Philips GC8616 Perfect Care Aqua Steam Generator Iron

There may be 3 reasons for the water drip:

1. Steam is used with a temperature that is too low (at the non steaming zone)

    Refer to temperature dial  Turn the temperature dial to the steaming zone and let iron heat up in heel-rest position for one minute before you resume ironing.

2. Your iron produces a lot of steam. Steam could have condensed on the board cover, making it wet and cause water marks on your garment when the iron is pressed on it. Replace the ironing board cover if the foam material has worn out. You can also add an extra layer of felt material under the ironing board cover to prevent condensation on the ironing board.For the best solution, we recommend you to use Philips Easy 8 ironing board with Perfectflow cover (GC260) specially designed to avoid dripping on the board and floor.

3. If you stop the ironing for a while the supply hose will cool down and steam tends to condense in the hose, causing water droplets to escape from the soleplate. Hold the iron over a piece of rag and press the steam activator to start steaming, in order to clear all water droplets on the rag. After a short while, iron will resume to normal steaming for ironing.

4. It may also be related to the type of water you use. All Philips irons are suitable for tap water, but you can also use demineralized (distilled) water. Do not use perfumed water, water from a tumble dryer, rainwater, vinegar, mineral water, magnetically treated water (Aqua+), water from a drinking water filter, starch, descaling agents, ironing aids, salt or chemicals in the water tank. These types of water have been tested. They are not suitable and may even cause damage to the appliance. If you have been using any of the above-mentioned, please perform deep rinse cycle. Below is the instruction for deep rinse cycle:

1) Tilt the steam generator and pour 500ml tap water(better to use distilled water) into the opening. Reinsert the rinsing knob and turn the knob clockwise to fasten it.

2) Set the temperature dial to “Min".

3) Ensure water tank is re-inserted (if detachable tank) and water level is above “Min” mark.

4) Press the on/off button and wait for 5 minutes.

5) Put a piece of thick cloth on your ironing board. Place your iron on the cloth, press and hold the steam trigger. While pressing the steam trigger, slowly move the iron back and forth across the cloth. Dirty water comes out of the soleplate. Continue until clean water comes out of the soleplate.

6) Switch off the steam generator and let it cool down for 2 hours.

7) Remove the rinsing knob and let the water flow into a cup. Reinsert the rinsing knob and turn the knob clockwise to fasten it.

The rinsing knob may not be tightened sufficiently. Switch off the power and ensure that the steam generator is cooled down sufficiently, tighten the knob properly, before heating up the appliance again. Some water may have collected around the rinsing knob after filling, it is converted into steam when the steam generator is hot. Steaming will stop after a few minutes when the water has dried up.

The water tank might be damaged, could cause leaking.You could visit Philips online shop, to puchase spare part direct from ironing accessories for spare part; You could also contact the Philips Consumer Care Center in your country. You can find its phone number in the worldwide guarantee leaflet, or Philips on line support page.

If the water or steam comes out from underneath the base, please contact the Philips Consumer Care Center in your country. You find its phone number in the worldwide guarantee leaflet, or Philips on line support page.

When DECALC light blinks, please perform EasyDecalc.

CAUTION: Please make sure that iron is cool before performing EasyDecalc. There are 2 ways to do this:

1. When you see the DECALC light blinking, you can continue ironing and perform EasyDecalc after you iron. You must wait for the iron to cool down for 2 hours before opening the EasyDecalc knob.

2. When you see the DECALC light blinking and switch OFF the appliance WHILE it is blinking, you can perform DECALC immediately by opening the EasyDecalc knob and pouring the water into a cup.

DECALC is NOT a button. It is a light indicator that reminds you to perform EasyDecalc. By performing EasyDecalc, it helps maintain your appliance so that calc particles do not build up inside the boiler. It is highly recommended that you perform EasyDecalc every time the DECALC light blinks. When the iron is cool, usually after 2 hours from ironing, open the EasyDecalc knob and let the water flow out into a cup or into the sink.

One possible reason is that the steam boost has been activated. It can be activated by pressing the steam trigger quickly 2 times. In this mode, the steam generator will deliver high continuous steam output. To deactivate, simply press the steam trigger one time.

There are 2 possible scenarios that you may observe temporary slight dip in steam. They are normal.

1. When the appliance draws water from the tank, the cool water lowers the steam pressure temporarily.

2. When the trigger is continuously activated for a long time.

If the steam dip is persistent, it could be due to scale accumulation in your appliance. Please de-scale your iron and base after letting the appliance cools down completely, around 2 hours.

Scenario 1: There is not enough water in the water tank (the 'water tank empty' light flashes quickly). Fill the water tank. Scenario 2: The steam generator is not hot enough to produce steam. Wait until the 'iron ready' light on the iron lights up continuously.  Scenario 3: You do not press the steam trigger. Press the steam trigger and keep it pressed while you steam iron.  Scenario 4: The appliance is not switched on. Insert the plug in wall socket and press the on/off button to switch on the appliance.

Scenario 5 (detachable water tank models): The water tank is not placed properly in the steam generator. Slide the water tank firmly back into the steam generator ('click').

Scenario 6 (non-OptiTemp models): Superheated (i.e. high-quality) steam is hardly visible, especially when the temperature dial is set to maximum position. To check if the iron really produces steam, set the temperature dial to high temperature. The steam then becomes visible

There are various types of noises that are produced by the steam generator:

1. Noise from the stand

This is characterized by a vibrating sound that happens at irregular intervals or every time steam trigger is pressed.

The noise is related to water being sent from the water tank to the steam generator. This is normal. Filling the water tank helps alleviate the issue.

However, you can reduce the noise by not placing the steam generator on a hard surface. You may also put a piece of soft material, e.g., a cloth under the steam generator.

(Models with detachable water tank) This may also be caused by the water tank having not been fitted properly. After letting the iron cool down for at least 2 hours, take the watertank out and put it back in again, checking if everything sets in properly.

2. Noise from the iron

This is characterized by the whooshing sound that can be heard when steam comes out of the soleplate.

This is normal for steam generator with high pressure steam.

(Models with ECO setting) You can reduce steam by selecting a low steam or ECO setting.

If you are unable to resolve the issue, then please either call us using the phone number on this page OR click HERE to arrange a return or exchange.

If the appliance has no power, try the following:

• Try an alternative mains plug socket.  
• Try an alternative fuse in the plug. 

Allow the iron to reach temperature and stabilise for 1-2 minutes if it has just been plugged in or has just been woken up from auto shut off. Also check you have set the correct heat setting for the garment.                         

If the iron has no steam or poor steam, check the following:

• Check that there is enough water in the tank.  
• If your iron has an auto-shut off, check to see if this has activated, wake up the iron and allow it to reach temperature before using steam.  

This is normal and is caused by water being pumped through the steam pump. The pump is controlled by the unit automatically to keep the boiler up to pressure.

If the appliance is tripping the electrics, try the following:

• Try an alternative fuse in the plug.  
• Try an alternative mains plug socket.  

Check the laundry care label of your garments to find the correct temperature to correspond with your appliance.