Troubleshooting Rowenta Irons

Ironing is a task few enjoy, and the chore becomes more bothersome if your iron decides not to cooperate. Fortunately, irons are fairly simple devices, and you can fix most Rowenta irons yourself. A bit of troubleshooting should have you back up and ironing in no time at all. If troubleshooting fails to fix your problem, it's time to contact a local repair shop or Rowenta directly at 1-800-769-368.

Many Rowenta irons have an automatic shut-off feature that turns the iron off if it sits too long. It's possible that while you were carefully positioning a garment on the ironing board, your iron turned itself off. To correct the problem, simply pick up your iron and give it a little shake. It should light up and come right back on. If it doesn't, try turning up the iron's heat setting. If all else fails, plug the iron into a different electrical outlet.

If your iron isn't producing any steam or is only making minimal amounts, wait a few minutes and try again. Rowenta irons possess an anti-drip feature that prevents water from leaking out of the soleplate onto your clothes. If the soleplate isn't hot enough, this feature may prevent the iron from producing steam. Give your iron ample warmup time when it's cold. If a little time doesn't do the trick, turn up the heat setting on the iron. Check the water reservoir as well. A nearly empty iron won't make steam. If you suspect a clog in your steam valve, move the steam control switch back and forth several times to clear the clog.

To prevent leaks, always allow your iron to warm up before using it. When filling your iron, use tap water or inexpensive spring water. Avoid filling your iron with distilled water as doing so will cause leaks. If your tap water is extremely hard, you can mix it with distilled water in your iron, but never use pure distilled water. You may also experience leaks when using frequent bursts of steam during ironing. If your iron starts leaking midway through steam ironing, increase the time between steam bursts.

Avoid brown streaks on clothes by washing new garments before ironing them and always spraying starch on the back of the fabric you're ironing rather than on the front. if your iron still leaves streaks, turn it off, allow it to cool, and wash the soleplate with a nonabrasive sponge. This will remove any fabric remnants caught in the soleplate and prevent them from burning as you iron. If your iron has a self-cleaning function, run it. When cleaning and using your iron, avoid adding any perfumes, oils or cleaning solutions.