Your Steam Iron Is Leaking Clear, Brown Or Dirty Water
Steam irons are used to iron the creases out of laundry. These irons produce water vapour under high pressure to achieve this. With use, your iron may end up leaking water. We are going to explain the possible causes for this.
THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:
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The thermostat is not correctly set
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The soleplate is clogged
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The steam iron's power cord has broken
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The cap is broken
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The solenoid valve is defective
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The heating element's hot water circuit has limescale
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The control thermostat is defective
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The water tank has a crack in it
WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
Wear suitable protective gloves if you need to dismantle anything.
There is a risk of getting cut or injured.
The thermostat is not correctly set
It can simply be the case that the thermostat isn't set correctly and has been set to a temperature that is too low. The iron is spitting water that is running out of the soleplate. In fact, when the temperature is too low, the water doesn't heat up enough and cannot be converted into steam. To fix this issue, increase the temperature on your thermostat. On certain devices, you can also leave it on a low temperature if you trigger the "anti-droplet" function or if you switch off the "steam" function. This allows you to iron your more delicate fabrics at a suitable temperature without water running out of the soleplate. If the thermostat is defective, it will need to be replaced.
The soleplate is clogged
The soleplate of your steam iron is the part which is in direct contact with your laundry. The soleplate can get clogged by limescale, causing water and burnt limescale to run out of the holes on the bottom. You can try fixing the issue by descaling your iron. You can use white vinegar in a little tub to ensure you are only soaking the soleplate and not the whole iron.
The steam iron's power cord has broken
Your steam iron's power cord has several electric wires and a tube for water. With use, the power cord can end up splitting which can lead to leaks. If this is the case, you must replace it.
The cap is broken
The cap is for hermetically sealing off the appliance's water tank whose pressure increases. If the cap or the cap's seal is defective and leaks, it must be replaced as soon as possible.
The solenoid valve is defective
The solenoid valve is an electric valve on certain steam irons which controls the passage of water or steam to the heating element. If the solenoid valve is defective, it lets water through instead of preventing this. This water will then run continuously through the soleplate's holes. To fix this issue, you can start by descaling the circuit and then testing your iron again. If nothing changes, you may need to consider replacing the solenoid valve.
The heating element's hot water circuit has limescale
The heating element and the water circuit linked to it make up the main part of your steam iron. Over time, the water circuit can end up with limescale in it, clogging up, breaking or overheating. If this is the case, your steam iron will end up leaking. To avoid this issue, you should regularly descale your iron. If the heating element or its circuit are defective, you should replace them.
The control thermostat is defective
If the control thermostat is defective, the metal part of your steam iron will leak water instead of releasing steam, and then water will run out of the soleplate. In fact, when the thermostat is no longer working or isn't working properly, the iron will be unable to reach the temperature you have set it to. The temperature then stays too low to convert the water into steam. To check whether the thermostat is indeed the cause of the issue, increase the thermostat's setting to maximum and see if the water turns into steam. If this doesn't happen, you will need to replace your iron's thermostat.
The water tank has a crack in it
If water is running out of the water tank, it is definitely due to a crack or hole in the tank. Check whether this is the case by removing the tank if it is a tank that can be removed, or check it thoroughly if it isn't detachable. If the leak is due to the tank being damaged, then the tank must be replaced. Water may also run out of the tank if the latter is too full. Usually you can check this by looking at the markings showing the maximum fill limit. If the water in the tank is above this mark you need to empty out some of the water so that the level drops below the mark again.