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IronsImportant Iron Events1905 A California power plant superintendent invents the "hotpoint" flat iron with a heating element in the tip. 1912 The American Beauty iron, considered to be the first electric appliance, becomes popular. 1922 Over three million irons have been sold in the U.S. 1926 UL Lists the first flat iron. 1996 UL proposes the updated Standard for Safety for Electric Flatirons, UL 1005, for recognition as an American National Standard. Did you know?After its induction into the marketplace, the first iron sold for $6. Know by testUL Standard 1005 Iron Tests*Tests common to many products Drop test -- drops iron three feet onto an oak floor, once on each side, once on the point, once on the heel and once flat, while heated and unheated. Iron must continue to operate normally afterwards. No opening can be created that is big enough to allow a finger -- simulated by a plastic probe -- to enter the iron and touch a live part. *Endurance test -- operates the iron for 500 hours. *Flex test -- flexes the cord 50,000 times, 20 cycles per minute, to check cord integrity. *Temperature test -- determines that no surface of the iron ever gets hotter than 662 degrees F, a condition that could cause a fire. *Mold-stress test -- bakes it in an oven for seven hours at 18 degrees F higher than maximum operating temperature to check for structural integrity. *Moisture test -- conditions the iron in a humidity chamber for 24 hours at 85 percent humidity. Overfill test -- overfills steam iron and lets water drip over the unit to check for shock hazard. *Strain relief test -- pulls on the cord for one minute by suspending a 20 pound weight from it to simulate the effect of yanking on the cord. *Stability test -- angles the iron on an inclined plane at 10 degrees to see if it will tip over. *Flame resistance test -- applies direct flame for 30 seconds to determine that it will not support combustion. *Leakage test -- checks for the presence of excessive current on the outside of the appliance. *Power-input test -- determines that the iron draws no more than 105 percent of rated wattage. |
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