GHD Hair Straighteners Thermal Fuse Repair
Problems with the thermal fuses have been know to be quite common particularly in the 3.1 b models. The fault seems to manifest much less in the newer MK4 models which actually utilize a higher rated fuse. When researching thermal fuse problems in ghds it is of course important to understand that the thermal fuse is in no way related to the 3 amp fuse which is of course found in the mains plug.
If you think the thermal fuse may have broken in your ghds, you will notice that the irons are completely inactive. There will be no light and no heat will be generated in the ceramic plates. The reason the fuse may fail is simply due to extended use and the heat it experiences. As it regularly reaches heat up to around 200C and cools the internal elements of the fuse can begin to shrink. After a certain amount of usage this effect causes the fust to literally fail and cause the above effects.
One other thing to bare in mind is that in addition to faults with the fuse itself it can be tripped as a result off issues with the printed circuit board. It’s always worth checking the correct operation of the irons after the replacement. Here at FixMyGHDs we PAT test all units after a repair of this nature to ensure they meet all health and safety standards.
Prior to any thermal fuse replacement it is important to test the existing fuse to ensure that is where the problem lies. To locate the fuse, find the 2 brown wires which come out of the ceramic plate found on the switch arm of the irons. When applying a multi-meter across the fuses terminals you should register something between 0 to 1ohms, effectively the same as you would see if the meters probes where touched together. If the ghds fault seems to be intermittent it is usually worth moving the wires around a little whilst testing to try and recreate the fault.
Actually performing the repair is a task which should only be undertaken by properly trained individuals with the correct equipment. We have included so information here to give you an idea if what the repair entails. Remember this repair is fully covered by our ghd repair service and fully guaranteed, including the price of any of the parts outlined here.
The fuse which is utilized in ghds can be bought from the likes of Maplin and other electrical component retailers. There are in fact 2 parts which are compatible those being sf214k and the sf226e. We ten to utilize the sf226e as it has be shown to have a longer working life. There are actually 2 ways to approach performing the repair. It is possible to remove the old fuse from it’s ceramic casing and replace with the new one. We find this method is extremely long winded and you prone to errors. In addition it is necessary to ensure the compound you use is suitably thermally conductive to allow the fuse to function correctly.
A more acceptable way of carrying out the repair is to firstly remove the wires from the old fuse and recrimp them to the new one. You can then wrap the assembly using either kapton tape or kempton tape to isolate them electronically from the heater plates.
A few handy tips about thermal fuse replacement are as follows:
- Simply bypassing the fuse is not a great idea. Although they may work there is no safety precautions.
- To remove the plastic cover from the heater plate, try and slide it off the end of the heater as flexing it could break the clips.
- This repair must be treat with the right care. Mains voltages run through this part, and even as standard from the factory Kapton tape is used just to make sure the fuse cannot touch the metal clips.