GHD 3.1b Heater Plate / Heater Element / Mounting Part Replacement How-to
1) Remove the caps covering the hinge pin screws
Carefully use a screw driver to pop the caps off. They are held in place by a clip at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock (when the ghd logo is rotated as below)
2) Undo the hinge pin
It may not look the most elegant, however I've come to the conclusion that the easiest way to remove the hinge pin is to put the GHD's between your legs, and then undo the screws with a screw driver in each hand. Make sure you use the correct size screw driver, as this screw is often very tight. It undoes anti-clockwise (as a normal screw thread). If you twist hard enough, you'll hear a crack, and then it'll come undone easily.
3) Push the hinge pin out
The screw will come off on one side, and then use a screw driver to push the pin out.
4) Seperate the two arms
Just take care with the wires that go around the hinge.
These instructions now vary depending on which side you are repairing....
5) Remove the cover from the arm
Just undo the two small screws and then the cover can be removed.
Switch Side
Non Switch Side
6) Remove the heater plate sub assembly
Switch Side
Remove the 4 screws holding the wires onto the PCB
Non Switch Side
Remove the 2 screws holding the wires onto the PCB
The heater plate sub assembly will now come out:
Switch Side
Non Switch Side
7) Dismantle the heater plate sub assembly
The only way to do this is to slide the plastic part off the ceramic plate. Take care not to push the plastic part in the wrong direction, as it will break! If you are wondering what the white paste that is between the heater and the plate, see this page.
Switch Side
As you slide, the thermal fuse and metal clip will move as well. The white heater element (note: take care with this compenent as it's quite brittle) sometimes moves a little bit as well so take a note of how far the wires protruded before you start fiddling.
Non Switch Side
The non switch side is pretty easy to get apart - just slide the plastic part off away from the end the wires come out
8) Swap the broken parts and put it back together
If you need to buy replacement heater elements or mounting parts, then have a look on our spares shop.
Putting it back together is the reverse of taking it apart (!!). Just put all the components in the right place, and then slide it all back together.
If the white heater plate needs repositioning, then you can carefully do this using a flat bladed screw driver, pushing against the appropriate end of the heater to move it.
Switch Side
Non Switch Side
9) Replace the heater plate sub assembly and put the GHD's back together
Now just drop the sub assembly back into the GHD's and put it all back togther. Here are some general hints for how it goes back togther:
- When you screw the heater and thermal fuse terminals back onto the PCB, make sure the thermal fuse (brown) wires are on the outside and the heater (white) wires are in the middle.
- Make sure the wires from the heater sub assembly go through the dips in the protective rubber bit on the housing.
- Don't forget the two bits of plastic that go on top of the power switch. There is a white bit, and the black switch bit.
- Take care not to catch the wires that go between arms of the GHD's. They should go the "long way round" the spring.
- Use a screw driver to line up all the components of the hinge. Once they are visually all lined up, then insert the hinge pin.
- If the hinge pin won't go in fully, then check the washer - it always gets caught in the wrong place!!
- If things aren't quite lined up when you put the hinge pin in, then use a cross head screw driver to wobble the hinge pin slightly from the female thread side (whilst pushing on the screw head).
After replacing a heater element on a pair of Mk3 GHDs you may need to recalibrate the temperature the irons operate at. This should be done with EXTREME care. For more details see the VR1 page.
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