| We are all very familiar with the daily | | | | cold air should you so wish. |
| routine; we wash our hair and then | | | | |
| automatically pick up the hairdryer, flip the | | | | Many of the hairdryers today will allow the |
| switch and there is the hot air to dry | | | | user to regulate the heat and control how hot |
| quickly and let us get on with the day. | | | | the air is that comes out of the dryer. The |
| There are good reasons for people to dry | | | | hotter the heating element the hotter the air |
| their hair with a hairdryer, going out with | | | | will be that is pushed through to dry the |
| wet hair especially in the winter can be bad | | | | hair. The heat is regulated normally by a |
| for our health, and lead to catching colds | | | | heating coil, when the dryer is connected to |
| and chills. Most people though will probably | | | | the mains the coiled wires will warm up and |
| not have considered how a hairdryer works and | | | | become hot. The coil (nichrome wire) is made |
| how the design allows the user to blow out | | | | up of a number of two different alloy metals |
| hot air without us burning our hair or head. | | | | these are, nickel and chromium, you can find |
| | | | these in any number of household items |
| The fundamentals of a hairdryer are very | | | | including toasters and kettles. These two |
| simple, there are two main parts which are | | | | elements make excellent heat conductors, and |
| essential to the workings and these are heat | | | | nichrome wire is a poor conductor of |
| and air. So how do hairdryers work, quite | | | | electricity and therefore the alloy is very |
| simply the two elements are pushed together | | | | heat resistant which allows it to get very |
| and the hot air is pushed through the funnel | | | | hot. Another important element is the |
| and out in one direction from the device. | | | | nichrome wire does not rust or oxidize; this |
| The heat is generated from an element inside | | | | is critical and allows the hairdryer to |
| the hairdryer; this will heat up very | | | | function properly and for a longer time |
| quickly, but this is no use if all the hot | | | | period. When the air is pushed through the |
| air is contained within the unit, firstly it | | | | main body of the hairdryer it is cold before |
| will get very hot too touch and secondly the | | | | it reaches the element, depending on how long |
| hairdryer will not perform the task that it | | | | the air takes to pass through the dryer will |
| is supposed too. The second part is the fan | | | | dictate how hot the air will be when it |
| to push the air out of the dryer; this is a | | | | leaves the other end. The regulation switch |
| very simple motor which rotates the fan to | | | | for the temperature will speed up the fan or |
| push out the air and then you can dry your | | | | slow it down and this then allows the |
| hair. Most hairdryers will also allow you to | | | | temperature to be set correctly. |
| turn off the heating element and blow out | | | | |