Hi all,I have a Weller WTCPS soldering station with a 201U power supply and 201P iron, using a 700 degree F tip. Last night I powered it up in preparation for soldering some connectors, and a few minutes later I saw that the tip and metal shaft of the iron were glowing red-hot.Any ideas as to what is causing this, and will it be cheap to fix? Are there any checks I can do to diagnose the problem? Or should I just dump the thing and buy a new one? I bought the station over 11 years ago, in practically new condition, at a yard sale for $5, so I got my money out of it, but if a reliable fix is cheaper than purchasing a new soldering setup I'd rather go that route.Thanks!-Josh, AE6IQ-- Remove the reversed "nospam" in the address.

Weller sells, through distributors, replacement parts. I suggest thatyou replace the temp-sensing tip element, as a start. Kal

While you're at it, check one more thing! If the problem turns out to be welded contacts on the thermostat switch, check that the MOV across the secondary of the transformer is still good. I had one that repeatedly welded the contacts till I replaced the MOV and has worked for 5 years now without a problem.Joshua G Senecal wrote:

The MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) is a surge supressor whose only function is to absorb the "kick" when the mechanical thermostat opens (or "bounces" when closing). The one in the Weller unit (if memory serves) clamps the voltage at about 40 volts (Transformer secondary is 24 VAC). If it isn't working properly the thermostat contacts arc and weld shut, causing runaway overheating.Frank D

Weller station gone bad--how to fix?

Dec 18, 2003 24 Replies

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Harvey Babb 22 years ago

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Frank Dinger 22 years ago

============================= Not having such a Weller soldering iron myself ,nevertheless I am interested in the MOV (firing) voltage against the normal operating voltage . Also , is it DC or AC ?

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

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G.Beat 22 years ago

interested

There are no rectifiers in the WTCP series base ... all AC. Weller does make a heater for this series that works at 12 volts (DC) for mobile work.

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Harvey Babb 22 years ago

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Frank Dinger 22 years ago

========================== Harvey , Tnx for the useful info . I was interested in the spike voltage suppression level of the MOV, which is required since the heater element is for AC . In the event of DC a reversely connected diode would have done the trick .

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

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