[Ripping Apart A Solder Rod](https://youtu.be/oGbmbyHlUJw)
In: Technology
The diode stops the soldering iron from getting too hot by only letting half of the electricity through.
Diode act as a one way valve. In a soldering irons case, you don’t want the current flowing back and melting everything instead of just heating the tip.
Are you sure it’s a diode, and not a thermal fuse or PTC thermistor?
If it’s really a diode, it would cut the power in half. It’s possible they use the same heating element in countries with lower mains voltage. For example to turn a 15w 120v iron into a 30w 240v iron. If you used the same element without a diode it would dissipate 4x the power at 2x the voltage, and likely melt if there wasn’t another component limiting current.
Latest Answers