Replace cord the cord has a break in the cover so it shorts out. I need to change the cord

To replace the cord on an iron, you will need to:

1. Unplug the iron: Make sure the iron is unplugged and cooled down before attempting to replace the cord.
2. Remove the cord from the iron: Depending on the model of your iron, you may need to remove a cover or panel to access the cord. Look for any screws or clips that hold the cover in place and remove them using a screwdriver. Once the cover is removed, you should be able to see the cord and the connections to the iron.
3. Disconnect the cord: Use a pair of pliers or a wire stripper to carefully remove the wire connectors from the cord. Be sure to hold onto the wire connectors so you do not lose them.
4. Attach the new cord: Follow the steps above in reverse to attach the new cord to the iron. Strip the ends of the wires on the new cord and attach them to the wire connectors. Be sure to connect the wires according to the correct polarity (i.e., positive to positive, negative to negative).
5. Replace the cover: Once the new cord is attached, replace the cover and secure it with the screws or clips you removed earlier.
6. Test the iron: Plug in the iron and test it to make sure it is functioning properly.

If you are not comfortable or experienced in electrical repairs, it is recommended to have a professional perform the cord replacement. Tampering with the electrical components of an appliance can be dangerous and can cause damage to the appliance or injury to the user.

0) Unplug the iron.

1) Remove the (2 or more) screws holding the plastic bottom plate (that the iron stands up on).
The screws are likely to be #20 Torx "Security" screws -- for which you will need a special bit for your nut/screwdriver. A kit of various sizes of Torx security bits will cost you about $10.

2) Remove the plastic cord-holder assembly from the iron.
2a) If the cord-holder is held in place with screws (you are in luck!), simply unscrew them. If you see no screws, then it is being held in place by several (probably 4) plastic tabs that you must simultaneously release. This makes the job much more fiddly. Use a small/medium blade screwdriver to carefully bend and hold each of the plastic tabs out of the way of the latches. You'll need one screwdriver per tab/latch! Take care not to break the tabs...
2b) Carefully wiggle/pull/work the cord-holder assembly out of the iron taking care not to bend the pins of the integral plug (inside the iron) that are seated in the cord-holder socket. Basically, with the iron resting on its metal surface, pull/pry/wiggle the cord-holder straight upward until the cord-holder (socket) pulls free of the (3 or more) stiff wires that function as a "plug".

3) Note that there are 2 crimp-on connectors attaching the 2 wires of the cord to the rest of the wires in the iron. Take a photo of the wires and jot down notes of which wires are connected together. NOTE: One of the cord wires is "neutral" and is attached to the wider spade at the plug end of the cord. Typically the "neutral" wire is marked with a white stripe or ridge down length of the cord. Don't mix up the "neutral" wire and the "hot" wire when you re-connect them in a later step!

4) Cut off the crimp-on connectors and separate all the wires.

5) Remove the cord from the system of zig-zagging "strain-relief" notches that hold the cord securely in place. You may have to remove a small plastic clip first.

6) Cut off 6 inches of the cord. (Or supply a new cord, if the cord has been shortened too much in previous repairs.) This eliminates the broken section wire within the cord. You may use an ohm meter to verify that both wires have a low resistance again (less than 1 ohm).

7) Route the cord back into the "strain-relief" notches in the cord-holder. Don't forget the plastic clip (if there was one)...

8) Strip all wires, exposing about 3/8" of copper on each.

9) Referring to your notes and photo, re-connect all wires using proper-sized plastic wire-nuts for secure connections.

10) Re-attach the cord-holder to the iron body. Make sure you line up the stiff wire pins with the cord-holder socket. Push the cord-holder into place and secure it (via screws or snap-in-place plastic tabs).

11) Replace the plastic cover, taking care to position the wire-nuts and wires to allow it to drop into place without forcing it. Secure the cover with screws.

12) Plug in the iron and test it out!

Hi,

If you've had this iron for a while it sounds like the cord may be frayed.
switch it off at the wall and unplug it, check the cord for wear, if the insulation is frayed, torn or broken and there are black burn marks on the cord where you saw sparks then the cord needs to be replaced.
DONT plug the iron back in until the cord is replaced.

Otherwise If there are no breaks or black burn marks on the cord, then your power point may be faulty and needs to be replaced!

I hope this was helpful
MobileJB

Likely the wire inside the cord is broken from lots of use. You can usually tell where by turning the iron on while plugged in and bending the cord. You will hear a spark when you bend the spot with the break. It isn't very difficult to replace the cord with a new one.

If the cord and plug are ok (the wires in the cord often break just at the cord protector at the iron) the most likely other problems will be the thermal fuse(s) or the element. Thermal fuses can be replaced but if the element is gone that is unfortunately that. Take the back cover off and check for continuity from the plug to the inside connections using a test light or multimeter (the iron is of course unplugged).

Depending on the models, most irons only have the light on when its heating up and when the thermostart switches off it cut off power and hence the light goes off.

OK... quick disclaimer. Me = not responsible if you break your iron, set something on fire or electrocute yourself. If you're not sure what you're doing, find a qualified person to help or trash the iron. Getting hurt isn't worh a $40 iron.

That said, mine had the same issue... in my case, was a break in the cord.

Before you do anything that follows, don't forget to drain the iron. You'll have a big mess if you don't. :)

Accessing the cord connections requires a security screwdriver. You can buy one at a hardware or electronics repair store. OR if you're chep like me, make one yourself by using a Dremel with a cutoff wheel to cut a notch in a thinner blade, flat blade screwdriver. Any cheap flatblade screwdriver will do (eye protection recommended since you'll be grinding metal).

Unscrew the two screws in the back. Once removed, the colored plastic cover can be removed by inserting a screwdriver near the tabs that hold the cover in place and prying a bit.

Removing the inner cover is a little trickier.

The handle under the power indicator light (the red one) has an upper and lower section. Squeeze the lower portion of the handle directly beneath the light pretty firmly. You'll notice a slight separation between the back section and the handle. The back section is what you'll remove. I removed mine by squeezing the handle and pulling the power cord straight backward (I know that sounds odd, but it was the easiest way to get some leverage, plus it's already broken, remember???) Don't pull super hard, but firmly enough to separate the back panel from the back of the iron.

Once the back cover is removed, it's a pretty simple cord change. As there are a few more wires than some people are accustomed to, I recommend writing down the wire combos so you can reattach everything as it was.

If you have difficulty removing the crimped wire nuts (the plastic covers), you can use a pair of pliers to squeeze opposite the crimp and they'll open up enough to allow the wires to slide out.

From there, reassemble... opposite of the disassembly order.

Mine worked perfectly after this quick fix. Hope yours does too. Good luck and be safe!

Like most consumer whitegoods nowadays, the cover is 'protected' by 'tamper-proof' or security bits screws that take may forms: you can get the a set of screw driver security bits at most hardware or electronic shops.
The power cord to your iron has one or more electrical lead that has just about broken off due to fatigue failure: it is a dangerous situation because of potential arcing so I would get it fixed it as soon as possible by a 'qualified' person: that said, there are only three wires to your iron and once you get the back cover off, you can easily find out where ths break is by just pulling hard on each wires. The break would normally be fairly close so you have the option of shortening the lead (which must otherwise also be in good condition ) to where the longest break is and rewiring the leads back in exactly the same screw terminals on the iron.
Please remeber that you are dealing with a potentially dangerous main voltage appliance and extreme care is required.

Hope it helps.

Hi,
There is a break in the insulation somewhere and tge wires are getting crossed or the active wire insulation is broken and it is shorting to the eaarth ground.

Here is a tip that will help you to troubleshoot your iron and figure out what is wrong with it.

Electric Iron not Heating Up or not Working Right
http://www.fixya.com/support/r5300202-electric_iron_not_heating_up_or_not

heatman101

The back comes straight off. All you need to do is take a small screwdriver and pry against the bottom metal piece, then it should start to come off. Make sure you take it off carefully so as not to break anything. Pry evenly all around the plastic end cap until it comes off.

After that, you can replace the cord. It's connected via two crimp caps. Easy to replace. Just make SURE you purchase a cord rated for an iron.. DO NOT clip the plug end from an extension cord or similar and use it. The iron uses 16 gauge HEATER CORD. Easy to find, but you could melt your power cord and possibly cause a fire if you don't replace it with the correct type.