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The main complaint with irons nowadays is that they don’t last. Steam irons have become disposable items in the household with many people having to buy replacements every year or even within a few months. Spits and leaks are the main causes of frustration although complaints of the iron simply refusing to heat up is also common. Even for the best steam irons, you are bound to hear of users complaining of water spitting, leaking and dripping from their unit.
Thus, price and brand name are no guarantee to a leak-free iron. The only difference is the frequency of the complaints. Some models have better ratings with fewer issues with leaks like the Black & Decker D2030 while others will see every other reviewer raising the same old problem with their iron.
But whatever it is, there are certain things you can do to try to minimize the risk of leaks in your iron. They are not fool-proof but at least, they may make your appliance last just a little bit longer before replacement is needed.
Why Does My Iron Spit Water?
Insufficient Heat
One of the reasons for spits is that the iron is not hot enough to steam. For many models, the only heating element is the soleplate. Once the water flows from the chamber to the soleplate, it transforms into steam to help with your ironing. So, when the soleplate has not reached the temperature needed to steam, the water that flows through will end up leaking or spitting onto your garment.
Irons like the Reliable Sensor Velocity V200 tries to overcome this problem by having a two-heating element in their unit – one internally before the water reaches the soleplate and the other being the soleplate itself. The bottomline is that the heat must be sufficient for the iron to steam perfectly. Therefore, wait for the iron until it is ready to steam before you turn on the steam function. Also, for most irons, the steam function works properly only when they are on the higher temperature settings. Check the temperature dial to see the heat or fabric setting needed for using the steam feature. If you are ironing on cooler settings, turn off the steam completely. This could help to reduce leaks.
The other thing you can try to avoid is to press the steam blast button continuously. Most irons will require an interval of a few seconds between one blast and another. Therefore, intensively pressing the steam blast could see spits occurring.
Using The Wrong Type Of Water
You have to pay close attention to the type of water that your iron can take in. Read the instruction manual to know exactly what water to feed your iron with rather than make assumptions based on past experience. For instance, many people assume that they should fill their iron with distilled water. But for many, if not all, Rowenta irons, distilled water is not to be used. Instead, tap water is recommended. If the water in the place where you live is extremely hard, then mixing distilled water with the tap water is the solution.
Different companies use different design and technology in their appliances. Therefore, not all irons will use the same type of water to steam. Distilled water is not to be used for some irons because it does not steam as well as normal tap water. It may also destroy the internal parts of the appliance, causing it to leak.
The Iron Needs To Be Cleaned
Sometimes, a steam iron does not only spit water but also leaks white stuff onto your clothes. This is usually a result of calcium built-up. White particles can be seen and they may also clog up the steam vents resulting in little to no steam appearing. Alternatively, if you notice brown stuff instead of white, this is usually iron mineral and organic matter.
Both situations will require you to clean the iron. Most models now will have a self-clean function such as the Hamilton Beach Durathon Digital Iron whereby you simply need to fill it with water, heat it up for a few minutes and press the self-clean button to flush out the minerals and deposits. If there is an anti-scale valve, you will need to remove and soak it in vinegar. Once a month is the typical recommendation for how often to clean your iron.
Over-Filling
There is a maximum line when it comes to filling the tank. If you exceed the limit, there is a tendency for the iron to leak. This time, it may not leak just from the soleplate but may also leak from the top when the iron is held horizontally.
Some irons have very dark casings that it is indeed hard to gauge the water level inside the tank. To avoid over-filling, a see-through water tank like the Panasonic 360 Freestyle Iron would be the most practical.
Water Is Left In The Tank After Use
If you read the instruction booklet, most irons will require you to empty the tank after each use. It is just good practice to prevent water from leaking out during storage. If water is left in the tank with the steam function in the ‘On’ position, it might flow out of the soleplate once the iron has cooled down and is left in a horizontal position during storage.
In conclusion, pore through the manual before you start using your steam iron. While following the instructions to the letter may not guarantee anything, at least it will not void the warranty if your iron turns out to be faulty. Since leakages is such a common problem with steam irons, it is also advisable to check the store’s return policy prior to buying. You would want a hassle-free return should your unit turns out to be less than satisfactory.
My industrial steam iron steams, doesnt make warm, and leaking much water, what can be wrong.
I purchase a iron from London Drugs, back in Nov,Dec? Yesterday it start pouring water out of the cord area? I only use bottle water!? And I do not have receipt, I expected a longer use out of this iron!?
I have lots of problems with this Rowena Iron leaking out over my hand…I bought the best one hopping to avoid leaking but this is worse than the other one I had and it is only 4 or 5 months old. I would never recommend this iron and hopefully soon get a different kind.
I love my Rowenta iron, but when I iron, it leaks all over my clothes, anyone have any idea what I could do to fix?
I have the same problem with my Rowena Focus. This is my third Rowena because Rowentas get the best rating from Consumer Reports, but I’m done with this brand, I think. I also own a Rowenta Steamium. It did the exact same thing.
I also have the same problem and would like to hear from others as to how you fixed this issue. I’ve cleaned it out with vinegar and it still spits out water on my clothes. Please feel free to contact me at edythann@hotmail.com
Inside a Shark steam iron, Model G1468NN, there are two ports that are made of rubber. The top ports are from the water storage resevoir. The bottom ports match the top ports. The top ports are male. The bottom ports are femae. (plumbing terms). These should be leak proof. If the iron is dropped, these ports should be leak proof, but are they? This may or may not be pertinent to this article, but then again it might. Most plumbing connections require either pipe dope or teflon tape on the pipe threads. It appears the rubber connections may be affected by heat and cold, including contraction an expansion, thus leaking. Perhaps better design is needed in steam iron manufacture. It is only common sense to get a iron hot enough to produce steam before using to minimize leakage. But garments require different temperatures, and the steam valve should not let any water into the heated iron plate when in the off position, so to prevent leakage.
My iron constantly beeps and when I press the button to choose a setting cotton or linen it does not move.
I had a frustrating issue with my Rowe at steam generator spitting water all over my fabric. I have resolved the problem by running steam through the iron until the tank and tubing were completely empty, then hitting the reset/refill button. I had gotten into the ha it of filling the tank before it was empty and I believe the generator was just pulling g up too much water and the sole plate became overwhelmed. I hope this helps.
water is coming out of my iron when it’s sitting up in up right position. It. Is where the cord is attached into the iron. Is there anything I can do to correct the leak?
My Rowenta is leaking a lot…. so upset because it’s not a cheap very desapointed.
I have a Philips steam iron which I empty the calcium before I use it. Regardless of this the sole plate continually leaks. This is after I have been ironing for about an hour. I have had it for two years.
My Phillips iron keeps spitting water out on the clothes. Can you help me to fix the problem and where can I get a manual for my Phillips iron.
Same problem. Leaking iron after owning for a short time!!! Rowenta iron
“Distilled water is not to be used for some irons because it does not steam as well as normal tap water. It may also destroy the internal parts of the appliance, causing it to leak.”
WHAT? Where did you get your “education”?
This is absolutely untrue.
The extract below is taken from the Rowenta DW9280 manual. The best thing to do is still to go back to the manual and check the type of water recommended to be used with your steam iron model.
“IMPORTANT Heat concentrates the elements contained in water during evaporation. The types of water listed below contain organic waste or mineral elements that can
cause spitting, brown staining or premature wear of the appliance: water from tumble dryers, scented or softened water, water from refrigerators, batteries or air conditioners, pure distilled or demineralised water or rain water should not be used in your iron. Also do not use boiling or bottled mineral water.”
We thought our iron was leaking and we ended up buying a couple more irons before we discovered the real problem. It turned out water from the spray was accumulating in the cotton ironing board pad and eventually appearing as wet spots. We solved the problem by buying a waterproof ironing board pad.
I remember when I bought my first steam iron way back in the early eighties had it for years and it never leaked or left marks on my clothes. Unfortunately it seems that these days irons are made to throw away and they all seem the same regardless pf price. They all leak these days. Just not made like they used to be. Hardly ever iron these days and prefer to dry iron.
My Phillips iron is spitting out water and leaving dirty spots on the clothes. When I stand it up it dribbles down. Can you help.