Do You Have a Recommendation for a Steam Generator Iron?

[gredmondson]

My Rowenta 890 Steam Generator Iron (made in France) just stopped steaming, so it is time to replace it. I got it on craiglist for $40.00, and it lasted for three years, so I think I got a good deal. I am now ready to buy a new one; I see brands like Rowenta, EuroPro, Reliable, DeLonghi online, but I am not clear about which is better. Do any of you have any experience with these? I have also seen a reference to "bars of steam," which I am guessing is the amount of steam produced continuously.
The Rowenta worked very well and heated up very fast--probably in three minutes. It was 1800 watts. Does that fast heating feature have a name?
Thanks for any advice.
George

 

[kenmoreguy89]

No bar is the measure unit with which you measure  pressure, the pressure  forming inside the boiler and so the pressure of the steam... I have seen plenty of them and Polti is the most known brand in Italy for steam generator irons....(household)

There're also steam generator that actually does not even have a pressure boiler, but a pump, so you do not even have to wait the boiler to get cool to add any more water, but personally they're not the same thing at steam production than a pressure one....

[this post was last edited: 9/9/2012-16:25]

 

[gredmondson]

Hey, thanks for the information!
I realized that I could use the search feature and saw that the brands Iron Maven and Reliable were recommended. I now understand the pump thing; my Rowenta had that. I will look on ebay.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

But I'm just curious to know what your Rowenta Iron got, there're many things that could break in an iron, many easy to fix, others less.....

If the boiler heats up but no steam comes out the iron might be a steam button and or solenoid issue, easy and cheap to fix, also happend to my aunt that her Polti iron just stopped to pour a good amount of steam out.....it was the boiler that got full of mineral deposits, she used a product on purpose to get rid of deposit, widely available here, you could also use vinegar and let it sit overnight......then rinse very well...
At worse it got it's boiler element burned out and for an used iron maybe worth to fix if it new cost more.....

If you want to get a new one

DeLonghi is a very good brand... almost comparable to polti, rowenta looks like produce mostly plastic irons  like newer junky stuff......they're not true irons......
I would just suggest for a model with an iron made of iron! Not the plastic ones with a little thin plate....
Also pump ones are yes more convenient but boiler ones just works better and last longer....also they could be cleaned with products like the ones I mentioned....
My Aunt still have her Polti  presure boiler  iron since she get married 1994......and still work wonderfully, I recently bought a boiler iron too, and it works well ( brand is Howell) we had  had some including a Stirella Micromax and a polti as well when i was a kid.....they worked well, but polti beated them all and lasted longer than Micromax, it dropped and got broken...Then we just went with traditional irons...
Go  with more bars and irons made of iron! You will no complaint!

[this post was last edited: 9/9/2012-16:57]

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Oh okay so your one looks like got the pump burned......looks common with those irons at a certain point pump just blows...

It is a new model of Rowenta iron sold here, it got a pump not pressure boiler....but as you see have the good iron made of iron! LOL

And a true cork handle.....

http://www.conforama.it/Products/5103-ferro-a-caldaia-de-longhi-pro1460.aspx

 

[kenmoreguy89]

P.S Happy I was helpful! You're welcome!

 

[kenmoreguy89]

This is the classic unchanged Model of polti my Aunt has and we had......

http://www.conforama.it/Products/2386-ferro-con-caldaia-polti-vaporella-2hp.aspx

 

[gredmondson]

Freddy,
I am so impressed with your steam generator iron knowledge. My Rowenta does not make any steam--or at least none comes out of the iron. I did use the hose that slips over the faucet and forces water in and out of the boiler to clean out the iron. When I turn it on, I do hear some noises in the boiler (pump?) area, but absolutely no steam comes out of the iron. I have no idea if there is somewhere to send it to be repaired.
I am impressed with what you say about the boiler irons being longer lasting, but they also take longer to heat up, sometimes eight minutes.
George

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Oh so looks like you got the heating element burned may also be an electric  contact that disconnected or a switch issue ,  if you hear a "prrrrr" sound it is the pump that is working  but heating element steam producer does not work.... I do not know very well the type of iron and not sure if it is a thing you could get cheaply fixed in a repair center, you could just ask a quote....

I'm mostly used to see and I know more about pressure boiler mechanicals, but you may try to open it to see if maybe some wires got disconnected.
You're right bigger pressure types  can take till 10 minutes to get hot, my new  very basic one just takes 3 mins...it is a compact type and hold almost 1 lt of water that last for almost 1 hour of ironing....but yes I can say they last longer and produce more steam  and works better, the fact they last longer it is for their nature being just a steam chamber with an element and a heat sensor  and a solenoid that opens when you press the steam button ,very durable mechanics, while pump things are more usual to get broken more delicate and not as functional even if more convenient on the refill aspect.....

If it is the fact of waiting for refill the fact of bothers you:

Actually you may implement a trick, to skip cooling fase and so pressure dejection before re-filling,  this is possible with some models having solenoid working even with boiler element switch turned off (almost all  pressure irons  now do this),  mine  does as polti did and I could actually avoid waiting as after I turn off heating in the chamber by keeping pressing the steam button I can discharge the pressure in the chamber within some seconds and refill once the  pressure got discharged.....it is not suggested to do it in manuals for safety but you could do that....

Where to get it repaired:

I cannot really  know if there's an authorized or "used-to" Rowenta brand repairs center in SF area, but you may try to write or call Rowenta Customer care on their website to ask for repair centers near or in SF, they should have a toll-free number I think as every respectable company.......
Here is a pic of what a pump steam generator looks like:

 

[kenmoreguy89]

It is a little thing to get fixed and changed but  not sure how much they could ask for the labor........

 

[mrb627]

Reliable Velocity

I just bought a Reliable Velocity. Steams like crazy. Steam goes clean through the garment and ironing board. Only burned my fingers 3 times since I have had it...

Malcolm

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Oh  this one allows you to see when steam pressure got discharged as it got a manometer! Love it!

http://www.prezzoforte.it/product_info.php?products_id=28221&from=ciao

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Oh here is another with manometer same brand of the one I got, mine is a more BOL one.....

Ferri da Stiro in Offerta a prezzi scontati| Prezzoforte

Ferri da Stiro in Offerta a prezzi scontati: confronta decine di modelli e offerte e acquista online il miglior prezzo il tuo nuovo ferro da stiro con caldaia

www.prezzoforte.it

 

[gredmondson]

I discovered that there is a Rowenta Service Center in Concord, not too far away from me. I will investigate driving there today. It is worth a try.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Yes you could just ask.....worth a try as you say! Good luck!

 

[gredmondson]

Well, maybe I was taken, as my father used to say.
I took it to the Rowenta Service Center, and they had it fixed in an hour and a half. They put in a "mag valve" and a knob. Those parts were $46.00. The labor was $75.00.

I left them my 40 year old Toastmaster Commercial toaster that needs a new timer, which they had to order.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

George it looks a little much for a mag valve/solenoid and a knob.....and also for labour!

Not sure if I would have spent that much personally... but if you needed it quickly it is good anyway at least you saved gas and time researching a new one.around...not sure how much does cost your model new though, maybe the repair is  more worth-it than I think.

 

Just hope they didn't get too smart also.

This recall of an old thread I opened  about repairmen.......and fact they get too smater at times and you have to be careful.....did you ask to get the old piece replaced back?
This is  a good thing to do in these occasions.......
If they doesn't it probably means they did something else than what they claimed they did...

Anyway that is good you have your iron now working again!

Hope you're happy with deciding to get it repaired.

 

 

[gredmondson]

Well, maybe I was taken, as my father used to say.
I took it to the Rowenta Service Center, and they had it fixed in an hour and a half. They put in a "mag valve" and a knob. Those parts were $46.00. The labor was $75.00.

I left them my 40 year old Toastmaster Commercial toaster that needs a new timer, which they had to order.

 

[launderess]

Those Rowenta Steam Generator Ironing Systems

Do not have a great reputation for providing long service. Many in sewing/quilting circles either swear by or at them. *LOL*

Personally like quasi or industrial commercial steam boilers as they hold more water so one can do lots of ironing between refills. Mine holds about a gallon of distilled water and will steam for hours if not days before the indicator light goes on telling one to add more water.

The great thing about these systems is that since the steam is generated in a boiler rather than the iron the latter can heat to lower temps than what would otherwise be required to produce steam. This means if one is careful (use of press cloths and or iron shoes) you can steam iron normally heat sensitive fabrics such as lycra blends, polyester etc without the worry of perhaps melting. Again one states you need to use caution.

As one has said elsewhere, a steam boiler ironing system coupled with a vaccum table/ironing board gives the best results next to dry ironing damp laundry.

Because steam generator/boiling irons generate so much moisture ordinary ironing boards/tables will quickly have their underpadding saturated to the point of becoming wet, especially if ironing for long periods of time. This will produce poor results as that moisture will wick itself back up to whatever one is ironing, in short you'll never be able to get it "dry" thus when it's moved or whatever is likely to wrinkle again.