Any Electricians?

[Oakey]

My soldering iron doesn't work.

I've stripped it down and it only consists of three wires (Live, Earth & Neutral), a resistor and two small filament wires running up inside the ceramic. I've tested it with a multimeter and it's getting power yet it's not heating up. Why?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Fuse?

Break in element?

[Oakey]

Checked the fuse. The element appears fine right up to where it goes inside the ceramic part and the ceramic doesn't appear to be broken

[driverrob]

Oakey said:

it's getting power

Does that mean you've only checked there's mains voltage inside the iron? That would only prove the fuse and mains flex were OK. If you can't measure mains current (a dodgy operation unless you know what you're doing) use the resistance setting on the multimeter to check live & neutral to the iron. Something in the region of 500 ohms would be reasonable.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Frankly I'd chuck it out and get down Maplin I think!

[callyman]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Frankly I'd chuck it out and get down Maplin I think!

What NCOT said, they are cheap enough to be disposable.

[John MacK]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Frankly I'd chuck it out and get down Maplin I think!

Yea, and get a gas one, save the planet by not using electricity.

[callyman]

John MacK said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

Frankly I'd chuck it out and get down Maplin I think!

Yea, and get a gas one, save the planet by not using electricity.

Will gas last forever then?

[annodomini2]

Bench or car work? i.e. fine detail or heavy duty?