Fixing an Iron. How hard can it be?

Fixing an Iron. How hard can it be?

Author
Discussion

DUMBO100

Original Poster:

1,878 posts

183 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Got a text from the cleaner today to say I wouldn't have any fresh shirts this week because she'd broken the iron. It was quite a good iron but it just out of it's warranty period. So I thought I'd try and fix it,

It's a Swan 2400w and is one of the continuous steam models with water tank in the base unit. It seems to still have power but not getting hot or creating steam. I also noticed slightly discoloured water dripping from the steam vents I've checked the purifier that is part of the tank.

Has anyone got any ideas what could be wrong with it?

toasty

7,441 posts

219 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
I have a similar issue with a Tefal steam generator and am just about to send it off to http://shop.ironsrus.co.uk/

I hope the repairs are better than their website. frown

Tresco

516 posts

156 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Our Morphy Richards iron stopped steaming recently, stripped it down, (they come apart easily), and found it was full of limescale, spent a few hours soaking the various bits in Viakal and it was fine.

Yours sounds more like a wire issue if it's not getting hot either though, strip it down, what have you got to lose..

t400ble

1,804 posts

120 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Worse 'I have a cleaner' thread ever.

Simpo Two

85,150 posts

264 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Poor people need jobs too you know!

Jon1967x

7,177 posts

123 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Unfortunately my wife picked our cleaner frown

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

215 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Here's something that you may wish to consider.

2 and a half years ago, after yet another iron going dead within a short space of time, I took the well-trodden path back to my local Curry's to replace the damn thing.

The trouble is, you see, down on the South Coast where I live, the water is very hard and full of limescale. It kills everything in my house that uses water, on a depressingly regular basis...

Aaanyway - once in Curry's, I pick out a mid-range iron at £35....however when I got to the counter, your man says 'do you want our extended, no-quibble replacement warranty which lasts for three years?' And then he leaned in closer to me, and whispered 'honestly mate, it's well worth doing round here, because I know what the hard water is like...' and then gave me a wink...

The cost was £12 for the warranty. I took it.

And in the 2 and a half years since, I have had four brand-new irons from them! The simple fact of the matter is that the limescale kills them to death in around 6 months.

However, this warranty really does do what it says on the tin, so to speak. I go off to Currys, produce the dead iron and my warranty, and maybe because I actually bought one of their warranties - I am always treated like royalty! It's never a problem. I put them on the counter, and the staff smile and say 'oh sorry that's broken already, don't worry, just nip over the the irons and grab another one...'

In fact last time I went they didn't have any £35 irons so matey gave me a £45 iron without even asking for more money!

For £12, I highly recommend the Currys warranty. It's been so easy for me anyway!


BigBen

11,610 posts

229 months

Wednesday 28th January 2015
quotequote all
Limescale used to kill our irons on a regular basis so I started buying deionised water which can be sourced from two places:

i) the supermarket as 1 litre of 'ironing water' for £1.99 or some other such rip off price
ii) a motorfactor / petrol station at £1 for 4 litres

The source being heavily dependent on who is shopping me or the mrs.

Ben

AW10

4,422 posts

248 months

Friday 30th January 2015
quotequote all
Surprised your irons are dying here on the sunny south coast - have gone through 2 irons by wearing out the sole plate's slippery surface and the irons were otherwise fine.

beko1987

1,636 posts

133 months

Friday 30th January 2015
quotequote all
Our £30 asda iron has yet to be killed by our hard water, it is a bit scaled up though but keeps on going, which is a shame as I want a new one, the sole plate keeps getting st on it (and yes, I do the ironing in our house, she just cant do shirts properly...)

My stepdad uses boiled water, has had the same tupperware jug for it for the past 20odd years, when its empty he boils the kettle and fills it up.

His last iron lasted 14 years, and they only replaced it as the soleplate was fked! I used tap water in it once and got a right bking...

dudleybloke

19,718 posts

185 months

Friday 30th January 2015
quotequote all
One ex filled the iron with mineral water then tried to iron her fav black dress.
Cue one new iron and one new dress.

AW10

4,422 posts

248 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
If you have a dehumidifier save the water it collects and use it in the iron.

Pints

18,444 posts

193 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
AW10 said:
If you have a dehumidifier save the water it collects and use it in the iron.
The water collected from the condenser tumble dryer seems to do the job just as well.

Our current iron (a Morphy Richards) is 12 years old and used on an almost daily basis.

dickymint

24,098 posts

257 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Pints said:
AW10 said:
If you have a dehumidifier save the water it collects and use it in the iron.
The water collected from the condenser tumble dryer seems to do the job just as well.

Our current iron (a Morphy Richards) is 12 years old and used on an almost daily basis.
Just had an iron die on me. As usual i thought i'd strip it down and repair it myself. 15 minutes later after snapping various bits of plastic it ended up in the bin!

Got straight online and bought this little baby.....

http://www.tefal.co.uk/faq/Products/Linen-Care/Ste...



The instructions expressly states NOT to use tumble dryer condensate.

PS. Freemove is a fantastic bit of kit thumbup

DoubleSix

11,691 posts

175 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
beko1987 said:
(and yes, I do the ironing in our house, she just cant do shirts properly...)
laugh

You've fallen for the oldest trick in the book there pal!!

I suspect she's not much of a cook and hopeless at cleaning too eh? wink

Pints

18,444 posts

193 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
dickymint said:
The instructions expressly states NOT to use tumble dryer condensate.
I wonder why not. It's clearly not doing my iron any harm, although mine is the more traditional steam iron.

Condi

17,089 posts

170 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Pints said:
dickymint said:
The instructions expressly states NOT to use tumble dryer condensate.
I wonder why not. It's clearly not doing my iron any harm, although mine is the more traditional steam iron.
I wonder why too. Its only water which has been evaporated and condensed, so should be fairly pure. Unless you get a lot of fabric condition or something in it as well.

Jon1967x

7,177 posts

123 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Condi said:
Pints said:
dickymint said:
The instructions expressly states NOT to use tumble dryer condensate.
I wonder why not. It's clearly not doing my iron any harm, although mine is the more traditional steam iron.
I wonder why too. Its only water which has been evaporated and condensed, so should be fairly pure. Unless you get a lot of fabric condition or something in it as well.
Pistonheads does mumsnet. smile

I find descaling irons is never very satisfactory, maybe because I leave it too late. Another piece of cake anyone?

dickymint

24,098 posts

257 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Jon1967x said:
Condi said:
Pints said:
dickymint said:
The instructions expressly states NOT to use tumble dryer condensate.
I wonder why not. It's clearly not doing my iron any harm, although mine is the more traditional steam iron.
I wonder why too. Its only water which has been evaporated and condensed, so should be fairly pure. Unless you get a lot of fabric condition or something in it as well.
Pistonheads does mumsnet. smile

I find descaling irons is never very satisfactory, maybe because I leave it too late. Another piece of cake anyone?
Tefal and most manufacturers also say not to use 'pure' water too!! if you live in a hard water area then a mix of 50%tap and 50%distilled is ok

http://www.uksteamirons.co.uk/water-for-steam-iron...

More tea Vicar? rofl

Royce44

394 posts

112 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
The element may have blown, strip it and do a resistance check on end-end :-)