Do-it-yourself hair dryer repair - don’t overpay, fix it yourself

Why the hair dryer does not work - possible reasons

Is your hairdryer broken and not working? Don't rush to grieve. Yes, it is possible that the hair dryer has completely failed, so that now all that remains is to throw it away and buy a new one, perhaps of better quality. But it is also quite possible that the malfunctions are reversible, and that it will only be enough to correctly understand the cause of the malfunctions and take simple corrective actions - and the hair dryer will work as before.

HAIRDRYER REPAIR

Recently, a hair dryer was brought to me for repair, not one of the most old-fashioned, but times are different now, who repairs a hair dryer for $10, and sometimes it’s easier to buy a new one, taking into account that the entire market is literally filled with cheap Chinese hair dryers. So, let’s take this opportunity to look at the design and operation of hair dryers.

Operation of a household hair dryer

The hairdryer operates on 220 V, 50 Hz. Any hair dryer has two main parts - a heating element and an electric motor.

A nichrome spiral is usually used as a heating element; it provides warm air. Hair dryers mainly use DC electric motors with a power of up to 50 watts, there are exceptions.

Passing through the spiral, the current loses its initial strength, since the spiral has a certain resistance; it is this current that is rectified by the diode bridge and supplied to the electric motor.

Electric motors in hair dryers are designed for voltages of 12, 24 and 36 Volts; only very rare models use electric motors with a power supply of 220 Volts, in which case the voltage from the network is directly supplied to the electric motor. A propeller (propeller) is attached to the engine rotor, which removes heat from the spiral; it is thanks to this that a fairly strong directed flow of warm air is obtained at the output. The power of the hair dryer depends on the thickness of the coil used and the power of the installed electric motor.

The hair dryer that was brought was disassembled, it turned out that the problem was a broken track on the circuit board with the switches. After filling it with solder, the device worked fine.

But most often, the main reasons for malfunction are a broken spiral, a non-working motor, switch contacts melted from heat, a broken power cord or plug.

What does the hairdryer consist of:

Elements in the diagram: 1 — diffuser nozzle, 2 — body, 3 — air duct, 4 — handle, 5 — cord anti-twist guard, 6 — “Cold air” mode button, 7 — air flow temperature switch, 8 — flow speed switch air, 9 — “Turbo” mode button — maximum air flow, 10 — loop for hanging the hair dryer.

How exactly does a hair dryer not work - and what does this mean?

When a person says that the hair dryer is broken, this usually means one of the following incidents:

The hair dryer simply does not turn on and does not react in any way to your actions.
The hair dryer propeller spins very poorly or does not spin at all, there is not enough air pressure.
The hair dryer sparks, when you turn it on, you smell a burning smell, you want to quickly turn it off - yes, that’s right, be sure to turn off the hair dryer when something like this starts.

Naturally, all these problems have different causes. Now we will figure out how to diagnose and possibly fix them.

We disassemble the case

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 the 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 the fastening elements - there are eight of them in total: 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:

Hairdryer won't turn on? Check the outlet and cord

Yes, yes - for many this assumption will only cause a sarcastic grin, because, of course, they have already checked. But human logic really is such that we can often sin for the wrong reasons. If your hair dryer is not working, first test it in other outlets and check other appliances in those outlets. It is quite possible that it was not the hair dryer that broke.

Are the sockets working? Checking the cord.

Ideally, if possible, it is better to use a multimeter or an indicator screwdriver to check the integrity of the cord and the passage of electricity through it.

Although damage to the cord can also appear externally - as abrasions, tears or cuts in the cord. Pay special attention to the beginning and end of the cord - the area near the plug and the area near the entrance to the housing. Most of the problems with cords occur in these places.

If the cord is intact, well, let’s move on and disassemble the hair dryer. By the way, when you have disassembled it, first pay attention to the internal path of the power cord - a violation of the integrity of the wire may already be inside the hair dryer.

If you can find a problem with the cord, great, it can be fairly easy to fix if you have basic wiring skills. If not, don’t risk it, give it to someone who knows how.

Design and principle of operation of the hair dryer

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:

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

Interesting!

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

Healthy!

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.

Or maybe the hair dryer isn't working because the motor is burned out?

This problem is a problem for all problems. The fact that this is the problem, by the way, is indicated by the smell of burning or sparks from a hair dryer. However, these symptoms may not exist, but if everything else is in order, well, it’s quite likely.

The difficulty here is that you most likely will not be able to repair the engine at home. Well, unless you are Lefty, capable of shoeing a mechanical flea. The hairdryer will have to be taken to a service center, where the motor will most likely simply be replaced. If at all there is a service that works with hair dryers of your brand.

That is why we at Mustang Professional repeat that the service life of a hair dryer largely depends on the service life of the motor. And when you choose a hair dryer that should serve you honestly and for a long time, you should pay attention to what kind of motor is installed in it.

We install motors in our hair dryers from the American brand Johnson Motors, known for their amazingly long service life. That's why we're confident in our hair dryers - and that's why our customers are confident in them.

If the quality of your current hair dryer does not suit you, take a look at our catalog. It is likely that you will find a replacement for it that will delight you for many years.

DIY hair dryer repair.

It happens that at some point, when you turn on the hair dryer, it “does not heat well” or
“blows, but does not heat ,” as if the flow of hot air, which is simply necessary for quickly drying hair, has disappeared somewhere.
To be honest, when I discovered this repair method, at that time there was no information about it on the Internet. So I decided to share a useful trick here. Today we’ll look at two hair dryers at once. I took as an example the ROWENTA Infini PRO 2000W and PHILIPS SalonDry Travel 2000W

, only for the reason that at that time they were the only ones with burnt-out heating coils. )) That is, these representatives of small household appliances came to me in the order of priority.

So, let's get started, but first, you should understand their structure and features.

First hair dryer - ROWENTA Infini PRO 2000W

Malfunction - no heating, blows cold.

Let's disassemble the device. Remove the protective mesh from the back, then remove the flap

(aka slider switch) automatic mode.

It has such a function that when the photocell window is open, the hair dryer is turned off, no matter how the fan and heater switches are located. And when we take it, in this mode, by the handle, thereby closing the photocell, it begins to fully function. I think the meaning of this gimmick is clear.

Possible problems and their solutions

The device does not turn on.
This usually occurs due to damage to the power cord. Carefully inspect the wire for kinks, and also pay attention to the places where the wire is attached to the plug and to the housing - this is where the cord frays most often. If this happens, then the only way out is to completely replace the power cord or disassemble the plug itself if the cable is frayed near it. Another possible reason is a faulty outlet or lack of electricity. Try connecting another appliance to the outlet to see if it works. If everything is fine with it, you need to look for the problem in the hair dryer itself.
When turned on, a burning smell appears.
Most often, this problem occurs when the motor becomes clogged with hair, dust or other foreign elements. The mesh fan grille is designed to protect the motor from hair, but it does not always cope with this task. As a result, they clog the engine and begin to burn, which causes an unpleasant odor. To get rid of this problem, you need to pull out the hair stuck inside the housing. It is convenient to do this using a sharp thin object - for example, a knitting needle, a thin screwdriver or long tweezers. If after cleaning the burning smell does not disappear, be sure to contact a workshop - the problem may be in the engine or heating system.
The device turns off during operation.
Most often this happens due to exceeding the permissible temperature. A hair dryer can overheat for the same reason - hair or dust clogs the motor and prevents cold air from passing through the heating element, which causes it to stop cooling and the device to overheat. Most hair dryers have special fuses that automatically turn off the device as soon as it gets too hot. This happens to prevent the motor from burning out due to overheating. The way out of this situation is similar - you need to remove the grill or disassemble the device, clean it of foreign objects and dirt and let it cool completely.
Read also: Floor electronic scales: main breakdowns and ways to fix them

Any mode does not work or one of the switches does not respond to pressing.
This situation may arise due to a breakdown of the switches themselves - for example, if their contacts are damaged or come loose. This can be checked while disassembling the hair dryer. In most cases, loose contacts can be easily soldered back, and broken ones can be replaced with new ones.
The hairdryer only blows cold air.
This can happen due to a broken heating element, a broken or damaged coil, or a problem with the microcircuit. You can try to heal a torn or damaged spiral yourself, but the result will not last long. In this case, experts advise not to try to fix the part yourself, but simply replace it entirely or contact a service workshop, where the device will be repaired by professionals.
Sparks appear inside the hair dryer and a cracking sound is heard.
This usually happens due to damage to the engine. In addition to external signs, during disassembly, a motor breakdown will be visually noticeable by the appearance of the contacts and a change in the color of the parts, on which carbon deposits may even appear. It is also better to solve problems with the engine in a repair shop - of course, if you yourself are not an electrical specialist.

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