Philips PerfectCare Aqua Pressurised Steam Generator

Very disappointed – Won’t produce steam, tried all troubleshooting & online suggestions to no avail. First time purchasing a Phillips Iron. Unfortunately never again. An expensive piece of rubbish. Very disappointed, will stick to trusted brands I’ve used in the future. Show details

Rubbish – I am now onto my 4th philips steam iron - they have all started malfunctioning just inside the 2 year warranty and were replaced by Bing Lee. However, the 4th time Philips tell me that Bing lee will not replace and I have had to take it to a repair centre and was told it would be 3weeks before I get it back. I will not buy this brand again as… Read more

its very expensive to only last 2 years. Philips get your act together and give us a decent product. A $30 iron lasts years. I will be buying a Tefal from Costco now who replace / refund for ever as long as membership remains in place

Too stressful buying a Philips

Hate ironing. Love how this Philips makes it so much easier. Stopped working but cheap fix – Have had it for almost 3.5 years with no issue. Ironing time reduced. Noisy, yes, but I dont mind. Stopped working 3 days ago. The moment you press the steam button the power button dims down and eventually shuts off. 3.5 years was good run so cant complain. But a similar model was out of my budget so googled a bit about the issue. Thanks to the… Read more ·  2

wonderful people who are willing to share their knowledge, got a replacement capacitor from Jaycar ($3.75), opened the unit, soldered out the old capacitor and soldered in the new. Works fine for now :)

But as the sole plate after all these years is showing wear, I will keep a look out for bargain on Philips and replace it soon.

Perfect – Now 5 years old. No complaints to date. Always used with distilled water to avoid rusty marks and reduces need for regular cleaning. Perfect amount of steam for all garments Never had a problem with auto temperature. Clever safety features including lock on iron. Avoid coiling cord as it will fray.  Show details ·  1

It makes ironing a pleasure! – No changing temperature! No constant refilling the water tank. Irons like a dream.you can also steam items on a hanger! What's not to like? The refilling of the pressure tank when in use can be little noisy and off putting but you soon get used to it. Worth it's weight in gold.  Show details ·  1

Plastic fittings easily break making iron useless – The steam generator iron is a great concept and when it was working it was fine, however when removing and replacing the water tank it is easy to break the plastic part that feeds water into the iron and as such the iron is now unusable, I have contacted the customer care people via email, told I would receive a response in 2 business days, that… Read more

was 7 business days ago.

I will not be purchasing a Philips product again, don't promise when you can not deliver.

Disappointed – Great while the appliance worked. Started malfunctioning soon after warranty period expired and completely failed months later. Had purchased a second appliance as a gift for family member and it still going great. Problem is that the repair cost (from other online comments) is enough to make purchasing a new iron with full warranty a better… Read more

option. I won’t be buying a Phillips brand though..

Have been using a standard steam iron for months since the appliance failed. Nowhere near as good as steam station

I thought is the best iron, but – Would be the best iron, but...The steam doesn't work anymore...i de-calc, deep clean etc....still no steam... Read all instructions, manuals...nothing... Cord is perfect. I hear same problems with most models after some time :( When you try to reach for help - you get the same answer: please contact our team...Why dont you just tell us whats wrong with it?  Show details

Very disappointed – A lot of steam but doesn't iron well, my old philips gave a good finish not this one. A lot of money wasted. And you can get burnt very easily. On my receipt it says model GC8642. It put me off buying another Philips iron. This supposedly wonderful one is definitely a waste of money even with the $ 100.00 discount. Still cannot use it, still a waste.  Show details

Very Disappointed – My sister and I both purchased one of these irons on the same day just over three years ago. Up until then we were very pleased with the product. However within a week of each other both our irons stopped working for exactly the same reason. The steam generator has failed. Still waiting to hear back from Philips but I would not recommend this iron.  Show details

Great but short life – Brilliant iron but died after, what I would consider, a very short life for the money I spent on it. Gets worse...I foolishly purchased a newer model, Perfectcare Performer GC8712. Specifications indicate more steam and pressure than the Aqua as well as immediate steam. Not the case. Four calls to the Philips overseas call centre proved that the… Read more

staff are very polite but not able to help.

I researched diligently before purchasing the GC8712 and wouldn't consider other brands as I loved the Philips iron I was replacing. Big mistake.

I'm very disappointed; always trusted Philips as a great brand but will avoid in future.

love this iron – this iron is awesome. I have never spent this much on an iron but it was well worth it. Irons any fabric with just a 2 minute warm up and hasn't burnt anything yet. The only small negative is that it turns itself off after a short time but it's not major and I love it!  Show details ·  3

Worked for 15 months only - unsatisfactory support from phillips – Purchased iron on 23/4/2016, stopped working on 5/7/17. ( same issue as other reviews and no steam from iron) took iron back to place of purchase as warranty is for 2 years. Harvey Norman says I have to send it back to Phillips to repair/ replace as replacement only available in first 12 months of warranty. I told Harvey Norman I was not happy… Read more

with this as this would leave me with no iron. I contacted Phillips 1300363391 and advised the person I need a replacement as I can not be without an iron. My choices were to drive to service centers at either Seven hills or somewhere on kingGeorge's road both service centres not near me and excessive in travel. My call got cut out and I was not even contacted back by the Phillips employee who had earlier taken my email, name and preferred contact number. Horrible service by Phillips and unacceptable that an iron that has a retail price of $459 can stop working after 15 months. Even more concerning is that I was expected to travel excessively and offered no replacement on a expensive product that lasted just over 12 months. I left the iron at Harvey Norman to send back to Phillips and will now be out of pocket again as I will need to purchase a new iron in meantime a mere 15 months after purchasing the Phillips iron. I would not recommend this product as per other reviews they seem to stop working way before you would expect an iron of this price to do.

( I must add that up until it stopped working it was a great iron and I was happy with the results and almost enjoyed ironing however I should not be out of pocket or inconvenienced for what appears to be a known fault with these irons which Phillips is clearly aware of based on all previous reviews).

Great Machine - But Poor Service Life – Our GC8635 worked very well, only 2 adults in the house, not heavy use, the disappointing part is it only lasted 2 years and 3 months. The steam function just stopped working. Discussed with the retailer and Philips, no post warranty support. In 2017, not good enough in my opinion. Will not consider this brand in the future.  Show details ·  1

Oh dear not another one – Yes here is another iron with the same problem, it was working last night then just "stopped" today. I made the silly mistake of resting the iron back on the craddle and the iron must have heated to a high heat and melted the plastic craddle to the iron plate. It has been a terrific iron my most favourite feature has been the ability to go from… Read more ·  1

delicates to heavy fabrics without having to adjust a temperature dial, the large water tank is slso a great feature not having to continually topping up the tank. I was unable to find the receipts as proof of purchase so I have put May 2014 in as purchase date it may have before that time or even a little after. I will be considering another of these irons because of the easy of use.

Perfect iron – I have it for almost three years and I was very happy with it until It just stops. The plate is still warm but the pressure doesn't work. I went through troubleshooting, did everything, still nothing. Thinking to buy a new same as this one because aside from this I haven't had any negative experience.Ironin was quick and easy,very good 5 bar… Read more ·  1

pressure. Time off is that I liked the most, no need to worry am I forgot to switch off as it does by itself. Overall very good iron just Philips needs to fix that problem.

Iron with a lifespan of 2-3years – Purchased from the Good Guys. First two irons leaked from the bottom of the reservoir. The third was a dream, cutting down ironing time and I was able to iron silks and lace without a problem. Mine stopped working this week after around 2.5 years. Disappointing for the price. This seems to be a widespread occurrence. Now looking for a brand that will last much longer.  Show details

No spare parts – Great iron when it worked, about 3 yrs in is producing steam but steam button under handle not working. Hubbie (electrician) pulled apart, one piece of plastic that activates steam micro switch has end broken off it, trying to get parts from Philips seems impossible, not interested, just want me to buy a new iron. Don't recommend Philips again , other brands seem to review betters  Show details

on/off button – Roughly 2 years ago I purchased 2 irons at the time 1 for a friend, which they gave me back, this also had the same problem the on/off button started turning off. Great iron when working but did not last long for price. Wish Philips would fix problem for me.  Show details

Loved this iron until it stopped working – I purchased this iron a little under 4 years ago so based on reviews I have read, I should be grateful it has lasted this long, however when you pay that much for something you hope to get a good life span. It was fairly new to the market when I bought it and my mum had a Tefal steam generator iron but the Philips PerfectCare Aqua seemed much… Read more

easier to use, it literally glides over clothes, and the fact I didn't have to adjust the temperature was a bonus.

Unfortunately the other night, the iron started making a very funny noise whenever I would press the steam trigger and then eventually it just started to switch itself off every time I would try to use steam. I noticed a couple of months ago I wasn't getting the continuous steam output that I used to get and would have to leave it for 5-10mins to 'heat up again'.

I phoned Philips customer service and they couldn't tell me if this was a common issue or if it can actually be fixed so I am taking it to the authorised repairer to have a look. I would love to know if anyone has had their iron successfully repaired as I don't want to waste time if it can't be repaired.

I have bought a cheap iron to get me through but for anyone who has used a steam generator, you really can't go back. I want to give Philips another go as this iron has made ironing bearable however considering my mum has Tefal and she bought hers 6 years ago it might be time to consider switching brands.

Disappointed – Such a great iron, reduced my time spent ironing, but no longer works as steam generator failed. User guide troubleshooting... no help at all. Very disappointed for the price of this iron and expected that it would last a lot longer that 3 years. Wont be buying another Philips iron at this price.  Show details

So sad I can't use my iron anymore! – I purchased PHILIPS PerfectCare Steam Generator iron (model GC8635) in March 2014 and I was very happy with the purchase. I finally found the iron that had all the features I wanted - huge tank capacity and the optimal temperature technology to mention just a few. Unfortunately, just like with the previous reviewers, after exactly 2 years and 11… Read more

months, the steam generator stopped working. I am really desperate as I paid quite a lot of money for it and now I don't have an iron. Looked at the troubleshooting solutions and none of them applies to my problem (which I can see now is not uncommon at all). What to do? Where to go?

Very disappointed – I bought this steam iron and have only had 2years 10months use - the steam generator has failed. I definitely won't be purchasing another philips product. I expected alot better for my money. At this stage unless I get a satisfactory outcome from Philips aust regarding this iron there is no chance I would recommend a Philips iron to anyone at all.  Show details

Very dissatisfied - failed just out of warranty – Was happy with the iron until... just like previous review(s) the steam generator failed. I consulted the user guide and ruled out any simple troubleshooting solutions as suggested. With minimal usage and just four months out of warranty this does not fulfill expectation for a product with the Phillips brand.  Show details

Dud - no steam - didn't work - burnt top (made it shiny) – I bought this iron as a lady at my work had raved about how fantastic it was. Another reason I bought the iron, was that you don't have to change the heat setting & can go from jeans to silk & it will allegedly "never burn, scorch or shine" any material. I bought the iron & turned it on 1. the 1st item I tried ironing - a sports tank, it… Read more

left a shiny area on :-(

2. the iron produced no steam at all - I tried turning it off & on, different amounts of water in the tank, leaving it go for longer - no steam.

From reading other product reviews other people have had the problem of no steam from the outset as well.

SO sad that my iron not working any more – Its only 3 years old and now not working, paid big money for this iron............hopefully Philips will stand behind the product they produce and help? when it works its an amazing machine, my friend next door just bought one from my recommendation and afraid i shouldn't have. Philips I believe that you will do the right thing please  Show details

Great Iron while working – I bought Two of this iron as I loved the fact you don't need to adjust tempreture.also the fact it has a global warranty .as I bought one for my father too and sent it to him overseas. As a red flag to me his stopped generating steam just after the warranty collappsed but he managed to fix it. he loves his .it made ironing easy and it realy cut… Read more

time of ironing to half. meanwhile in Australia mine was working perfectly. I can't deny it I loved ironing because the fact i can iron a silk blouse then a pair of jeans. unfortunately mine just stopped generating steam. when I called the customer service they told me as the warranty collapesed I need to send it to their repaire in Adelaide. I live in regional area how can I do it. and there is no garanty it will get fixed additionally I will pay for all inspection and repaires. I expected this to be my life long iron which I will pass one Day to my children the price indecated that. but it just broken after less than three years. I gave two stars for the sake of the good two years I had with it.

Excellent product until it stops working – My Philips gc8635 was purchased in April 2014 , it was a great product, not heavily used, stopped working in august, doesn't produce steam when the trigger is pressed , just out of warranty. Philips offered a new "top of the range " iron for $370, but I feel it's too much of a risk, they weren't forthcoming with the suggestion of a repair. From reading reviews it sounds like this is a common fault.  Show details

Disappointment plus – I purchased this iron for both myself and my daughter and we loved it. Mine is still going strong as my ironing load is a lot less than my daughter but unfortunately hers died just after the two year warranty ran out. I contacted Phillips who could do nothing for me as the warranty had run out and suggested I contact the retailer, which Imdid… Read more

only to be advised that they do not have the ability to replace things it has to go through Phillips. Exasperated and frustrated I gave up and now have a broken iron. Phillips suggested I pay $49 to let their repairer have a look at it but I would lose that money if it was faulty and could not be repaired. I a, in the market for a new iron as I gave my daughter the working iron but a, hesitant to select a Phillips because who has that sort of money every two years. I was looking for new irons on line and saw this review and wanted to tell my story

An excellent iron but steam has stopped working – The Phillips Perfectcare Aqua is an excellent but the steam has stopped working. For such an expensive iron I would expect a better & longer timeframe of use. I have followed all instructions on usage & cleaning. So disappointed as I expected more from a Phillips iron as they are all I have ever used.  Show details ·  4

SO DISSAPPOINTED - I love this iron but can't believe it's useless after 2 years – I have to say this is the best iron I have used and I have had a couple of friends buy one of their own from my recommendation. It has cut my ironing time down by less than half. It is only used to iron my husbands business shirts and pillow cases so not heavily used. Today the steam stopped working after ironing 6 shirts - I'm not sure if… Read more ·  1

it's the trigger or what, but that function, the part that speeds my ironing time up, no longer works. Of course the first thing I do is find my receipt to find it ran out of warranty at the end of May - DEVASTATED. There's no way my husband will give me that much money again to replace something that dies after 2 years of use...... looks like it's back to the $40 specials and more time standing up ironing :-(

Steam Doesnt Come Out – Hello Philips, I just received Philips GC8640 opimaltemp PerfectCare Aqua from my dad. Anyhow i opened it connect it to the plug waited 5min as its says in the start up menu after waiting the gently blinking light to be permanent. I pressed the button for 3min on a hard material (I used one of my cotton tablecloth perfect for the task) and the… Read more

steam never came. I restarted the process and again nothing even worst, after all the light at the front of the handle wasn't blinking gently any more but quite fats on and of. After my 3rd attempt the water tank started steaming and leaking from the bottom.

I've turned out my iron now and I'll wait 2h before attempt No.4 if it doesn't go well AGAIN i'll just have to go to the philips repair center.

I'm very very very pregnant , living at the suburbs of Brussels without a car and with an iron bougtht and send from abroad and on top I don't speak french :) this just couldn't have gone any worst.

Its ok but I have concerns – So far its been a good iron (Its not even a week old) bigger water tank, greater steam pressure, greater amount of steam but i do have some concerns about the unit in the very short time i have had it. 1) The purple and white cord between the water unit and the iron, becomes so hot it is untouchable and make the normally stiff cord very soft. … Read more

2) The amount of steam that is generated out of the iron while making the iron good at getting creases out of cloths but the way the hole are in the sole plate shots more steam towards the users hand than into the cloths,

I believe that this is because of the angle/s of the holes in the sole plate.

3) After about 30 minutes of ironing the unit starts to leak water from the sole plate, a few minutes later its making steam as per normal.

4) The location of the power/steam cord on the iron just seems to be in the wrong place or just at the wrong angle.

This is my second Philips Steam Generator Ironing System, replacing my 1st unit which was great for almost 2 years before it failed and was replaced with this unit by the sales team at Harvey Norman.

Was working great - but just stopped turning on – I loved this iron. Worked amazingly well. However, for the money it cost, I would expect it to last a lot longer than it has. Worked perfectly a couple of days ago, but just wont even turn on anymore. Extremely disappointed. Unfortunately it's not under the official product warranty period anymore either, so I guess I'm now stuck with a now worthless iron worth a few hundred dollars....  Show details