to process them with steam. Moreover, it is necessary to use only purified water so as not to leave dirty stains on clothes.
The “forgetful” function when using a special sensor will help protect both clothes and the iron itself (after 20-30 seconds of inactivity in a horizontal position or a few minutes of inactivity in a vertical position, the iron will automatically turn off).

Models of irons with power less than 1500 W (1.5 kilowatts) are usually small in size and are convenient travel models. They do not have a steam function.
Electric irons with a power of 1500-2000 W (1.5-2 kW) are suitable for a small number of items that require ironing.
Irons with a power of over 2000 W (2 kW) should be chosen if you constantly iron a lot of things at once. With the built-in steam function, the speed and quality of ironing will be significantly higher. Such models are more related to professional ironing devices than to home ones.

Before you buy the most powerful iron, find out in advance how much voltage is in your electrical network and whether it corresponds to this power.

Each fabric has its own ironing and washing regimen, which allows you to bring the item to its proper form without damaging it. Modern irons greatly facilitate the ironing process, because they have the functions of temperature control by type of fabric, but a modern housewife just needs to know at what temperature a certain thing is ironed so as not to spoil it.

Modern irons have several ironing modes.

Iron temperature in degrees or how to iron delicate fabrics

A clear assistant for every woman will be the product label, which indicates the temperature for ironing a particular product. But what if you know the material from which the thing is made, but there is no label on it. Here you should take advantage of practical advice.

What do the icons on the label mean?

The maximum heating temperature of the soleplate of the iron is set to 205, and the minimum starts from 110. Knowing these temperature fluctuations and information about the product, it is easy to iron the item correctly.

It is not enough to have a label on things, it is important to know what each of these symbols means.

	This designation indicates that the product can be ironed. The use of machine industrial ironing is allowed.
	This symbol on your product indicates that the item can be ironed with an iron heated to 200 degrees. At this heating temperature, linen and cotton fabrics are ironed.
	Such a symbol indicates that the product should not be heated above 140 degrees, in order to avoid damage. If your iron does not have a temperature control, then set the slider, approximately in the middle.
	If you notice this icon on the product, then you have in your hands a thing made of delicate fabric and should be ironed at a heating temperature not exceeding 130 degrees.
	This icon, like the previous one, tells us that we have a delicate thing in our hands, and it needs a special ironing regime. The heating temperature should not exceed 120 degrees.
	The sign says that the thing cannot be ironed and exposed to steam.
	This symbol tells us that when ironing this fabric, you must turn off the steam function. The fabric is not intended for steaming.

All these designations will help the hostess to navigate correctly and iron the thing correctly.

The temperature setting for the iron is indicated on the garment tag.

How to iron wool

Wool is a delicate fabric that may shrink or warp when washed or ironed, so read the instructions on your garment carefully.

The maximum heating temperature at which silk items are ironed is 180 degrees.

Wool products need constant moisture, so moisten a cotton cloth in clean water and put it on the item, iron it. Do not let the cloth dry if your thing has not acquired the desired look.

You can’t iron wool directly either, the sole of the iron can leave ugly singed marks or make a hole, and the wool itself will deteriorate irrevocably.

Wool should be ironed at a low temperature

How to iron silk

Here are some simple tips to help you organize your silk wardrobe:

Silk items are ironed from the wrong side when wet. Do not use an iron to iron silk directly, as this will cause scorching.
Silk products are ironed through gauze or cotton cloth moistened with water.
The heating temperature of the sole of the device in this case is set no higher than 160 degrees.
Silk can be processed with steam, but setting the steam to minimum power. In this case, the silk will not deteriorate and you will get a beautiful appearance of the product.

Silk ironing is carried out at minimum temperatures

How to iron cotton and linen

When ironing cotton or linen garments, read the label on the garment and make sure that the fabric is free of contaminants. In this case, the label on the product will tell you what temperature to use.

If the thing is completely made of linen, then set the temperature at 230 degrees, linen items should be ironed on the front side.

Things made of cotton materials must be ironed at a temperature of 150 - 205 degrees, but if the fabric contains impurities, then see the ironing recommendations on the label.

Be sure to dampen cotton or linen items when ironing, this will help you smooth out creases more easily.