Working of Electric Iron Box Explained | PhaseNeutral

Summary

This video explains the complete working of an electric iron, detailing its internal parts such as the heating element, thermostat, thermal fuse, and neon bulb. The heating element, made of nichrome, generates heat when connected to an AC supply. The thermostat regulates temperature using a bi-metallic strip to prevent overheating. A thermal fuse provides additional safety by cutting power if the thermostat fails. The video offers an insightful breakdown of how these components work together to control the iron's temperature effectively. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe for more technical content.

Takeaways

• 🔌 An electric iron is a vital tool in daily life for smoothing clothes.
• 📹 The video explains the entire working mechanism of an electric iron.
• 🧰 Key parts of an electric iron include the heating element, thermostat, thermal fuse, and neon bulb.
• 💡 The heating element, typically made of a high-resistance material like nichrome, generates heat when AC current flows through it.
• 🌡️ Magnesium oxide powder insulates the heating element coil from the iron's metal case.
• 🕹️ The thermostat regulates temperature by switching off the current flow when the iron reaches a preset temperature.
• 🔄 The bi-metallic strip in the thermostat bends based on temperature changes, helping manage heat by altering contact with the heating element.
• ⚙️ A thermal fuse acts as a safety feature, cutting off power if the thermostat fails and overheating occurs.
• 🧲 The electric iron’s neon bulb indicates when the device is on and connected to power.
• 🔧 The control knob on the iron adjusts the spring tension, modifying temperature levels for specific heat requirements.

Q & A

What is the main function of the heating element in an electric iron?

The heating element is the heart of the electric iron, responsible for generating heat. It is made of a material called nichrome, which has high resistance and can sustain high temperatures.

Why is magnesium oxide powder used in an electric iron?

Magnesium oxide powder is used to insulate the heating element coil from the metal case, preventing short circuits and maintaining safety during operation.

What is the purpose of the thermostat in an electric iron?

The thermostat is used to sense the base plate's temperature and control the flow of current to the heating element, ensuring that the temperature does not exceed a certain level.

How does a bimetallic strip function in the thermostat of an electric iron?

A bimetallic strip is made of two different metals that expand at different rates when heated. As the base plate's temperature rises, the strip bends, pushing a spring and disconnecting the electrical contacts, thus stopping the flow of current.

What happens when the base plate temperature decreases in an electric iron?

When the base plate temperature decreases, the bimetallic strip returns to its normal position, reconnecting the contact points, allowing the current to flow again to the heating element.

How does the control knob of an electric iron regulate temperature?

The control knob adjusts the spring tension in the thermostat. When set to a lower temperature, it causes the contact points to disconnect earlier, preventing the iron from heating beyond that set temperature.

What is the role of the thermal fuse in an electric iron?

The thermal fuse is a safety device that protects the heating element by stopping the flow of current in case the thermostat fails and the iron overheats.

How does the neon bulb in an electric iron function?

The neon bulb is connected to both ends of the heating element. It lights up when current is flowing through the element, indicating that the iron is in operation.

What materials are typically used for the heating element coil in an electric iron, and why?

Nichrome is commonly used for the heating element coil because of its high resistance and ability to withstand high temperatures.

What would happen if the thermostat in an electric iron malfunctions?

If the thermostat malfunctions and fails to regulate the temperature, the thermal fuse would blow to stop the current flow, preventing the iron from overheating and potentially causing a fire.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 Understanding the Electric Iron

The paragraph introduces the electric iron as an essential household item and outlines its internal components: the heating element, thermostat, thermal fuse, and neon bulb. The heating element, made of Nichrome, is the core component that generates heat when an AC supply is connected. The magnesium oxide powder insulates the coil from the metal case. The thermostat plays a crucial role in regulating the temperature of the iron's base plate by switching off the current when the temperature is too high. It consists of a bi-metallic strip that bends in response to temperature changes, controlling the flow of electricity. The video script explains the thermostat's function with a comparison between the expansion rates of steel and copper when heated. The thermal fuse is a safety feature that cuts off power to the heating element if the thermostat fails, preventing the iron from overheating and potentially causing a fire. The neon bulb is connected to the heating element and serves as an indicator light. The script also describes the connection of the phase, neutral, and earth wires to the iron's components and how adjusting the control knob affects the temperature of the iron.

Keywords

💡Electric Iron

An electric iron is a household appliance used to remove wrinkles from fabrics by applying heat and pressure. In the video, it is described as an inevitable item in daily life, and the focus is on explaining its internal parts and how it functions, making it the central theme of the discussion.

💡Heating Element

The heating element is the core component of an electric iron responsible for generating heat. Made from a material with high resistance like nichrome, it heats up when an AC current flows through it. The video explains its crucial role and how it is insulated from the metal case by magnesium oxide powder.

💡Thermostat

The thermostat is a control device within the electric iron that senses and regulates temperature. It prevents the heating element from overheating by switching off the current when the base plate temperature exceeds a certain level. The video highlights its importance in maintaining safe and efficient iron operation.

💡Bi-metallic Strip

A bi-metallic strip is a key component of the thermostat, made of two metals that expand at different rates when heated. This expansion causes the strip to bend, which helps control the contact points in the thermostat. The video illustrates how the strip responds to temperature changes to regulate the electric iron's heat.

💡Thermal Fuse

A thermal fuse is a safety feature that cuts off the current if the iron overheats due to a thermostat failure. It prevents potential fire hazards by ensuring the electric iron cannot reach dangerous temperatures. The video mentions its role as a protective measure in case the thermostat fails.

💡Neon Bulb

The neon bulb is an indicator light used to show when the electric iron is on and the heating element is functioning. It is connected to both ends of the heating element, and its purpose is to provide a visual cue for the user. This is briefly mentioned in the video when explaining the internal parts.

💡Magnesium Oxide Powder

Magnesium oxide powder is used to insulate the heating element from the metal casing of the electric iron. It prevents electrical contact between the two, ensuring safety while the heating element operates at high temperatures. The video explains its role in maintaining the iron's proper functioning.

💡Contact Points

Contact points are electrical connections that open or close to allow or stop the flow of current to the heating element. In the video, they are controlled by the bi-metallic strip in the thermostat, disconnecting when the temperature is too high and reconnecting when it drops.

💡Base Plate

The base plate is the flat metal surface of the electric iron that comes into direct contact with fabric. It conducts heat from the heating element and applies pressure to smooth out wrinkles. The thermostat monitors the temperature of this plate to maintain proper ironing conditions.

💡Control Knob

The control knob allows users to adjust the temperature settings of the electric iron. It influences the spring tension inside the thermostat, determining at what temperature the contact points will disconnect, thus regulating the iron’s heat level. The video explains how rotating the knob changes the iron's temperature settings.

Highlights

An electric iron is an inevitable item in daily life, and this video explains its complete working.

Key internal parts of an electric iron include the heating element, thermostat, thermal fuse, and neon bulb.

The heating element is the heart of an electric iron, responsible for generating heat.

Heating element coils are typically made of nichrome material, known for its high resistance and heat tolerance.

Magnesium oxide powder insulates the heating element coil from the metal case, preventing electrical contact.

A thermostat is essential to control the temperature and prevent overheating by regulating the current to the heating element.

The bi-metallic strip in the thermostat bends when heated, which disconnects the contact points to stop the current flow.

The bi-metallic strip consists of two metals that expand at different rates, causing the bending effect used to regulate temperature.

When the temperature decreases, the bi-metallic strip returns to its original position, reconnecting the contact points to resume current flow.

The thermal fuse protects the iron from overheating by cutting off the current if the thermostat fails.

The neon bulb indicates the electric iron's operational status by being connected to the heating element.

When the thermostat senses the temperature exceeding 200°C, it disconnects the current to prevent further heating.

At temperatures below 150°C, the thermostat reconnects the current, allowing the heating element to warm up again.

Rotating the control knob to a lower setting reduces the tension in the spring, causing the thermostat to disconnect the current earlier.

The thermal fuse acts as a backup safety measure, stopping the current flow if the temperature becomes dangerously high.

Transcripts

an electric iron is an inevitable item

in our daily life

in this video we are explaining the

complete working of an electric iron

if you are first time in this channel

please subscribe our channel for more

videos about technical doubts

inside parts of electric iron are

heating element thermostat thermal fuse

and neon bulb

the heating element is the heart of an

electric iron

the heating element coils are generally

made by the nicro material it has high

resistance and it can sustain in high

temperatures if you connect an ac supply

directly to the coil it will start

getting heat the magnesium oxide powder

is used to insulate this coil from the

metal case when the current flows

through a heating element coil

continuously the temperature of the coil

will become uncontrollable

here is the importance of a thermostat

the thermostat is used to sense the base

plate temperature and switch off the

current flow to the heating element coil

thermostat has input terminal output

terminal contact spring and a

bi-metallic strip

the bi-metallic strip consists of two

strips of different metals which expand

at different traits as they are heated

all metal expands when heated and

different metal has different expansion

rate example when you heat steel and

copper at the same temperature copper

strip expands more than steel strip

so if you stick both strips together and

heat again it will bend towards the

steel due to the lower expansion rate of

steel

this kind of strip is called a

bi-metallic strip and it is used to

sense the temperature of the electric

iron

when the base plate temperature

increases the bi-metallic strip bend and

pushes up the contact spring because of

this pushing force and spring tension

contact points disconnect and stop the

current flow when base plate temperature

decreases the bimetallic strip comes

back to its normal position and contact

points connect again for current flow

phase line connected to inputs terminal

of the thermostat and the neutral line

connected to the first terminal of the

heating element thermal fuse connected

between the output terminal of the

thermostat and the second terminal of

the heating element neon bulb connected

to both ends of the heating element and

earth line connected to the body of

electric iron when you switch on the

electric iron while the control knob is

in a high position current flow to the

coil through the thermostat without any

interruption

when the coil temperature reaches above

200 degrees celsius the thermostat

contact points disconnect and stop the

current flow when the temperature

reaches below 150 degrees celsius

contact points connect again and current

flow to the coil when you rotate the

knob to low temperature knob press down

the spring and make changes in spring

tension and disconnects the contact

points early than before

so iron box temperature doesn't go

higher than that particular temperature

and keep the iron box at a low

temperature

the thermal fuse is used to protect the

coil and avoid a firing when the

thermostat fails and overheats the iron

box thermal fuse fused and stopped the

current flow to coil hope this video

helps you to understand the working of

an electric iron and its internal parts

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