9.6 STEAM IRON:
Electrically there is no difference between steam irons and dry irons. A steam iron has a
small reservoir mounted above the heating element. A control valve on this allows the water to
drip slowly into recess in the sole plate. Check valve prevents the water and steam going back
to reservoir. When the water drips on the hot sole-plate, it is converted into steam and goes out
through the holes in the bottom of the sole-plate. The heating element is concealed with the
sole-plate. The amount of steam can be controlled by the contact knob on the iron located on
the handle. Like automatic iron, a thermostat is also provided to control the temperature. Fig.9.9
shows the diagram of construction of typical steam iron.