Philips GC8600 Series User manual

PerfectCare Aqua
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GC8600 series
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GC8600 series
ENGLISH 4
 23
 42
 61
 79
 97
 116
 135
154
173
192
211
 232
251
 269
 288
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4

Important 4
Introduction 6
Product overview 8
Before rst use 9
Using your steam generator 9
Filling the water tank 9
Heating up 10
Carry lock (specic types only) 11
Temperature and steam setting 11
Ironing 12
Putting down the iron during ironing 13
ECO mode 14
Ironing tips 14
Auto-off mode (specic types only) 14
Cleaning and maintenance 15
IMPORTANT - DESCALING 15
Descaling the soleplate of the iron 17
Storage 18
Troubleshooting 20

Read this user manual carefully before you use the appliance
and save it for future reference.

- Never immerse the iron or the steam generator in water.

- Check if the voltage indicated on the type plate
corresponds to the local mains voltage before you
connect the appliance.
- Do not use the appliance if the plug, the mains cord, the
supply hose or the appliance itself shows visible damage,
or if the appliance has been dropped or leaks.
- If the mains cord or the supply hose is damaged, you must
have it replaced by Philips, a service centre authorised by
Philips or similarly qualied persons in order to avoid a hazard.
- Never leave the appliance unattended when it is
connected to the mains.
ENGLISH
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- This appliance can be used by children aged 8 or above
and by persons with reduced physical, sensory or mental
capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge if they
have been given instructions in safe use of the appliance
or supervision to establish safe use and if they have been
made aware of the hazards involved.
- Do not allow children to play with the appliance.
- Keep the iron and its mains cord out of the reach of
children aged 8 or under when the appliance is switched
on or cooling down.
- Children are not allowed to clean the appliance and
perform the Calc-Clean procedure without supervision.
- Do not let the mains cord and supply hose come into
contact with the hot soleplate of the iron.
- If steam or hot water droplets escape from under the
EASY DE-CALC knob when the appliance heats up, switch
off the appliance and let it cool down for 2 hours.Then
reinsert the EASY DE-CALC knob. If steam continues
to escape when the appliance heats up, switch off the
appliance and contact a service centre authorised by Philips.
- Do not remove the EASY DE-CALC knob from the
steam generator when the steam generator is still hot or
under pressure.
- Do not use any other cap on the steam generator than
the EASY DE-CALC knob that has been supplied with
the appliance.

- Only connect the appliance to an earthed wall socket.
- Always place and use the steam generator on a stable,
level and horizontal surface.
- Check the mains cord and the supply hose regularly for
possible damage.
- Fully unwind the mains cord before you plug it in the wall
socket.
- The iron platform and the soleplate of the iron can
become extremely hot and may cause burns if touched. If
you want to move the steam generator, do not touch the
iron platform.
- Always switch off the appliance and remove the plug from
the wall socket when you have nished ironing.
ENGLISH 5
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- Put the iron back on the iron platform, switch off the
appliance and remove the mains plug from the wall socket:
- a. when you have nished ironing
- b. when you clean the appliance
- b. when you ll or empty the water tank
- c. when you leave the iron, even if it is only for a short while
- Descale the steam generator regularly according to the
instructions in chapter ‘Cleaning and maintenance’.
- This appliance is intended for indoor household use only.

This Philips appliance complies with all standards regarding
electromagnetic elds (EMF). If handled properly and according
to the instructions in this user manual, the appliance is safe to
use based on scientic evidence available today.

- Do not throw away the appliance with the normal
household waste at the end of its life, but hand it in at an
ofcial collection point for recycling. By doing this, you help
to preserve the environment.
- To make recycling possible, the plastic parts used for this
appliance have been coded.The cardboard packaging is
made of 90% recycled material and is fully recyclable.

Thank you for buying this Philips steam generator.
- The new Philips PerfectCare offers you an innovative
way to iron your garments.We all know the fuss with
traditional irons: choosing the right temperature for your
tough and delicate fabrics, waiting for the iron to warm up
and cool down to avoid the risk of damaging clothes with
a too hot iron. Those hassles are things of the past with
the new Philips PerfectCare.
- In principle, wrinkle removal is done by transferring heat to
fabric. Historically, this was done with a very hot soleplate.
Then steam was added to enhance heat transfer, thus
making ironing much faster. Our research conrmed that
the best way to remove wrinkles effectively is a perfect
combination of intense steam and optimal soleplate
ENGLISH6
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temperature.The key to effective wrinkle removal is
the steam not the soleplate temperature.The soleplate
temperature needs to be just above the steam temperature
to remove any moisture.This is the optimal temperature.
- In the past, high amount of steam at this optimal
temperature would have led to water leakage.We
developed a unique patented cyclonic chamber to
maintain high-pressure steam that penetrates deep into
the fabric for fast ironing with no risk of water leakage.
- Ironing is now truly simple - no temperature adjustment,
no scorching, no waiting time on heating up and cooling
down. It is faster, no matter who does the ironing.With
this OptimalTemp technology, every single garment can be
ironed effectively and safely.
- This iron has been approved by The Woolmark
Company Pty Ltd for the ironing of wool only products
provided that the garments are ironed according to the
instructions on the garment label and those issued by
the manufacturer of this iron. R1101. In United Kingdom,
Eire, Hong Kong and India, the Woolmark trademark is a
Certication trademark.
ENGLISH 7
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
1 Steam supply hose
2 Iron platform
3 ECO button with light
4 On/off button with
power-on light
5 EASY DE-CALC light
6 User manual
7 Worldwide
guarantee leaet
8 Mains cord with plug
9 EASY DE-CALC knob
10 Supply hose storage
compartment
11 Water tank with
water level indication
12 Filling funnel lid
13 Carry lock release button
(specic types only)
14 Soleplate
15 Steam trigger/
Steam boost
16 ’Iron ready’ light/
‘Water tank empty’
ENGLISH8
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
This steam generator is intended for ironing and refreshing
fabrics only.
Remove all packaging material and stickers.
Remove the protective cover from the soleplate before you
use the steam generator.
Always place the steam generator on a stable and horizontal
surface.
Fill the water tank before every use (see chapter ‘Using your
steam generator’, section ‘Filling the water tank’).


Fill the water tank before every use, when the water level in
the water tank drops below the minimum level or when the
‘water tank empty’ light ashes quickly.
1 Openthellingfunnellid.
2 Fill the water tank with tap water up to the MAX
indication.
3 Properlyclosethellingfunnellid(‘click’).
Donotputhotwater,perfume,vinegar,starch,descaling
agents, ironing aids or other chemicals in the water tank, as
theappliancehasnotbeendesignedforthis.
Note: Do not tilt or shake the steam tank when the water tank is
full, otherwise water may escape from under the lling funnel lid.
ENGLISH 9
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Note: Do not ll the water tank beyond the MAX indication to
avoid spillage. If you have overlled the water tank, empty it until
the water level drops below the MAX indication again.
Tip: Your appliance has been designed to be used with tap
water. If you live in an area with very hard water, fast scale
build-up may occur. Therefore, it is recommended to mix 50%
distilled water and 50% tap water to prolong the lifetime of your
appliance. Do not use distilled water only, as it is slightly acidic
and may cause damage to your appliance. Do not put perfume,
vinegar, starch, descaling agents, ironing aids or other chemicals
in the water tank, as your appliance is not designed to work with
these chemicals.

1 Put the plug in an earthed wall socket.
2 Presstheon/offbuttontoswitchonthesteam
generator.
,The blue power-on light goes on.
ENGLISH10
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,The‘ironready’lightstartstoashslowlytoindicate
that the steam generator is heating up.
,Whenthesteamgeneratorisreadyforuse,the‘iron
ready’lightstopsashingandlightsupcontinuously.
Note: Water is pumped into the boiler inside the steam
generator, which causes the steam generator to produce a
pumping sound. This is normal.

1 Press the carry lock release button to unlock the iron
fromtheironplatform.

The OptimalTemp technology enables you to iron all types
of ironable fabrics, in any order, without adjusting the iron
temperature or steam setting.
Fabrics with these symbols are ironable, for example linen,
cotton, polyester, silk, wool, viscose, rayon.
ENGLISH 11
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Fabrics with this symbol are not ironable.These fabrics
include synthetic fabrics such as Spandex or elastane,
Spandex-mixed fabrics and polyolens (e.g. polypropylene),
but also prints on garments.

1 Unfoldyourironingboardandsetittotheappropriate
height.
2 Place the garment you want to steam iron on the
ironing board.
3 Youcanstartironingwhenthe‘ironready’lightstops
ashingandlightsupcontinuously.
There are three ways to iron:
1 Ironing without steam
2 Steam ironing by using the steam trigger (see section
‘Steam trigger’ below).
3 Steam ironing by using the steam boost function (see
section ‘Steam boost function’ below).

- Press and hold the steam trigger to start steam ironing.
ENGLISH12
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
- Press the steam trigger twice quickly and release it within
1 second to activate the steam boost function. In this
mode, the system will deliver a high continuous steam
output.This makes it unnecessary for you to press the
steam trigger continuously, which improves your ironing
experience.

Steam iron in vertical position to remove wrinkles from
hanging clothes
- Hold the iron in vertical position, press the steam trigger
and touch the garment lightly with the soleplate.
Tip: Pull the garment with one hand to stretch it for more
effective wrinkle removal.
Hotsteamisemittedfromtheiron.Neverattemptto
removewrinklesfromagarmentwhilesomeoneiswearing
it.Donotapplysteamnearyourorsomeoneelse’sbodyto
preventburns.
Note: Regularly water is pumped into the boiler inside the steam
generator again, which causes the steam generator to produce a
pumping sound. This is normal.

- When you put down the iron during ironing, put it on the
iron platform.
- You can also place the iron with its soleplate on the
ironing board. If you put down the iron horizontally, this
puts less stress on your wrist.Thanks to the OptimalTemp
technology, the hot soleplate does not damage the ironing
board.
ENGLISH 13
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
During ironing, you can use the ECO mode to save energy
but still have sufcient steam to iron all your garments.
Note: For the best results, we advise you to use the
‘OptimalTemp’ mode.
1 Press the ECO button when the appliance is switched
on.The light in the ECO button goes on.
2 Togobacktothe‘OptimalTemp’mode,presstheECO
button again.


Start wrinkle removal early in the drying process by
spreading out your laundry properly after washing and by
putting garments on hangers to make them dry naturally with
fewer wrinkles.

Start with the time-consuming parts like collar, cuff links and
sleeves. Next, iron the bigger parts like front and back to
prevent wrinkling the bigger parts when you are busy ironing
the time-consuming parts.
 When you iron a collar, start on its underside and
work from the outside (the pointy end) inwards. Turn over
and repeat. Fold down the collar and press the edge for a
more crisp nish.
Iron on the reverse side of the buttons for more
effective and faster ironing.

- To save energy, the steam generator switches off
automatically when it has not been used for 10 minutes.
- To reactivate the steam generator, press the on/off button.
The steam generator starts to heat up again.
ENGLISH14
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
To properly maintain your appliance, clean the iron and the
steam generator regularly.
1 Clean the appliance with a moist cloth.
2 Toeasilyandeffectivelyremovestains,letthesoleplate
heatupandmovetheironoveramoistcloth.
Tip: Clean the soleplate regularly to ensure smooth gliding.




The EASY DE-CALC light ashes after about a month or 10
ironing sessions to indicate that the steam generator needs
to be descaled. Perform the following descaling procedure
before you use the steam generator again.
1 Presstheon/offbuttontoswitchoffthe
.
2 Removetheplugfromthewallsocket.
3 Letthesteamgeneratorcooldownfor2hours.
ENGLISH 15
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4 Placethesteamgeneratorontheedgeofthetable.
5 Hold a cup under the EASY DE-CALC knob and turn
the knob anti-clockwise.
6 RemovetheEASYDE-CALCknobandletthewater
withscaleparticlesowintothecup.
7 Whennomorewatercomesoutofthesteam
generator, reinsert the EASY DE-CALC knob and turn it
clockwise to tighten it.
NeverremovetheEASYDE-CALCknobwhenthesteam
generator is hot.
Make sure the EASY DE-CALC knob is properly tightened
afterdescaling.
Tip: You can also take the steam generator to a sink and place it
in such a way that the EASY DE-CALC knob points towards the
sink.
Note: This steam generator is specially designed to easily
and effectively remove scale together with the water. It is not
necessary to shake or tilt the steam generator.
ENGLISH16
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
If you do not descale your steam generator regularly when
the EASY DE-CALC light goes ON, scale starts building up
inside the supply hose, the iron and the soleplate.This may
cause brown spots on your clothes due to scale particles.You
can still remove the scale by following the instructions below.
1 Clean the soleplate with a damp cloth.
2 TiltthesteamgeneratorandremovetheEASYDE-
CALC knob. Fill the water tank with 500ml distilled
water and tighten the EASY DE-CALC knob.
3 Presstheon/offbuttontoswitchonthesteam
generatorandwaitfor5minutes.
4 Press the steam trigger and keep it pressed while you
ironapieceofthickclothinaback-and-forthmotion
for3minutes.
Warning:Hot,dirtywatercomesoutofthesoleplate.
5 You can stop cleaning when no more water comes out
ofthesoleplateorwhensteamstartscomingoutofthe
soleplate.
6 Presstheon/offbuttontoswitchoffthesteam
generator.
ENGLISH 17
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7 Letthesteamgeneratorcooldownfor2hours.
8 RemovetheEASYDE-CALCknobandletthewater
owintoacup.

1 Switchoffthesteamgenerator.
2 Removetheplugfromthewallsocket.
3 Pourthewateroutofthewatertankintothesink.
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4 Specictypesonly:Locktheironontotheironplatform.
5 Fold the supply hose.
6 Passtheloopofthesupplyhosebehindthestorage
hook(1)andinsertitintothestoragecompartment
(2).Pushtherestofthesupplyhoseintothestorage
compartment(3).
7 Foldthemainscord(1)andfastenitwiththeVelcro
strip(2).
8 Carry the steam generator by holding it with both
hands on either side.
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20
9 Specictypesonly:Carrythesteamgeneratorby
holdingitbythehandleoftheironwithonehandand
supporting the bottom with the other hand.
This only applies to types with carry lock.

This chapter summarises the most common problems you
could encounter with the appliance. If you are unable to
solve the problem with the information below, contact the
Consumer Care Centre in your country.
Problem Possible cause Solution
Dirty water
and impurities
come out of
the soleplate or
the soleplate is
dirty.
Impurities or chemicals
present in the water have
deposited in the steam
vents and/or on the
soleplate.
Clean the soleplate with a damp cloth
(see chapter ‘IMPORTANT - DESCAL-
ING’, section ‘Descaling the soleplate of
the iron’).
The ironing
board cover
becomes wet
or there are
water droplets
on the garment
during ironing.
This may be caused by
steam condensing on the
ironing board cover after
a long ironing session.
Replace the ironing board cover if the
foam material has worn out.You can
also add an extra layer of felt mate-
rial under the ironing board cover to
prevent condensation on the ironing
board.You can buy felt in a fabric shop.
You may have an ironing
board cover that is not
designed to cope with
the high steam rate of the
steam generator.
Put an extra layer of felt material under
the ironing board cover to prevent
condensation on the ironing board.You
can buy felt in a fabric shop.
Water droplets
come out of
the soleplate.
The steam that was still
present in the hose has
cooled down and con-
densed into water.This
causes water droplets to
come out of the soleplate.
Point the steam ow away from the
garment for a few seconds.
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