Do-it-yourself hair dryer repair - causes of malfunction

Brief design

A hair dryer consists of a motor, a fan, heating elements, and an electrical circuit that makes the elements work in harmony. Depending on the number of modes, the manufacturer, the element base, appearance, and composition of the switches are different. But there won’t be anything more complex than a semiconductor thyristor inside. Therefore, we will carry out home repairs of hair dryers with our own hands.

The body is held on by screws. The heads are often non-standard. This is a plus sign, an asterisk, a pitchfork. Therefore, first of all, before fixing a hair dryer, let’s take care of a tool that can cope with such a task. Fortunately, a set of bits costs 600 rubles today.

Sometimes the case doors are additionally secured together with special latches. This is a separate problem: experienced craftsmen often break plastic, despairing of dealing with it using civilized methods. There are no tricks, they come up with hidden screws hidden under stickers, plastic inserts, and removable regulator caps. The fastener is fictitious. There are no useful functions.

The hair dryer motor is powered by direct current 12, 24, 36 V. A diode bridge is used to rectify the mains voltage; in cheap models, a single diode is used. Filtering of power harmonics is carried out by a capacitor connected in parallel with the motor windings or included in a more complex filter. Due to their enormous mass, inductors are rarely used in hair dryers. Therefore, knowledge of the principles of smoothing ripples with RC circuits is enough to cope with the construction of a circuit diagram of a hair dryer being repaired. Sometimes the filter element uses one spiral (inductance).

The hair dryer switch simultaneously closes the circuit through which the coils will be powered and starts the motor. Further intervention schemes are determined by complexity:

• only the rotation speed or only the temperature is regulated;
• the ability to individually select heating and air flow intensity.

In most hair dryer models, there is parallel protection against turning on the heaters when the motor is idle. Protects the spiral.

An optional thermostat in the form of a special resistance or other sensitive element. Let us describe the breakdowns that occur in the faithful assistants of the fair half of humanity.

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Briefly about the design

Any model of the Roventa hair dryer has basic elements, without which it cannot function. These components and parts together perform the main job of drying hair of any length with excellent effect, and some, with the ION badge, ionize the air for better styling.

Each product has switches, the appearance and number of which are different, but the principle of operation is identical.

According to experts, the most complex part of the device is the thyristor, so repairing a hair dryer with your own hands is not difficult for users.

The figure below shows the main components of any hair dryer:

• fan;
• Electrical engine;
• air intake protective grille;
• the basis of the hair dryer is the heating element;
• heat-resistant base;
• start button;
• thermostat switch;
• power supply cord;
• handle end clamp;
• contact block.

Typical faults

Due to the simplicity of the operating principle of the hair dryer, its possible breakdowns are typical and even a simple user can cope with them.

Smells something burnt

The problem is usually due to hair, dust or lint getting on the coil. If the element becomes dirty, the rotation speed of the impeller drops, the overheating protection system is triggered, which causes an unpleasant odor. To resolve the situation, just clean the heater and then check the functionality of the device. If the burning aroma does not disappear, you should contact the service center.

The filter is located at the back of the hair dryer, on the air intake side

Lack of power

First of all, you need to make sure that there is electricity in the outlet and that the power cord is not damaged. Even if no external damage is noticed, you need to make sure that current is flowing through the wire. For this:

• It is necessary to disassemble the case and check the power contacts using a special tester;
• The next step is to check the power button to make sure that its pressing is not interfered with by debris or stuck dust. A uniform color without charred marks will indicate that the contacts are working properly;
• If damaged connections are identified, they need to be cleaned with a knife or sandpaper;
• Connect the device to the network, but do not turn on the start button on it. It is necessary to bring the tester to the terminals of the button to find out whether voltage is passing through.

Healthy!

If a cable malfunction is detected, it should be replaced with a new one. If this is not possible, it is permissible to use electrical tape to insulate the stripped and twisted contacts. If you find problems with the button, you can try cleaning the contacts or disconnecting the part altogether, then the unit will start immediately after connecting the plug to the socket.

Hairdryer won't turn on

Just as in the previous case, the problem may be due to a lack of electricity or a broken cable. Then the procedure is similar to that described above. Another possible reason is that the electric motor has broken down. The precursors to this problem are the following symptoms:

• a slight cracking sound is heard during startup;
• the motor runs intermittently;
• the smell of burnt wiring is heard;
• When the fan does not rotate, a hum is heard.

If such a malfunction is suspected or detected, it is almost impossible to resolve it yourself, since it is very difficult to identify the specific cause. In addition, the cost of repairs will not be cheap; in many situations it is easier to buy a new device.

Performance has decreased

If this problem occurs, it is worth checking the condition of the fan. Most often, it begins to spin more slowly due to the fact that hair, dust or other contaminants have accumulated on it. Then it is enough to clean the part from debris. If you perform the manipulation periodically, light cleaning with a toothpick, an old toothbrush or tweezers will help. If the device has never been cleaned or this happens rarely, you will need to disassemble the case in order to carry out high-quality cleaning.

DC motor

The fan rotates quite slowly

As in the previous option, this is most likely due to hair wrapping around the part or excessive clogging of the housing. You should also clean the device.

Cold air blows

A heating element, a spiral, is responsible for heating the flow. This part is one of the most vulnerable in the device, especially in the absence of overheating protection in the equipment. If there is no automatic shutdown when the maximum temperature is reached, you need to know what signs indicate that it is time for the device to rest:

• the appearance of a burning smell during operation, which may persist even after shutdown;
• The housing is too hot during operation; a working unit should not overheat.

To figure out the problem, you will need to disassemble the hair dryer. If the heater ruptures, it is noticeable to the naked eye. If there is minor damage, you can easily fix the problem by connecting the ends of the spiral and soldering them. If the gap is in several places, it is better to buy a new heating element, most importantly - from the same company as the equipment itself.

Important!

It is necessary to determine why the part was damaged. If you do not understand the cause and do not eliminate it, the problem will recur soon.

The hair dryer has overheated and won’t turn on - why?

The main and most common reason for overheating is that the air flow is too weak. A powerful hair dryer transfers all excess heat from the heating element to the air - so it does not overheat for a long time.

Such situations can be divided into two groups:

• or the hair dryer behaves like this from the very beginning -
• or it worked well, and then gradually began to warm up and turn off.

The second one is more offensive. But most often it can be solved.

Why did an initially good hair dryer start to overheat?

Offhand, we can name three possible reasons.

• The simplest and most easily solved problem is that the filter or filter grid is clogged. Accordingly, the air flow at the inlet has decreased, the blades still rotate with the same power, but they do not have enough air. Have mercy - this can be solved by simple cleaning, which you can do yourself in fifteen minutes. Look - .
• Moderate complexity, but quite rare - the blades are clogged with small objects or hair. Now they themselves are spinning more slowly. It is rare, because the filter was installed for a reason. Should I go into the inside of the hair dryer myself to check this? Oh, I don't know. It is probably better to take the hair dryer to a service center.
• Complicated - something in the technical components of the hair dryer has gone bad. This is, of course, only a service center, unless you are a DIY person. However, with a high degree of probability, this problem is also solvable.

That is, there is no need to worry. Just calmly clean your hair dryer and see if the situation improves. Usually corrected. If it is not corrected, take it to a service center.

Why does the hair dryer quickly overheat when working from the very beginning?

What to do. Looks like you chose the wrong hairdryer. Well, that is, there is a possibility that the issue is a defect in a particular product. That is, the model itself is excellent, but this particular time there was some kind of glitch. Seek warranty service, it is possible that the problem will be fixed.

However, usually, of course, it’s not about marriage. It's just a hairdryer. What's wrong with him?

• The hairdryer is low power. In we explained why power is so important for a hair dryer. Yes - thick and long hair can be dried with a weak hair dryer for half an hour, in several stages and with breaks for cooling the hair dryer. A tedious and unpleasant task. Well, don't be sad. It was an investment in experience - now you know you need a more powerful hairdryer and don't make the same mistake next time.
• The hair dryer materials are poorly chosen. This is also possible. Speaks poorly of the hair dryer manufacturer. But it’s true - when information about why powerful hair dryers are better became quite widespread, some manufacturers began to cheat by screwing a nominally powerful motor into the hair dryer and indicating impressive numbers on the packaging. However, all other parts of the hairdryer remained of the same poor quality... In general, it was also, of course, an investment in experience.

Okay, everything is clear. But what should you do now with such a hairdryer? Is there any way to make it good?

Unfortunately, it's not possible.

It’s sad, but you’d better sell such a hairdryer on Avito, specifically indicating that the hairdryer works, it’s just not powerful enough for your hair. You won’t get the full price, but you can add money and buy one with which you won’t have to worry about overheating.

Well, that is, of course, any hair dryer can overheat. If desired. However, in order to overheat the MBF-1, you will have to try hard. He effortlessly copes with even the most voluminous hairstyles:

We are all familiar with such an auxiliary tool in construction as an electric hair dryer, which we are used to using to remove paint and varnish coatings.

The fundamental operating principle of a hair dryer is not much different from an ordinary hair dryer that we use to dry our hair.

Accordingly, the electrical circuit of a construction hair dryer is similar to the electrical circuit of an ordinary hair dryer.

An explanation will be given in the above topic:

• electrical diagram of a hair dryer;
• operating principle of a hair dryer;
• possible causes of the malfunction;
• troubleshooting these problems.

What was the cause of the malfunction

In my case, the heater shutdown button was broken. Do you know what this button is for? Many, as it turned out, are not aware. The fact is that if you turn off the hair dryer immediately, without using this button, then there is a risk of damaging the device. This can happen because the fan immediately stops after turning off, and the coil has not yet cooled down, the heat has nowhere to go, the hair dryer overheats, and you can even melt the body. And this button allows you to turn off and blow through the coil while the fan is running, giving it the opportunity to cool down somewhat.

So this very button failed, the fastening of one of the contacts broke, so the hair dryer only blew cold air. To repair it, I had to slightly widen the hole of the torn contact and, putting it in place, melt it with plastic to fix it. Of course, before this it would be correct to clean the burnt contacts.

Clean and secure the button contact

In general, after these simple steps (it takes much longer to describe than to do), the hair dryer worked properly.

How to disassemble the device

The body is held together with screws and latches. If you're lucky, you'll be able to disassemble the hair dryer the first time. Manufacturers are trying to complicate the process as much as possible and prevent the hair dryer from being disassembled into parts.

Each brand has its own service workshop with its own disassembly specialists. By turning to these services, you bring additional income to the manufacturer. That’s why they try not to let you repair the device yourself and resort to various tricks. For example, screw heads cannot be unscrewed with a regular screwdriver. You will need a set with figured bits.

They try to hide the heads themselves behind stickers or plastic plugs. The latches either come apart or they don't. Even repairmen sometimes can’t take them apart and just let them break so as not to suffer.

What other problems can you fix yourself?

Connecting wires

Check the integrity of the power cord, plug, quality of connections, soldering. The button itself can also, if necessary, be disassembled for cleaning, but this must be done carefully so that the contacts and spring do not jump out (used in some buttons). If the button is seriously malfunctioning, it will already have to be replaced; this may not be possible due to the fact that it just can't be found.

The fan motor and the spiral itself are also poorly repairable - if they malfunction, either professional intervention is required, or...... Long live the store!

Another possible fault that can be repaired is the thermal fuse.

Thermal fuse

This is a self-resetting fuse that turns off the heater coil when overheated, and after cooling it returns to its original, closed position. But it happens that its contacts burn out over time and it stops working normally. You need to restore good contact, carefully use something thin (a nail file works great while your wife can’t see) and shuffle between the contacts, but do not loosen them more than the thickness of the file. Otherwise, you will then have to bend the contact plates to compress them well.

Sometimes tucking is simply necessary. But be careful, it’s not that simple, remember that everything is attached to a fragile mica base and putting in effort can only make things worse.

Remember that with any repair, care and accuracy are important! This is one of the keys to success!

Where to call and what to do

Elimination of an emergency situation is the responsibility of the resident of the house or apartment. Moreover, you can’t hesitate, you need to immediately call an electrician. Next, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

Turn off the power to your home. Turn off the circuit breaker in the electrical panel. Check all electrical appliances and unplug them from outlets to eliminate the risk of fire if the equipment is already smoldering inside.

Check the wiring. You can tell by the smell where the breakdown occurred. This usually happens in places where wires are connected, in distribution boxes, areas where RCDs or circuit breakers are connected.

Inspect household appliances. It may burn and give off an unpleasant odor

Pay attention to the TV, refrigerator, electric oven, and other devices. Also check the integrity of the lighting fixtures.

If it is difficult to determine the location of the breakdown by smell, try to find it visually. Check all corners, switches (they begin to melt and darken around the edges). If you find a breakdown, you can call a technician or do the repairs yourself. Calling a professional electrician is preferable to fixing the problem yourself - it is more reliable and safer.

Hair dryer design

Before we tell you how to repair a hair dryer , we will describe its design. Modern hair dryers from Rowenta and other manufacturers consist of the following elements inside:

• Electrical engine;
• fan;
• spiral (heating element);
• control panel (speed switches and switches);
• cable for connecting to the network through a socket.

As you can judge from the list of elements described above, the device has a very simple design, so disassembling your unit yourself and repairing the hair dryer yourself will not be difficult.

The following things will be useful to you from the tool kit: a multimeter, a flat-head or Phillips screwdriver (depending on the design) and a small soldering iron.

See also -

Rating of the best hair dryer brushes for home use

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Why does my hair dryer turn off when it overheats?

First, let's understand an important point. The fact that the hair dryer turns off on its own is just great. You see, if it overheated and didn't shut down, things would have been much worse. Well, imagine: it warms up, warms up, and then its filling begins to melt. This can cause a short circuit in it - and then it can cause harm to you.

And even if it melts in some other way, without closing, it will stop working forever.

This is no good. Therefore, high-quality modern hair dryers always have an overheat shut-off function, which protects both you and your hair dryer. There is nothing to be done about this - and there is no need to do anything.

However, you don't have to endure constant outages. Here's the question: why does a hair dryer overheat quickly and how to avoid it?

Removing hair from the device

The nuances of the hair removal process from a hair dryer depend on the specific type of device. In this case, you need to follow several general rules:

• Before disassembling and cleaning the hair dryer, you need to disconnect it from the power supply. Otherwise, there is a risk of electric shock or short circuit.
• Do not use a damp cloth, water or other liquids to clean the internal components.
• Cleaning can be done using improvised means - a toothbrush, vacuum cleaner, tweezers.

BaByliss

To disassemble the BaByliss hair dryer you need to follow a series of steps. In particular, it is required:

• Remove the nozzle by unscrewing the fasteners.
• Use a screwdriver to pry off the fixing ring located next to the nozzle. As a rule, the ring is easy to insert and remove without much effort.
• Remove the retaining cup next to the power cord. The element is secured in the housing using two latches.
• Separate the parts of the housing held by latches on each side. If the case is made of translucent plastic, upon external inspection it will be possible to easily detect the location of the latches.
• Unscrew the fan impeller and get to the shaft on which the hair is wound.
• Remove foreign elements using available tools and reassemble the hair dryer in the reverse order. To avoid making common mistakes during assembly, it is recommended to take photographs of the main steps during disassembly.

Viconte

The sequence for disassembling the body of the Viconte hair dryer is the same as for the BaByliss brand device. The difference in the internal system is that it is unlikely that it will be possible to remove the impeller from the motor shaft using a basic set of tools. To remove hair and process the bearing, you can make a hole in the motor holder housing. It is important to correctly calculate the location for the hole so as not to destroy the motor or the impeller itself.

The motor holder body is thin, so you can make a hole with a sharp knife. The suitable hole diameter is 3-5mm. A hook made from a simple paper clip is passed through the hole and all curled hair is carefully removed. To lubricate the bearing, you can use a simple medical syringe. It is enough to drop a drop of machine oil where the shaft enters the motor and rotate the impeller a couple of times.

To test the fan, the diode bridge needs to be supplied with 10V voltage from the DC power supply. Testing is not a requirement, but it will help ensure that your hair dryer's fan is working properly after hair removal. If the test results indicate stable operation of the device, all that remains is to assemble the structure. The hole you have made does not need to be blocked, as it will fit tightly to the body of the hair dryer.

How to repair a hair dryer yourself

Attention! Care should be taken when repairing an electric hair dryer. Touching exposed parts of a circuit connected to an electrical outlet may result in electric shock. Don't forget to unplug the hair dryer from the socket!

The photo shows a Melissa Magic hair dryer with a power of 1600 W. There is an operating mode switch on the handle, with which you can turn on the hair dryer and stepwise change the temperature of the air emanating from its nozzle.

A construction hair dryer in appearance, principle of operation, structure and electrical circuit is practically no different from a hair dryer. Only in it the air flow heats up to 600°C.

If you receive a broken hair dryer for repair, then first of all you need to find out by what external signs the hair dryer was recognized as faulty. Based on them, using the table below, you can immediately guess where to look for the fault.

How to disassemble a hair dryer

Disassembling a hair dryer can be more difficult than repairing it, since the body parts are usually connected internally using latches, the location of which is not visible from the outside.

But there is always a self-tapping screw on the handle in the area where the power cord enters the housing, usually covered with a decorative plug or sealed with a label. Thanks to the different colors of the parts of the Braun hair dryer shown in the photo, it is clear which line to disassemble it.

This is what the decorative plastic plug in the hair dryer body looks like. Since it is the same color as the handle, it is difficult to notice. To remove the plug, you need to pry it by the edge with a sharp object, for example an awl or a knife with a sharp blade end.

After removing the plug, the head of the screw became visible, but it turned out that the slot on it was triangular, and its edges were made in such a way that the screw could only be screwed clockwise. The manufacturer has provided that it is impossible to disassemble a hair dryer for repairs at home without breaking the case.

To unscrew a screw with such a head, it was first heated using the tip of a heated electric soldering iron. To do this, just press the soldering iron tip to the head and hold for a couple of minutes. The heating of the self-tapping screw softened the plastic around the thread. Next, while the plastic was still warm, using a flat-blade screwdriver with a width equal to the length of the edge of the slot triangle, the self-tapping screw was unscrewed without difficulty.

To avoid difficulties during the repair of the hair dryer during assembly, the self-tapping screw was replaced with the same size, but with a slot in the head for a Phillips bit.

The removable part of the body was additionally held on by four more latches. Two of them were located on the sides of the pipe. To disassemble, I had to simultaneously press the parts through the resulting gap using a flat screwdriver while moving the parts apart.

After disengaging the side latches, the top ones released themselves. The latches were shallow, so I was able to disassemble the hair dryer without breaking them.

In this hair dryer, the power cord was faulty, and therefore further disassembly was not necessary, since the place where the cord was connected to the electrical circuit became accessible.

Examples of hair dryer repair

Most often, hair dryers break down due to chafing of the power cord or malfunction of the electric motor with the impeller. In modern hair dryers, due to the presence of thermal protection and the use of thick wire for winding the spiral, it burns out very rarely. Out of the dozen hair dryers I have repaired, I have never encountered a burnt coil.

Hair dryer power cord repair

When drying your hair, the hair dryer moves intensively and the power cord constantly bends. Although the wires in the cord are copper and stranded, they break off over time due to repeated kinks. A sign of the beginning of a wire break is the periodic temporary stoppage of the hair dryer while drying your hair.

Therefore, half of the breakdowns are associated with fraying of the power cord at the point where it exits the housing, less often at the plug. The first sign of such a breakdown is interruptions in the operation of the hair dryer while drying your hair. At this stage it is easy to find out the location of the cord defect. It is enough to fix it in the middle and move the cord first at the entrance to the plug body, and then at the entrance to the hair dryer body. If the hair dryer works stably, it means that the cord is in order and the fault must be looked for elsewhere.

If the wires in the cord are frayed where they exit the plug, you can repair the hair dryer without disassembling it. How to replace the plug is described in the article “Electrical plug, how to connect, repair.”

Typically, the cord wires inside the hair dryer are soldered to a printed circuit board or connected using plug-in terminals, as in the photo above.

To check the cord, you need to ring the wires by touching one probe of a tester or multimeter to one of the pins of the plug. Using the second probe of the multimeter, touch the ends of the wires one by one. One of the wires should show zero resistance. There should also be zero resistance between the remaining wire and the second pin of the plug.

If the wires are ringing, then by moving the cord at this time you can accurately determine where the wire has frayed. In the product being repaired, the cord was broken where it entered the hair dryer.

If the wires of the cord are soldered to the printed circuit board, then you can ring them without unsoldering them by attaching the probes of the device to the pins of the plug. The hair dryer switch should be set to maximum power mode. The heating coil has a resistance of about 30 ohms. Therefore, if the cord wires are working properly, then the multimeter should show the same resistance.

Using an online calculator, you can accurately calculate the resistance value of a hair dryer's nichrome coil based on its maximum power.

In the hair dryer being repaired, the cord was broken at the point where it entered the body. To restore operation, you need to cut off the defective section of the wire and reinstall the plug-in terminals. To remove the terminals from the wires, you first need to use a knife to bend the antennae holding the wires to the sides, as shown in the photo.

Next, use a pointed knife to cut the wires from the terminals. You can use an awl to bend the clamps, but as practice shows, repeated crimping of the wires cannot guarantee reliable contact.

In the next step, the frayed section of the wire is cut off and the insulation is removed from the cord and wires. The length of the cord will be reduced by ten centimeters, which will not affect the performance characteristics.

All that remains is to tin the wires and terminals using solder with an electric soldering iron and solder them together. After putting on the terminals, assembling and checking the operation of the hair dryer, the repair can be considered complete.

If you don’t have a soldering iron at hand, then the wires are cut off at a distance of 3-5 cm from the point of connection to the electrical circuit of the hair dryer and a section of the defective cord is removed. Then the wires are connected using one of the mechanical methods, depending on the internal free space in the hair dryer handle.

Engine power circuit repair

A Melissa-1600 hair dryer was repaired with a complaint that the air flow from it had become weak with a burning smell. Upon inspection, it turned out that the impeller was not rotating at sufficient speed. I immediately assumed that there was hair curled around the motor shaft between the impeller and the housing. Usually, in most cases with such signs, this is what happens.

But after disassembling the hair dryer, it turned out that one of the rectifier diodes installed on the motor was torn in half. Testing of the remaining diodes showed their serviceability. Therefore, the engine worked, but only one half-wave of rectified voltage was supplied to it.

The faulty diode was soldered out and in its place, observing the polarity, the first available type KD105 was soldered. The motor supply voltage is usually 9-12 V at a current of no more than 0.5 A. Almost any rectifier diode will provide such parameters.

At the same time, the curled hair was removed from the motor shaft and the bearings were lubricated with machine oil. To do this, simply apply a drop of oil to the shaft fixation point in the motor housing and turn the shaft by the impeller several times.

Before installing the motor in the hair dryer, it is advisable to check it. For the motor to operate, a constant voltage of 9-12 V is required. But since the voltage is supplied to the diode bridge, the motor can be powered from either a direct or an alternating current source. Even the simplest adapter from any device will do, delivering the appropriate voltage and current up to 0.5 A.

Voltage must be applied to the input of the diode bridge, its soldering point to the electrical circuit of the hair dryer. If the engine is connected to a constant voltage source, then you need to check first with one connection polarity, and then swap the connected wires. This is necessary to check all the bridge diodes.

Tests of the engine after maintenance and repair showed that its impeller rotated easily when turned by hand and when voltage was supplied from an external voltage source at a sufficient speed.

Checking the hairdryer after assembly showed that its functionality was fully restored. The impeller rotated at high speed, and the burning smell disappeared.

Repair of the cold air switch and button

If the hairdryer cannot be turned on and the power cord is working, then the cause, as a rule, is a broken contact in the mode switch. And if all the modes of the hair dryer, but the air does not heat up, then the heating shut-off button, the heat protection is faulty, or the coil is burnt out.

Mode switches in a hair dryer are usually soldered into a small printed circuit board, which is fixed in guides or screwed with self-tapping screws. The photo shows the switch leads soldered into the printed circuit board. On the left side you can see the hot air supply switch.

If the mode switch does not ring, then you can try to clean the internal contacts with a thin tool through the hole located next to its slider. It happens that only the contact of one of the operating modes has burned out, while the rest are in working order. In this case, you can sacrifice the rarely used mode of operation of the hair dryer and switch the switching to a working contact.

It happens that due to burnt contacts as a result of heating, the switch body is deformed and the motor jams. If there is no replacement switch, you can connect the wires directly, leaving only one operating mode for the hair dryer. In this case, you will have to turn on the hair dryer by connecting its plug to the outlet.

If the button to turn off the supply of warm air flow is faulty, and there is nothing to replace it with, then it is enough to short-circuit its leads. In this case, this function will no longer work, but otherwise the hair dryer will work as before.

Thermal protection repair

Thermal protection consists of two contacts in contact, one of which is fixed to a bimetallic plate. When the plate is heated above a given temperature, it bends upward, as shown by the arrow in the photograph. As a result, the contacts open and the power supply circuit of the heating coil is broken.

If the button to turn off the hot air supply is in order and the spiral is intact, then it is obvious that the contacts in the thermal protection relay have oxidized. To restore, it is enough to insert fine-grained sandpaper folded in half into the gap between the contacts and, pressing the bimetallic plate on top with your finger, pull the paper several times.

Malfunctions of the heating element - spiral

If the air flow from the hair dryer is cold when the engine is running, the shutdown button and thermal protection are working, then the breakdown is associated with the nichrome spiral.

A broken spiral can be easily detected by external inspection. And a violation of contact in connections in the form of hollow rivets on the frame of the hair dryer between the ends of the nichrome wire and the wires coming from the operating mode switch cannot always be determined by appearance. If the rivets are not blackened, then only testing with a multimeter will help.

To restore contact in the rivet joint, you need to further compress it using pliers. The work must be done carefully so as not to break the fragile mica or ceramic frame.

Burnout or breakage of the coil practically does not occur in modern hair dryers, but if such a failure occurs, the coil will need to be replaced with a new one. Splicing spiral wire by twisting or crimping it into a piece of aluminum or brass tubing will not lead to long-term success. If the spiral is worn out, then after such repairs it will soon burn out in another place.

A nichrome spiral, taking into account the power of the hair dryer, can be purchased new or wound independently from nichrome wire, calculating its diameter and length according to the table.

Removing hair and lubricating the hair dryer motor shaft

Another common malfunction of a hair dryer, which you can fix yourself, having only a standard set of tools on hand, is when the hair dryer is working, but the stream of outgoing air is very hot with a burning smell due to hair winding around the motor shaft or poor lubrication of the motor bearings.

Removing hair from the motor shaft of the BaByliss hair dryer

The BaByliss hair dryer shown in the photo came in for repair with the complaint that the outgoing air stream had become weak and very hot.

When checking, it became clear from the sound of the fan that its speed was too low, and the cause of the malfunction lay in the operation of the engine. To fix the problem, I had to disassemble the hair dryer.

In order to disassemble the BaByliss hair dryer, you first need to remove the nozzle by unscrewing two screws. Next, using a flat blade screwdriver, remove the fixing ring installed on the heated air outlet side. It gives in easily.

Next, using two screwdrivers, remove the fixing cup from the side of the power cord. It is held in the case with two latches and can also be removed without difficulty.

All that remains is to separate the body halves, which are held in place by two latches on each side. In the photograph, due to the translucency of the plastic, the latches are clearly visible, as in the photograph in the form of light stripes.

The hair dryer is disassembled and all that remains is to get to the place on the shaft where the hair is wound. The engine is fixed inside a plastic housing, which is a pipe, in such a way that to remove it you need to remove the fan impeller. And the impeller, as a rule, is mounted tightly on the shaft, and here usually great difficulties arise, since it is impossible to grab the impeller with a standard tool, and it is easy to break it.

To solve such problems, I made a special tool from Chinese platypuses - a platypus with the ends of the jaws bent at right angles. Using a vice, the ends were easily bent because they were not hardened.

I also successfully repair snake and zipper runners with this platypus if the links stop closing. Regular pliers often cannot be reached. And thanks to the curved ends of the jaws, it is easy to squeeze the part of the runner that closes the links in any case.

In addition, the upgraded duckbill pliers are convenient for holding axles and shafts, nuts and other objects of various shapes - they do not slip out like with flat-nose pliers.

After removing the impeller from the motor shaft, access to the curled hair appeared. In this model of hair dryer, a brass bushing is mounted on the motor shaft, and an impeller is already put on it. Usually it is mounted directly on the motor shaft.

All that remains is to remove the hair with a sharp object, such as a knife, awl or needle, and reassemble the hair dryer in the reverse order. To avoid any difficulties when assembling the hair dryer, I advise you to take several photographs when disassembling it.

Rules of care and use

Strict adherence to the rules of operation and maintenance can reduce the risk of breakdowns. If all recommendations are followed, the hairdryer will work properly and will not require periodic repairs. The basic rules include the following:

• Before using the device, you need to inspect the condition of the power cord, and during storage, you should not wrap it around the handle. Otherwise the cord will become bent.
• You can only use the attachments included as standard, as well as those specifically designed for a specific hair dryer model.
• In places with high humidity, you should refrain from using the device. You should also avoid contact with water.
• Using a budget version of the device, you can independently install a fine-mesh filter in the air intake, which will prevent a large amount of hair and dirt from being sucked into the housing.
• Having noticed signs of any breakdown, you must immediately disconnect the device from the electricity and carry out diagnostics to detect all existing problems.
• You should not overheat the hair dryer, so if you need to use the device for a long time, you should buy a professional device designed for long-term continuous operation.
• Before storing the device in a closet, you need to wait until it cools completely, which takes about half an hour.

Design and principle of operation

All models have the same set of parts:

• frame;
• fan;
• a heating element;
• control module;
• power cord;

In a nutshell, the principle of operation can be described as follows. The fan, sucking air from the outside, directs it into a nozzle in which there is a spiral. If it is turned on, a hot air stream will flow out.

The body of the device is made of durable, heat-resistant plastic. The fan is assembled on a DC commutator motor. This motor runs on 12, 18, 24 or 36 volts. 220 volt AC motors are rare.

A special frame is used for the heater. It is made from a material that does not conduct electricity and cannot burn. Nichrome wire is wound onto the frame in the form of a spiral. Based on the number of modes of the device, the number of sections of the spiral is determined.

During operation, the temperature of the heating element rises. If it is not cooled, a fire can occur in a matter of seconds. The fan acts as a cooler.

In case the fan stops working, a thermostat is provided. A pair of closed contacts is placed on a bimetallic strip. The plate is mounted on a frame with a heater.

When the device is turned on, the thermostat is blown with hot air. When the temperature of the element increases to a critical temperature, the contacts at the spiral open. This was invented to force the heating element to turn off in time.

To control the operation of the thermostat, a thermal fuse is sometimes installed. It is one-time use. If it overheats, it simply burns out, interrupting the electrical circuit of the heater, forcing the device to turn off forcibly.

Electrical diagram of a standard device

Most hair dryers work according to the same circuit diagram.

The heater consists of three spirals. The first one powers the electric motor, and the other two are for heating. When the switch is in the off position, the circuit is de-energized.

If you turn on the first mode, the power will pass through a diode, which isolates one half-wave of alternating voltage. In this position, only the second heating coil is turned on, but not fully. The motor rotates at low speeds and the device produces minimal power.

In the second mode, the diode is short-circuited and the circuit uses both half-waves of the alternating voltage. The second spiral begins to work at full capacity. The motor picks up speed and the hair dryer gains average power.

In the third mode , the third spiral will also be powered, and the device will start at full power. If you press the “cool” button during operation, it will simply make the second and third spirals turn off, leaving cold airflow. The device's motor will continue to run.

When operating a commutator motor, a level of interference will occur. To reduce it, two inductors and a pair of capacitors are connected to the circuit.

Be sure to have a thermostat in case the fan suddenly stops working. And also a full-wave rectifier of four diodes, to reduce the voltage to the required one for the electric motor.

Why does my hair dryer overheat and turn off? What to do with it?

Externally and functionally all devices are identical. The operation of the equipment is based on a fan and a heater. The first one sucks in air from the room, passes it through the heating element and discharges the already heated flow outside. In addition to these two main components, the design of the device also includes other necessary elements:

• engine;
• power cable;
• thermal protection;
• speed controllers, temperature controllers, and so on.

Features of the device are as follows:

1. The reduction coil built inside the heating element is designed to reduce the voltage to the required value;
2. The diode bridge helps equalize the voltage;
3. A fan is installed on a metal shaft located on the engine, which can consist of two, three or four blades;
4. The heater is a spiral-shaped tubular element with a nichrome thread wound on a fireproof base for safe operation;
5. The thermostat and temperature controller prevent overheating of the product;
6. If there is a “cold air” function, the unit operates without turning on the heater, that is, it blows out a cool stream.

The thermostat is a useful part responsible for protecting the device from overheating; not all models have it. At the moment of maximum heating of the coil, the thermostat turns off the power and turns it on only after the heating element has cooled down.

Electrical circuit of a hair dryer

In general, the electrical circuit of all devices is the same. The number of spirals H indicates the number of modes - if the device has 3 spirals, then H1 is responsible for supplying power to the engine, and H2 and H3 are for heating. The highest position of SW1 indicates that the system is de-energized. In the first position, the device operates at minimum power, since only one coil is turned on, in the second - at medium (2 units work), and in the third - at maximum (all 3 are turned on). If there is a “cool” button, then the device can work without heating, that is, the second and third spiral elements are turned off, and the engine runs, blowing cold air. The circuit also includes inductors L1, L2 and capacitors C1, C2, which minimize interference during operation, as well as thermal fuse F1 and thermostat F2.

Electrical circuit of a hair dryer

The electrical circuit is designed to convert current and regulate the operating modes of the device. It is not difficult to understand, since it contains few elements, and a detailed description can always be found in the instructions supplied with the technique.

Final Tips

Repairing professional hair dryers is more complex. Design elements are often complemented by smooth controls and additional options such as the Care button. Spirals are made from special alloys that, when heated, create negative ions that have a beneficial effect on hair. The technique remains the same:

• cord;
• switches and buttons;
• dust removal;
• spirals;
• motor;
• visual inspection of capacitors and resistors.

Before repairing, it is advisable to get a schematic diagram.

Industrial models are not much different from household ones. But drying your hair is not recommended. Such products are distinguished by increased resistance to dust, shock, vibration, humidity, and other climatic factors. Home restoration of industrial hair dryers will not end well.

Electrical radio products used in household models are not suitable for use in harsh conditions. Requirements apply to wires, power cord, motor and coils.

Danger of shorted wiring

During the normal flow of electric current through the wires, the load is distributed evenly, the current does not exceed permissible limits. It happens that two points of an eclectic chain are connected with polar values ​​not provided for by the normal operating mode. This leads to an increase in current at the connection point, and ultimately to a short circuit.

The danger of such a process is fire of wires and power outage, electric shock to a person. Of course, the worst consequence is a fire.

The most dangerous is hidden wiring under finishing materials, such as drywall or plaster. Because it is difficult to detect the connection point. Even an experienced craftsman does not always have the right tools.

A short circuit is accompanied by a burning smell, interruption in operation and a power outage. In serious cases, equipment melts and catches fire.

How to disassemble a hair dryer: inspection procedure, disassembly and repair

Disassembling the device is not difficult if you follow the instructions, have the necessary tools on hand and have at least some knowledge in the field of electronics.

Cord

First of all, you need to inspect the wire. You should start with a power outlet to make sure there is electricity. If there is light, then move on to checking the cord - from the body to the plug. Inspect the integrity of the wire, look for kinks, breaks, melting. Inside the case, after disassembling it, observe the state of the electrical resistance - a pair of detachable contacts, soldering or wiring with plastic caps.

Permanent connection

If the wiring is embedded in plastic caps, then we are talking about a permanent connection. This option is quite difficult to test and requires the following materials:

• regular needle;
• tester;
• lamp;
• indicator.

The check is performed as follows:

• A needle is attached to one terminal - it should be inserted into the power core near the cap all the way to the copper;
• The second terminal covers the antennae of the plug;
• Both wires ring at once.

Healthy!

You should not make more than one puncture per core, since the operation of the device does not exclude moisture from entering the housing.

Contact pad

It is much easier to ring the wire when the joints are visible to the naked eye. If damage is found, it is better to replace the cord with a new one that has a permanent plug. The second option is preferable, since in the first case restrictions are imposed on the choice of insulating materials that prevent moisture from entering the cores.

Attention!

The most vulnerable spot is at the contact of the wire with the body. Constant bending and twisting of the cord leads to chafing and cracking. Damaged copper strands begin to spark, burn electrical tape and melt.

Switch and switch

You can check the functionality of the switch by short-circuiting the part. If a three-position switch is used, the corresponding check will need to be performed three times - for each mode separately. It is better to sketch out the wiring diagram to avoid mistakes during assembly.

Once a defect is identified, it should be carefully inspected and processed. Burn marks should be cleaned off with a file, eraser or sandpaper, contacts should be treated with alcohol. If an element cannot be restored, it should be replaced with a new, similar one.

Fan

A clogged air duct is a common problem when operating equipment. If there is a filter, it must be removed and thoroughly cleaned; clogged dust can be removed using a soft brush. If you find hair wound around the motor axis, it is better to remove the fan from the shaft and then remove the dirt.

Spirals

Most often, devices are equipped with several heaters at once, which outwardly do not differ from each other. After disassembling the unit, you should make sure that the heating elements are identical; if there are breaks, they need to be soldered or the ends twisted. In addition, the ends of the spiral can be connected using thin copper tubes.

Engine

A breakdown of the motor is indicated by the occurrence of a strong crackling sound and the presence of sparks when turned on. If a malfunction is detected, remove the motor winding from the electrical circuit and check all connections. Replacing the winding requires certain skills and knowledge in the field of electrical engineering, so if you don’t have them, it’s better to immediately turn to professionals.

Healthy!

If the winding is in good condition, it is enough to clean the surface and evaluate the tightness of the brushes to the copper surface. In this case, the shaft should rotate freely, and it is better to lubricate all rubbing elements.

Chip:

• The getinax substrate periodically cracks, which leads to rupture of the track. If a damaged fragment is found, it should be buried, covering it a little with solder;
• A malfunction of the capacitor is indicated by swelling of the product; if it breaks, it bends outward. If a breakdown is identified, the only way out is to replace the part with a new one;
• When the resistor burns out, it darkens. Even if it is not faulty, it is worth replacing.

Thermostat

Some models are equipped with a self-regulation function. Operation is carried out by using a resistive divider, in which one arm is responsible for responding to temperature. In the future you can proceed as follows:

• Eliminate the sensor by breaking the circuit, and then check its functionality.
• Close the wires and observe the reaction of the device.

There is a high probability that the attempt will not be successful if the device only responds to certain resistance values.

Typical Inspection Procedure

If the device has no signs of life and is unstable, the inspection begins with the power circuit. Below is a schematic description of the repair of Rowenta hair dryers.

Attention! The described types of work require skills in handling electrical appliances. The authors decline responsibility for damage to health and property that occurs when attempting to follow the recommendations given for repairing hair dryers.

Cord

Inspection of the power wire begins with the socket. Some of the faults lie there: there is no voltage - the hair dryer does not work. If there is voltage in the outlet, inspection of the cord begins at the point where it enters the housing, moving towards the plug. Work is performed on a de-energized device. A visual search is carried out for kinks and irregular formations - burns, insulation damage, fractures.

Then the hair dryer body is disassembled. Inside you have a chance to see the electrical resistance options:

1. A pair of detachable contacts.
2. Soldering.
3. The wiring is sealed in plastic caps.

Permanent connection

The last element of the list characterizes a non-separable connection, therefore, the case for testing is extremely complex. Skillful hands, or rather, smart heads, Ukrainian brothers in wisdom are advised to use an ordinary needle to repair a hair dryer. Those who immediately grasp the train of thought will skip the next paragraph; start testing directly.

Repairing a hair dryer with your own hands begins with checking the wiring. A Chinese tester, a light bulb, and an indicator will do. A needle is attached to one terminal, which is then inserted into the power core in the area of ​​the cap through the insulation to the copper. The second terminal feels the legs of the plug. The call goes through for both wires. When repairing a hair dryer, you shouldn’t make more than 1 puncture per wire (some will also try to look for the break point), since the nature of the operation involves moisture getting in from wet hair.

Contact pad

Even a child can ring the wire, having visually distinguishable junction points in front of his eyes. If damage is found, it is recommended to buy a new cord equipped with a non-detachable plug. The possibility of moisture ingress limits the choice of insulation of conductive parts used to repair the hair dryer.

Cases are common: the first glance reveals the location of damage to the cord entry into the housing. Sludge, carbon deposits, black insulation indicate the location of the fault.

At the junction with the hair dryer body there is a vulnerable wiring point. The hostess takes the delicate device by the cord, shakes it from side to side, and winds the cable around the handle. A core with a crack sparks, the insulation heats up, burns, and the copper melts. This is the mechanism of damage to copper conductors.

Switch and switch

When updating, it is useful to short-circuit the switch and check: the hair dryer will change its behavior radically in response to a simple step. There are three-position switches, each short-circuited position is checked separately. Remember, sketch out the original wire layout before you begin repairing the hair dryer.

Checking the speed and temperature switches uses a similar circuit.

Inspect the defective element identified during the restoration of the hair dryer. The deposits are cleaned off with a file, sandpaper, or eraser. Contacts are wiped with alcohol. Faulty components are replaced with equivalents. A radical method is to short-circuit the power button while searching for suitable components.

Fan

Relatively often, the air duct of a hair dryer becomes clogged. It is necessary to remove the filter, if any, and clean it thoroughly. Use a soft brush to remove dust from crevices.

No blade rotation or low rpm is often observed when hair is wrapped around the motor axle. The propeller must be carefully removed from the shaft, avoiding unnecessary effort and distortions in every possible way. After this, foreign objects are removed.

Spirals

A hair dryer usually has several heating elements. Visually they should all look uniform. Make sure of this when fixing the hair dryer by opening the case. Detected breaks are eliminated by twisting the ends, soldering and tinning. You can also get thin copper tubes and crimp the ends of the broken spiral inward.

During repairs, defects in heating elements can be observed visually. A careful inspection will tell you how to fix the hair dryer. It is effective to replace spirals with similar purchased or homemade products made from nichrome wire.

Engine

The electric motor of a hair dryer can be powered by both direct current and alternating current. If the diode bridge is burned out, the windings are damaged, and normal operation is disrupted. A terrible crackling sound and sparks when turned on indicate a motor malfunction.

The motor windings are desoldered when repairing a hair dryer from the electrical circuit. For each wire, find the pair that rings. The terminals are connected in threes; none should hang in the air. Replacing the winding when repairing a hair dryer is carried out only in a workshop. However, folk craftsmen work no worse than machines. Those who wish will try it.

If the windings are in good condition, the brushes are inspected, the copper surface underneath them is cleaned, and the tightness of the fit is assessed.

The axle should rotate freely. When repairing a hair dryer, it doesn’t hurt to lubricate the rubbing surfaces and manually work in problem areas.

Chip

The getinax backing sometimes cracks, tearing the track. Tin the damaged area and lightly cover it with solder.

Damaged capacitors swell slightly. The upper edge of the cylinder contains shallow slots; when the product breaks, the side swells, bending outward. Replace such a capacitor first if you find a characteristic defect.

Burnt out resistors turn dark. Some remain operational; it is advisable to replace such a radio element.

Thermostat

Some hair dryers are self-regulating. The effect is achieved by using a resistive divider, one arm of which is an element that responds to temperature. Further actions are determined by the parameter control implementation scheme. We recommend:

• exclude the sensor altogether by breaking the circuit and test the device’s response;
• After this, short-circuit the wires, turn them on, and see what happens.

There is a high chance of failure if the device is trained to respond only to a fixed resistance value. All that remains is to look for a circuit diagram on the Internet or draw it yourself.

Types of devices

Blenders are divided into desktop, that is, stationary, and hand-held (submersible). They differ in operation and design, and may include additional functions and attachments. To repair a blender yourself, you need to understand how it works.

Submersible models are electric devices that have a long handle and a blade attachment. They are lowered into a container with products for mixing and/or grinding. Then you need to press the start button and hold it until the procedure is completed.

The undoubted advantage of the manual model is its compactness. The device is easy to disassemble and wash, and does not require much space for storage. And if the device is equipped with additional attachments, then it becomes a universal assistant in the kitchen.

There is only one disadvantage of this design, but it is an important one. When grinding or other operations, you have to hold it in your hand all the time and also hold down the start button. During this time, the hand becomes numb and tired. In addition, a hand blender will not cope very well with large quantities of food.

Stationary models are another matter. They are somewhat similar to food processors and can handle many functions. Rotating knives are attached to the bottom of the container. You can place such a blender in any convenient place; you do not need to hold it with your hands during the process. With its help, you can not only chop and mix a large volume of products, but also knead batter and whip up a cocktail.

But even in this case there were some drawbacks. Countertop appliances take up a lot of space, and some models do a poor job of chopping vegetables, turning them into crumbs, or leaving large pieces. But it happens that they are easier to disassemble and repair yourself than manual models.

Design

Different manufacturers offer many models that differ from each other in shape, color and additional functions. However, one thing remains unchanged. Whatever hair dryer you buy, the design principle is almost the same; therefore, when making repairs, you need to pay attention to the same problems.

First, let's study how a hair dryer works. Main details of the inside of the hair dryer:

engine,

fan,

heating element,

electrical circuit.

Drying your hair with a hairdryer is not useful, but it is fast.
The electrical circuit is quite simple, and there is nothing more complicated than a thyristor. The hair dryer box is either plastic or metal, but both are secured with different types of bolts.

Therefore, before you begin repairs, prepare the necessary tools. Often the house does not have a suitable screwdriver or socket to unscrew a bolt. In addition to bolts, there may be special latches on the body. Proceed with caution - the fasteners are easy to break. Don't pull too hard without knowing if you're opening correctly. Sometimes important elements are hidden by a sticker.

Safety precautions

It would seem that for us there is nothing new or incomprehensible about how to follow basic safety rules when working with electrical appliances. But self-repairing even such a compact device as a hair dryer will require you to be careful. And this is connected precisely with electricity:

• Proceed only if you are familiar with electrical work. If they are absent, it is better to trust the professionals.
• Be sure to unplug the device first. Use an indicator screwdriver or a multimeter to check.

  Be sure to disconnect the device from the mains before repair work.

• Please note that our recommendations apply only to household hair dryers that are used at home. They are not suitable for professional devices.

Expert advice

Of course, cleaning a hair care product when it suddenly stops is possible at home. However, more complex repairs are best left to specialists.

To avoid problems associated with the sudden stop of the device, you need to learn how to choose the right hair dryer from the beginning. Pay attention to the motor power and other technical characteristics.

It is recommended to buy a hair dryer in specialized stores, avoiding tempting offers from market sellers. An important criterion for choosing a hair dryer for home use is the name of the manufacturer. It’s better to overpay a little, but be calm and not worry about the quality of the chosen hair dryer.

When purchasing a device, ask for a receipt and check for instructions for use from the manufacturer. It must come with a hairdryer.

Before using the hair dryer, read the manufacturer's recommendations and follow the instructions.

Keep an eye on your household appliance and service it regularly. Store in a safe place out of reach of small children.

How to follow the rules for disassembling a hair dryer

We will tell you step by step about disassembly and repair using the example of the Roventa hair dryer model:

• First, inspect the device. Start with the power wire, namely where it enters the handle, where the contact block is located. Next, check up to the plug for kinks, burns and insulation breaks.

  Check the entire length of the power cord for damage.

• If no damage is found, the hair dryer needs to be disassembled. Its body consists of two parts connected by screws. The nozzle is secured on the front with special latches. You need to squeeze them out very carefully, because they can break.

  Disassembling the hair dryer body is not difficult, but you need to do it carefully

• Most Roventa hair dryer models are identical in design and can be disassembled in the same way. But if you have a hair dryer, you should consider some features. Read the instructions for the device very carefully.
• After disassembling the case, pay attention to what the fan looks like. In front of it are a filter and a protective grille: they provide protection from dust and hair. It is this grill that can become clogged, so it needs to be thoroughly cleaned with a small brush. In inexpensive models, only the grille is usually installed, and this causes a decrease in fan speed due to hair stuck on the shaft. Carefully remove the propeller, remove any entangled hair, and clean the blades. This is convenient to do with an old toothbrush.

  Clean the fan blades and other parts from dust and hair

• Let's move on to the electric motor. Its incorrect operation leads to malfunctions of the entire device. The reason for this is usually a burnout of the diode bridge, a breakdown of the winding, or extreme wear of the brushes. Check that the motor axis rotates freely without creating runout. Lubricate all rubbing parts with machine oil.
• Most models are equipped with several spirals. They provide different air heating modes. Any damage to them will be detected during visual inspection. The integrity of the spirals can be restored by soldering or installing new similar products.

  This is what the heating coil in a hair dryer looks like

In addition to the damage described above, the problem may be a malfunction of the microcircuits. Typical faults are:

• The getinax base cracked and the tin track was torn. Tin the damaged areas and cover them with solder.
• The capacitors are swollen. They need to be unsoldered and new ones installed.
• Replace faulty resistors (you will find them by their darkened surface).

As you can see, for such a repair you will need skills in working with a soldering iron. Otherwise, it is better to entrust the damaged hair dryer to a specialist or service center.

If you have an expensive hair dryer model, I recommend immediately sending it to specialists for repair. The fact is that such models have a more complex design, suggesting the presence of additional functions. For example, the Care button, which is a smooth action regulator, or an air flow ionizer. The parts of such hair dryers are made from special alloys, and it is almost impossible to reliably combine them in the event of a break at home.

Principle of operation

All hair dryers, regardless of the brand and type of case, have the same operating principle - an electric motor drives a fan, which drives air through heating coils. Typically, hair dryers have a heating level switch, providing different thermal modes - the switch switches the sequential connection of the required number of coils - the fewer of them in the circuit - the greater the current flow - the greater the heating. Hair dryers are also equipped with thermal protection that turns off the device if the permissible temperature of the coil is exceeded. If such protection works, be sure to unplug the hair dryer from the network, because when the temperature drops, the thermostat will restore the electrical circuit and the hair dryer will work.

Types of hair dryer

This type of hair dryer is designed for drying and styling hair. It produces an air stream with a temperature of about 60°C and high speed. There are hair dryers that have temperature control and can produce both cold and hot air. They try to install protection against overheating in the hair dryer to avoid damage to the hair by hot air. Modern hair dryers also have an air ionization function, designed primarily to remove static charge, and also promise smooth and silky hair.

This type of hair dryer, unlike a household hair dryer, is distinguished by its ability to produce a stream of air heated to a temperature of about 300-500°C, but at a low speed. Various models of technical hair dryers may also have modes with lower air temperatures, for example, 50°C. There are models that allow you to obtain air with temperatures in the range of 50-650°C in steps of 10°C or continuously adjustable. Some models allow you to adjust the air flow.

Most common breakdowns

Unfortunately, hair dryers break down regularly. This is partly due to the low quality of workmanship (we are talking about inexpensive household models), partly due to non-compliance with the operating mode. The device should be allowed to rest every 5-10 minutes. The exact data is indicated in the instructions. In addition, before completing the work, you need to let the fan run for a while for cold blowing, without heating. Of course, if the model is equipped with such a function (for example, BOSCH PHG 630 DCE).

The most common types of faults are:

• burnout of the heating element (heating coil);
• wire break in the power cable;
• triac failure;
• diode or capacitor failure;
• switch malfunction.

The popularity of self-repair of various household appliances is growing: users are trying to save on calling a technician from a service center. This rule especially applies to small household appliances. Indeed, the design of such technology is simple, but sometimes some difficulties may arise. How to disassemble a hair dryer, for example, Philips, when there are no instructions or recommendations? We will try to tell you everything in detail.

Like any household appliance, a hair dryer stops working one not-so-great morning. The reasons for failure can be different: mechanical impact associated with an accidental fall, or a sudden surge in voltage in the network when the device is turned on. To find out exactly what happened, you need to partially or completely disassemble the Philips hair dryer, which you can do yourself with certain skills and ability to repair electrical household appliances.

Very important! Before proceeding with disassembly, disconnect the device from the power supply.

Most hair dryer models from the Philips company from the Netherlands open into two halves, but to do this you need to remove the plastic ring that holds both parts. It has four latches; in order to press them out, you need a flat tool - a flat thin spatula or a sharp, durable knife. You have to work very carefully - the plastic is fragile, if you break the latch, then the repair can be considered complete, you will have to go to the store for a new hair dryer.

The Philips Salondry Control and Philips HP8656 models from
Pro Care Ion
series differ only in that the latter is a hair dryer brush, and their operating principle and design are almost the same. The addition of Ion at the end of the name means that the hair dryer has an air ionization function. This function is necessary to “pacify” unruly hair - negatively charged ions (ion) prevent magnetization, hair styling occurs without problems.

These models have fairly small but powerful latches on the inside of the casing at the front. To press them out, insert the tool between the casing and the body until a gap forms between them and pull the casing firmly. Now you need to unscrew all fastening elements

— there are only eight of them: 2 in the handle, 3 are located under the removable part of the nozzle and 3 hold the upper part of the body. The screwdriver must be prepared in advance, taking into account the type of slots on the screws. Disassembly of the Philips hair dryer is completed.

To help users, here is a video about the step-by-step disassembly of a hair dryer:

Hair dryer device

A hair dryer is usually made in the form of a piece of pipe, inside of which there is a fan and an electric heater. Often the hair dryer body is equipped with a pistol grip.

The fan draws air through one of the sections of the pipe, the air flow passes by the electric heater, heats up and leaves the pipe through the opposite section. Various nozzles can be installed on the outlet section of the hair dryer pipe to change the configuration of the air flow. The inlet section is usually covered with a grill to prevent large objects, such as fingers, from getting inside the hair dryer body.

A number of hair dryer models allow you to adjust the temperature and air flow rate at the outlet. Temperature regulation is achieved either by switching on a different number of heaters in parallel, or by using an adjustable thermostat, or by changing the flow rate.

Hair drying technique

To create volume on medium to long hair, start drying with your head tilted down and your hair hanging down. Beat your hair with your fingers against the direction of growth and vigorously direct the air stream in different directions. When your hair is half dry, lift your head and style it into the desired shape. First comb short hair with a hairdryer, and then tousle it with a brush against the hair growth, bending your head forward. When drying and styling, hold the hair dryer in such a way that the air flow goes from the roots of the hair to the ends. With this drying, the hair scales fall correctly and the hair acquires shine. And do not bring the hair dryer too close to your head; the optimal distance is at least 20 cm.

When choosing a technical (construction) hair dryer, it is important to consider its main functions, which are of great importance:

— Power — from 1000 to 2000 W. (the greater the power, the higher its purpose); — Temperature adjustment (the presence of adjustment increases the effectiveness of the tool); — Main switch (should be easy to switch, and if accidentally dropped, turn off the hair dryer); — Overheat protection function (prevents the hair dryer from overheating and igniting); — Adjustment of hot air (makes it more versatile); — Cord length – at least 2.5 m (allows you to work with a hair dryer at full height); — Hanging hook (fixes the tool in the right place); — A set of special attachments (for a wide range of applications).

The nozzles for a technical hair dryer are as follows:

— Focusing (concentrates the flow of hot air in a certain place); — Flat (supplies flow to a narrower area); — Welded mirror (welding of materials); — Glass-protective (used on low-temperature surfaces - for example, glass); — Reflex (heating up the pipes); — Gearbox (spot heating of the surface); — Splined (welding of PVC materials).

Damage to radio components.

And so, we looked at typical hair dryer breakdowns, but the radio components of the device can also fail. To understand the completeness of the picture, a diagram is presented below (Fig. 5), which is suitable for almost all types of devices. Also, to check the elements of the device and troubleshoot problems, you will need a multimeter; you can’t do without it.

Schematic diagram of a hair dryer (Fig. 5)

Hair dryer repair - possible malfunctions of radio components:

1. The capacitor or resistor is faulty ; in the diagram they are designated (C1) and (R1) . When checking with a multimeter, they should be closed. If not, then this problem can only be eliminated by replacing the faulty element.
2. Failure of the thermostat , indicated in the diagram ( F2) , or fuse, indicated in the diagram (F1) . When these radio elements ring, they must be closed. If this is not the case, you will have to replace them with new ones;
3. Faulty toggle switch (SW1) . Here you need to check the conclusions; if the signal does not disappear, then this element is working. Otherwise, we change this element to a new one;
4. If the diodes (VD1 - VD4) fail , we call them, but do not forget that they are checked only in one direction. If the current flows in both directions, then such a diode should be replaced with a new one.
5. Capacitors (C2, C3) , if when ringing you find a short circuit, then these elements must be replaced;
6. Electric motor, in the diagram (M1) . To check the motor, we need to change the multimeter to resistance and apply probes to the motor terminals. If the motor resistance is less than 5 ohms, the motor is faulty and must be replaced.
7. (H1 – H3) are spirals. If the damage to the spiral is not visible, you need to clean the terminals. When ringing, the multimeter probes must be placed to the wires going to the terminals. If the resistance is not very different, then the element is working. If the resistance is very different, this tells us about a short circuit.
8. (SB1) – button. If, when checking with a multimeter, it is closed, then there is no need to worry, if on the contrary, then we change it to a new one.

It is worth noting that all faults are listed in the order in which they should be checked!