The Death of the Iron

Posted by Lisa Laree to Sew Random

Things were going along just fine; fusing the interfacing to the huge cuffs of the pirate coat sleeves. But after the second one, the iron started beeping (it's a Conair; it beeps to tell me it's ready, it's not ready, it's been down too long, it's tired of staying on...I got used to it). But this wasn't a 'I've been face down too long' beep, nor was it a 'I'm at the right temperature now' beep...it was a Beep That Didn't Stop.

A 'Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep....' kind of beep.

I turned it off and on...still beeped. Tried setting it at different temperatures. It kept beeping. I thought maybe I'd drained it dry. It'd never beeped 'I need water' before, but it was worth a try. I filled the reservoir; it finally quit beeping. There was some (not a LOT, you understand...just some) gunk from the fusing process built up on the surface that might have made it think it was overheating; I cleaned it off (the iron cleaning process requires a high temperature and 2 - 3 bursts of steam). Once it was clean, it appeared to be just fine and I fused the third cuff. But as I was finishing up fusing the third cuff it quit making steam. I couldn't even get it to do a 'burst' anymore...and after a few moments, water began dripping from the steam holes. I turned it off and let it cool completely, then turned it back on.

No heat. The iron was dead. I'd used it pretty seriously for about 3 years.

I still had my spit-prone old Rowenta that the Conair had replaced; it was my 'carry to church for costume construction' iron, so I've pulled it out to keep going; the pirate coat really needs to be done by the end of the weekend.

Sigh. I didn't expect to be in the market for an iron...time to go read some reviews.