UYUE 8586 Getting Hot!

[NivagSwerdna]

I bought a cheap combined soldering and hot air station about a year back, marked as "UYUE 8586"

It has served me well so far but today whilst packing up I noticed the box was VERY hot.  I would not expect the box to be hot at all since the working parts are in the hand tools connected via long leads.

I turned everything off, unplugged and removed the back cover.

It seems the transformer was still very hot... at least 70C

Do I have trouble?  Or is this a feature!

Thanks in advance

[amyk]

No it's not supposed to get hot... check for shorts (and see if the iron was also glowing red hot! The hot air gun element runs on mains so it won't be that causing the transformer to heat up.) You may also want to check that your mains supply doesn't have a DC component to it, that will also cause transformers to heat up.

[NivagSwerdna]

Oh dear that doesn't sound hopeful then.  (things getting hot isn't normally very hopeful though!)

I was doing some SMD soldering before hand (and some hot air reflow) and I'm pretty sure I would have noticed if the soldering iron was over-temperature.

I will have to take it apart and try and reverse engineer it.  There seemed to be lots of wires coming off the transformer i.e. it might have multiple secondaries... I will have to look closer.

 

[amyk]

The unit being hot after use is rather less concerning than it being hot even when not in use, which is what I thought you were saying from your initial post... Check how much current the iron draws when heating up and idle (should be near 0), it might just be an underrated transformer that isn't designed for continuous duty cycle, or perhaps your mains has some DC offset.

[NivagSwerdna]

The unit being hot after use is rather less concerning than it being hot even when not in use, which is what I thought you were saying from your initial post... Check how much current the iron draws when heating up and idle (should be near 0), it might just be an underrated transformer that isn't designed for continuous duty cycle, or perhaps your mains has some DC offset.

That's a fair point.  I will see how rapidly it heats up during my next soldering session.   
I would seriously hope that my mains doesn't have a significant DC offset, if it did I would expect quite a few things around the house to be getting hot... that's something that I could measure though.

[NivagSwerdna]

I used the solder station again tonight... it was unplugged to start with so at ambient temperature.  After approx 20mins soldering I felt the case and it was still cool or at most warm. (I had no need for hot air today)

I'm wondering if it should not be left plugged in when not in use (and the previous heating was a result of a long time plugged in but not operating).

I unplugged it when done!

[AjA]

I used the solder station again tonight... it was unplugged to start with so at ambient temperature.  After approx 20mins soldering I felt the case and it was still cool or at most warm. (I had no need for hot air today)

I'm wondering if it should not be left plugged in when not in use (and the previous heating was a result of a long time plugged in but not operating).

I unplugged it when done!

Does this soldering station showing correct temperature? coz i hear cheap Chinese station have this issue, can you advise whether its worth to buy or it will wast of money,
Thanks.

[NivagSwerdna]

I still use it.  Works for me.  I have read that it overshoots when warming up so I always give it a second or two before pointing it at anything I care about.

[AjA]

I still use it.  Works for me.  I have read that it overshoots when warming up so I always give it a second or two before pointing it at anything I care about.

My question is whether this soldering station given you correct temperature while set it on some range? since this station have issue with calibration, let say we need 350-C temp & we set it but actually it given us 330-C or 320-C with hot-air & for iron it may be difference is 50-C so did you actually test this station calibration? of-course it will works as long as it not die...

[NivagSwerdna]

I still use it.  Works for me.  I have read that it overshoots when warming up so I always give it a second or two before pointing it at anything I care about.

My question is whether this soldering station given you correct temperature while set it on some range? since this station have issue with calibration, let say we need 350-C temp & we set it but actually it given us 330-C or 320-C with hot-air & for iron it may be difference is 50-C so did you actually test this station calibration? of-course it will works as long as it not die...

In absolute terms... I have no idea, never measured it.  In relative terms.. I have it set and it works.

I am a hobbyist.  If I was a professional electronic person I would have binned it a long time ago, for me it was cheap and works... I do NOT leave it plugged in when I am not using it though!

[AjA]

Thanks for reply NivagSwerdna, i already bought this cheap station and now worried whether this station will work or it will fry my board components, since I am also hobbyist but not professional electronic person, but don't want to fry components due to miscalculation & wrong calibration, i am planing to rework QFN IC on my laptop motherboard, since highest Temperature as per data sheet of IC is 260-C so i am worried whether it will fried chip/board,
Thanks. 

[NivagSwerdna]

Thanks for reply NivagSwerdna, i already bought this cheap station and now worried whether this station will work or it will fry my board components, since I am also hobbyist but not professional electronic person, but don't want to fry components due to miscalculation & wrong calibration, i am planing to rework QFN IC on my laptop motherboard, since highest Temperature as per data sheet of IC is 260-C so i am worried whether it will fried chip/board,
Thanks.

The tool is up to the job. I am sure there are more experienced people here who can comment on laptop rework but my advice would be.. make sure you pre-heat. I would practice on a scrap board first!

[AjA]

Thanks NivagSwerdna, appreciated your suggestions & help, waiting for some one more experienced people comment here.

[NivagSwerdna]

Thanks NivagSwerdna, appreciated your suggestions & help, waiting for some one more experienced people comment here.

Probably worth asking a question in a new thread since it won't be tool specific.