should a steamer do this?

Di

hi

i bought a steamer with attachments to clean tiles upholstery etc. attached nozzle and, well, its dripping water with not much steam. looked through troubleshooting, no help.

ive not had one before, but this doesnt seem right to me. moving the nozzle arond left a trail of water on the floor.

should i take it back, or is this what they are like? it is an earlex from argos.

thanks!

Di

thanks, i will, though i hadnt filled it right up cos i just wanted to try it lol

CaroLondon

Mt first steamer was an Earlex, and yes it does drip a fair bit, I found putting hot water in to start with helps so it doesn't dribble as much, but to be honest now I have a more useable machine (mop which converts to a handheld) I dont use it very often only to strip wall paper.

I also found it certain attachments caused more dripping than others.

mikey72

I have a similar one, tank with a hose and nozzle, lots of stream, it only really drips if you raise the tank up, and water can accumulate in the hose, otherwise it's fine.
Keep the tank low, and keep the hose down if you can.

ukmaggie45

It's a while since I used our steamer, but I think it dripped when it started, but once it got going properly it was mainly OK. I used to discharge it into a plastic bucket (keep well clear of the steam!) to begin with.

And you may need to allow a bit of time for pressure to build up again - you can't use it continuously (like eg a vacuum cleaner) for ages. Ours was only a cheap basic one, but was adequate for what we needed (mainly something to shift dirt off vinyl kitchen floor). Maybe more expensive ones work more efficiently for longer?

Must get it out again - bathroom floor is looking a bit mucky! Too many muddy boots and shoes after gardening.

Di

thanks for the replies, i'll give it one more go. perhaps i should have paid abit more and got a better one.

paddy's_mum

It sounds to me as though you are not allowing your unit to build up a tankful of steam before you attempt to use it.

Leave the tank to come to full pressure. UKmaggie's earlier suggestion of leaving the nozzle/head in a bucket is a good one or alternatively, you can shove it out of a nearby window until the dripping stops and only steam emerges. At that point, pick up the head and begin the job you want doing. You have to bear in mind though that steam is water and as the steam cools, it will revert to water. Any job I do with it, I make sure I have a couple of shabby old 'dog towels' to hand to mop it up as I go.

It's a wise move to place the kettle (or tank) on something heat proof when you are using it. I routinely stand mine on a folded bath towel or thick newspaper to protect a possibly easily damaged floor covering.

The vulnerable point on any steamer is the little 'nose' where the hose joins the kettle. It is so easy to accidentally step on it, or knock over the step ladder, which sod's law says will strike just where you don't want it to ...

Adding hot water to the tank will reduce the time needed to get steam and you should always ensure that the water level doesn't drop below the minimum line - else you risk burning out the element.

Always, always do a check on any furnishing fabrics you wish to steam. Often a good place to do a test run is the skirt at the back of, say, a sofa. Never ever use it on Draylon fabric - steam melts the tips of Draylon pile and turns it from fabric to a sheet of prickly plastic!

If all else fails, give Earlex a ring on 01483 454666 - their customer helpline and service departments are good and know the machines inside out. Hope that helps.

Di

i think i will call them, thanks for the number. im a steamer virgin so not sure if what its doing is right. i left it a good 10 mins after it started boiling, didnt fill it right up, left nozzle in bucket, still squirting water, constant stream. tried the carpet attatchment on a knackered rug and it soaked it.