Troubleshooting: Rowenta Iron Leaks Water From Bottom
Nothing is perfect. We hope it can be but perfection is not something that can be obtained in this world. Even the top quality Rowenta irons do not scale the ladder to perfection although they do get close at times.
You may have noticed that your top of the line Rowenta iron leaks some water. The cause of that problem is that the sealant dries out and lets gaps come between it and the metal structure.
To learn more about troubleshooting your Rowenta iron just continue to read our article. It is filled with solutions for those common issues that plague this household device. Getting the right solutions should help you save some repair money.
Troubleshooting Rowenta Iron 101
Why Does my Rowenta Iron Leak Water?
Companies like to cut costs and when they do that, they tend to cut the quality of their product. This is evidenced by the fact that the sealant used by Rowenta for its irons dries out.
The problem is when the sealant is used around the water tank. When you see the water coming out of the water tank in the wrong spot on your iron, it is telling you you need to replace the sealant as quickly as you can.
You can do it yourself and save a little money if you want to. To get the step-by-step instructions on how to do it yourself, just click this link. There are about 10 steps for you to complete before you can use your top quality iron again.
You do not need a lot of mechanical skills to do the repair. The trick is remembering how to put the iron correctly back together again when you are done.
Rowenta Iron Leaking Problems
Sometimes, when you start to see leaking water, it means that you need to replace your iron. But if the iron is new or fairly new, you should be able to fix it with no trouble at all.
From what we have been able to find out, this is a common problem with a lot of Rowenta irons, even when it is standing up on its end. One source for the problem may be that you are overfilling the iron and the excess water has to go somewhere. It cannot stay in the water tank.
Another problem would be as described above. Rowenta probably switched to an inferior sealant, and it just does not hold the water inside very well. A third problem is that Rowenta has designed their irons to work with tap water and not distilled water.
But if the tap water has over 12 grains of hardness to it, then you need to use bottled water. Some of the problem is in the water that you use. Finally, another source would be that the steam and spray buttons are damaged.
This situation would let the water run out of the iron. You would need to take the product in to get it repaired but be careful, not all repairmen are honest.
How to Repair a Rowenta Iron
Your repair work will depend on one of two things. First, you need to figure out what is wrong with the device before repairing it. We have already given you a link to follow if you have one type of water leak.
Second, you have to make sure the iron is not still under warranty. It seems that Rowenta is very strict about who repairs their products when they are paying the bill. If the iron is still under warranty, then you need to take it to a Rowenta approved repair shop.
Once you purchase a Rowenta iron, you will have a one-year warranty against defects and the company will repair or replace the product at no charge to you. The good news is that the company has several repair centers around the country.
The bad news is that one may not be near you. That means you may have to ship your iron to the closest repair center. Here are their address:
Arkansas Vanness, Inc. 11121 Rodney Parham Rd., Suite 32B Little Rock, AR 72212 501-666-0668
California CES Concord (Northern CA) 1170-G Burnett Ave. Concord, CA 94520 925-827-1011
CES Covina (Southern CA) 612 S. Shoppers Lane Covina, CA 91723 949-586-9479
Colorado Nelson Appliance 1220 E. Filmore St. Colorado Springs, CO 80907 719-635-1928
Florida Southern Electric 510 N. Paramore Ave. Orlando, FL 32801. 407-841-8824
Maryland Waters Appliance 216 E. Diamond Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877 301-258-7500
New York Turnpike Appliance 3495A Lawson Blvd. Oceanside, NY 11572 516-486-5700
Washington Action Small Appliance 1500 145th Place SE Bellevue, WA 98007 425-643-9806
Make sure to use the original packaging if you still have it and then pack the iron in a bigger box with proper shipping materials to protect the device.
If the iron defect is their fault, and the warranty is still good, the company will repair it at no charge and return the repaired device to you. If not still under warranty, the company will contact you with an estimate of the total cost involved.
After that you make the decision to repair it or not and negotiate shipping charges.
Why is My Rowenta Iron Not Heating Up?
When you find out that your Rowenta iron is not heating up, the problem may lie with a faulty thermostat. To see if this is the culprit, use a voltmeter and turn the temperature gauge up to high.
Place the probes on the electrical connections attached to the thermostat and see if the meter registers any power. If it does, then the thermostat is not the problem. Next, place the probes on the heating element and if you get a zero reading, then you will have to replace that part.
Continue doing this till you find the part that is causing the trouble. Then replace the part that is not working. It may take you several tries before you get to the right part that has become defective.
How Long for Rowenta Iron to Heat Up
Heat is not always an instantaneous feature on just about anything. When you want heat, whether it is a stove, heater or your iron, you have to wait for a few minutes to let them heat up to the temperature you set it at. This could be 2 to 3 minutes or it could take as long as 5 or more minutes.
Also, you may have started your iron, then been distracted because your clothing item is out of place. In those few minutes, it took you to straighten the article of clothing out, the automatic shutoff feature in the iron kicked in and turned the heating element off.
A little shake of the iron should turn the heating element back on. If that is unsuccessful, then try turning the temperature up a little and get the heating process going again.
Why Does my Rowenta Iron Spit Water?
When you see this taking place, you should check to see if you left your steam button on. As you iron, you may use the steam button and forget it is on when you switch the iron’s temperature to low. Turn the steam function off to solve this issue.
The next source may be that the iron has developed some mineral deposits that clogged the steam vents. You are going to have to clean out those deposits to stop the spitting. A little vinegar should help you clear up this problem with ease.
Finally, it may be the soleplate that is causing the spitting problem. If this part of your iron becomes defective, it may not be able to consistently keep the iron at a high enough temperature to convert the water to steam.
This may be the only source when the iron spits when you have set it on the lower temperatures.
Rowenta Iron Will Not Steam
The first solution is the easiest and cheapest to do. If you are not getting steam out of your Rowenta iron, turn it off for a few minutes and then try again. The Rowenta irons have an anti-drip that may have kicked in at the wrong time and blocked your flow of steam.
Also, the soleplate may not be working right. If this is the case, then it means that the sole plate is not heating up hot enough. The lack of heat will result in the iron not producing any steam.
Then if you are the forgetful type, you may want to check the water tank. If it is empty, then you won't get any steam from your iron. A final place to check would be your steam vent. If it is clogged then you would have to clean it.
Rowenta Iron Will Not Stay Hot
One of the features that have made Rowenta irons a popular device to buy is its automatic shut off feature. This makes sure that you do not burn your house down if you forget to turn it off.
It is a good feature to have in an iron because people do forget to turn it off when they are done using the unit. BUT, this feature can malfunction and turn the iron off right in the middle of pressing your favorite blouse.
Or you have a malfunctioning heating unit that cannot keep the heat where you need it. In either case, you may have to do some rewiring or replace the heating element. Also, you may need an expert repairman to diagnosis and fix the problem.
How to Fix Rowenta Iron Auto Shut Off
There are only about two ways to fix this problem. You can take it or send it to the repair center and have them replace the defective automatic shutoff feature. This may cost you a few dollars if it is not under warranty.
Or you can bypass the feature and hardwire your iron to stay on until you unplug or turn the iron off. It is best to let a skilled electrician handle this part as you do not want to make any electrical errors and cause yourself some injury.
Working with wiring can be dangerous and make sure the iron is unplugged before attempting this repair.
Who Repairs Rowenta Irons?
We gave you a partial list earlier of the different Rowenta repair centers in the country. To get a look at the full list, just click on this link, repair centers, to find out how close one is to you.
If you go anywhere else other than a Rowenta repair center, you will void your warranty and will have to pay for the cost of repairs. If the warranty has expired, then you should the most economical honest and skilled repairman in your area.
One of the things you do not want to do if it is not a simple repair, is repair it yourself. Unless you have a large body of knowledge concerning irons, it is best to let the experts handle it for you.
If you have to ship your iron to a repair center, make sure to pack it properly so that it will not get damaged on its way to the repairman.
How Long do Rowenta Irons Last?
Part of its lifespan will depend on how much you use it. If you have the iron on all day every day, then do not expect it to last over a year tops. The sad news is that irons are not built to last you your lifetime. Things have changed over the generations and long lifespans for most products are a thing of the past.
If you do not use your iron that often or even once a day for an hour or so, you can expect your iron to last you somewhere between 2 and 5 years. If you get longer use out of it then good for you.
One rule of thumb you can go by is that when the iron stops being fun to use, toss it and replace it with a new one. It is unlikely you will get 10 or 20 years use out of the device.
Some Final Words
Troubleshooting your Rowenta iron is not going to be that much of a problem. And some issues you can fix yourself relatively quickly and without paying a lot of money. If you have a problem you can’t fix, and you shouldn’t fix it if it is under warranty, then you will need to send it to the Rowenta repair center nearest you.
Let they handle the problem when you do not have to pay for the repair. Just make sure to pack the iron up properly to protect it during its travels.
