Handyman tips-Electric iron,a modern day essential

STEAM IRONS

In the past we all had to wet the clothes we wanted to iron first with a spray bottle or simply by

sprinkling water over the clothes to get the creasesout.

Nowadays the modern steam iron has evolved with some even becoming self cleaning.

The way an electric steam iron works is that:the tank is filled with water first,then the required temperature is

selected with the temperature selector.

The neon light goes on to warn you that the heating element is on and working,and when the thermostat built in senses

that the iron has reached the required heat selection then it will automatically switch itself off.

During the working process of the iron as long as it remains plugged in ,will continue to monitor and switch on and off

at regular intervals as the temperature reaches the required level or if the temperature drops below the selected level.

On most models ther is an automatic steam release mechanism that emits bursts of steam onto the fabric to help the ease of

ironing materials such as linen,viscose or denim material.

An important safety feature is the automatic shut off built into many staem irons today,this feature prevents the iron

from overhaeting when left unatended for long periods of time.

Some mkaes also come with a self cleaning function -this basically emits jets of steam to flush out the hard water deposits

in the iron-but bear in mind that these need descaling as with kettles.

Always use distilled water ,because this is mineralised and not like the hard water you get from tap water.

If you use tap water then you will end up with flaky deposits in the iron which will eventually lead to limescale build up

which might lead to complete failure of the iron.

SAFETY

1.When you finish ironing,stand the iron upright and let it cool down

2.empty the remaining waterleft in the iron

3.wrap the flex around the base of the iron where there is a special grove at the bottom designed to hold the flex

4.Do not store flat down -always stand upright.

TROUBLESHOOTING

DIRTY BASEPLATE OR BLACK MARKS ON BASEPLATE:

you can do one of two things:

Switch iron on to maximum power-then rub the iron over a wet towel

Rub the baseplate with a 50-50 mix of water and vinegar

LIMESCALE DEPOSITS ON CLOTHES:

After ironing press the steam button several times to flush out the limescale deposits

Use-descaler-pour this into the water tank-select steam setting then rest iron facedown to flush out the scale

rinse with water afterwards.

OVERHEATING IRON:

The selector wheel may be faulty-check whether it come to a stop when you turn it,if not then it is faulty.

WATER DOES NOT COME OUT OF THE IRON:

1.nozzles maybe blocked -descale as necessary

2.Water tank may be empty-if you notice water splutters from the iron then check the water tank.

NO STEAM:

1.tank may be empty-check and refil

2.temperature selector may be too low to allow steam to come out-or steam selector may be faulty

IRON DOES NOT WORK AT ALL:

1.Fault in the wires or fuse-check the plug fuse or the flex to make sure they are all OK.