L'Oréal is a renowned brand for making high-performance, quality products. This is particularly the case for its straightening irons which are often used in hairdressing salons. However, like any electronic device, it can happen that one fine day, without warning, it encounters a malfunction. Your Steampod no longer steams? Unfortunately, this problem is relatively common. But that doesn't necessarily mean that your straightener is dead! So, without further ado, discover the solutions to try to solve the problem on your own.
Why is your Steampod hair straightener no longer steaming?
When your Steampod hair straightener no longer produces steam, several causes can be at the origin of it.
In most cases, the problem problem stems from a obstruction related to tartar buildup in the piping of the L'Oréal straightener. And the good news is that this breakdown is easily repairable without even having a handyman's soul!
The problem can also come from a component failure such as resistance, pumps, electronic card or the connectors. In this case, unfortunately the manipulations will require some electrical clearances.
Finally, before anything else when your Steampod no longer produces steam, you will need to carry out some basic checks:
- Check that the water tank is full. Note that when the reservoir drops below 1/4 of its maximum capacity, the amount of vapor produced may already begin to drop.
- Check that the water tank is not leaking. If so, disconnect the device from its power source immediately to avoid the risk of electric shock. It will then be necessary replace tank.
What to do when your Steampod stops producing steam?
When your Steampod stops steaming, first descale it before testing its components.
Descale the Steampod straightener
Si your Steampod straightener turns on, the plates are hot but there is no steam, there is a good chance that it is in fact clogged with pie. Indeed, the water is naturally provided with limestone. When this mineral substance is heated, and in particular at a temperature above 60°C, it solidifies and is deposited on the walls and objects that it encounters. These limestone deposits, better known as "pie", then leave whitish traces on your household appliances, pipes and surfaces. Over time, if the lime deposits are not cleaned, they accumulate.
As a result, your Steampod straightener becomes more and more scaled up and little by little, the piping and the steam outlet nozzles will then be clogged. At first, you may notice a decrease in the amount of vapor, until you don't see any at all. To avoid this, you will need to clean the piping and nozzles of your Steampod straightener by doing the following:
- Fill the tank with half white vinegar (or household vinegar or a descaling product) and half water.
- Warm up the device for a few minutes.
- Glue the plates together for about 1 minute to activate the steam and that the water circulates in all the ducts of the straightener.
- If your Steampod still does not produce steam, repeat the operation several times (up to ten times) because the ducts and nozzles may be heavily scaled. Be careful, let your straightener cool down for 20 minutes before starting the operation again.
If the procedure worked, and your straightener is producing steam again, empty the vinegar tank, rinse it with clean water and refill it with water. You can use your Steampod straightener again without any problem!
If the procedure did not work, the problem may then come from a hardware failure. In this case, electrical clearances will certainly be necessary to repair the malfunction.
Note: To prevent this problem from happening again, note that it is best touse demineralised water, which contains very little limestone precisely to avoid this kind of problem with domestic appliances that use steam. You can find it on online merchant sites. Also clean the appliance regularly using vinegar or descaling agent.
Check the components of your Steampod straightener
Unfortunately, if descaling did not allow your straightener to work normally again, it is very likely that a component failure is the cause of the problem. In this case, the straightener will have to be disassembled, electrically test the components likely to be faulty one by one, then replace the faulty component with a similar reference. Unfortunately, some electrical clearances and specific equipment (gloves and antistatic mats) are required to electrically test the device once disassembled because manipulations present a risk of electrocution. In addition, following incorrect handling, you risk further damaging the device (short circuit).
You will have understood it, if you do not have electrical skills, call on a person who has them or on a professional.
Important: If your Steampod straightener that no longer steams is still under warranty (2 years manufacturer in France), do not disassemble the device as this will make you lose your warranty rights. Immediately call the After-sales service Steampod (Rowenta). You should get the straightener repaired or replaced free of charge.
Check straightener pump
When your Steampod hair straightener no longer produces steam, the problem may also be with the pumps present in the tank. Indeed, it pumps the water from the tank to return it to the straightener and therefore to the heating plates. If the water no longer reaches the plates, then they will not be able to produce steam. This failure is all the more likely if you no longer hear the noise of the pump supposed to come from the water tank of your Steampod.
To check that the pump is working correctly on the Steampod 1.0 and 2.0, unplug the tank from the power socket, open the water tank by removing the screws located on the underside and then remove the casing. For the steam pod 3.0, remove the base that supports the water tank (4 screws to be removed). Reconnect the power to the device, being careful not to touch the electronic components. Check if the pump motor rotates by closing the two plates against each other. By transparency, you should see the engine running. If the pump motor does not spin, runs jerkily, or water is ejected only a few centimeters, the pump is probably faulty. It will then have to be replaced.
You can either buy the pump as a spare part and replace it on your current water tank, or buy the whole tank if the part is not available.
Check resistance
If you find that your Steampod straightener does not produce steam and its plates do not heat up or that one of them does not heat up, it's a safe bet that the plate resistances are broken. Indeed, the resistance is the component that allows your straightener to heat up. If they are defective, the plates no longer heat up and steam can no longer be produced.
The resistance is located at the level of the plates of the straightener. It will therefore be necessary to open the straightener by removing the main screw which is located at the level of the handle using a screwdriver. Then remove the 8 small screws that are inside the plates (4 on each side). You can then test the resistors with a multimeter set to ohmmeter. Attention, this manipulation is done without power. If the failure comes from the resistance, it will then have to be replaced using pliers and a soldering iron so that your straightener can heat up and produce steam again.
Test the electronic card
When your straightener stops steaming, it may also be that the problem comes from the electronic card. This transmits power and information to the other components of the device. If it is faulty, the other elements of the straightener will then also no longer function correctly.
To electronically test the card, you will need to open the water tank of the straightener (Stampod 1.0 and 2.0) or the central part of the straightener (Steampod 3.0) then test the input and output voltages of the card with a multimeter set to voltmeter . The card's input supply voltage should be approximately the same as the card's output voltages (about 220V). If the output voltages are not correct, then the card is defective and it will have to be replaced with a similar reference.
Call a professional
Si you have been unable to determine why your Steampod hair straightener has a steam problem or that you are not skilled in handling, we advise you to call a professional. Indeed, it is that the problem comes from one of the components mentioned above, but also from a connector that is defective.
If your L'Oréal hair straightener still has the right to guarantee (minimum 2 years in France), contact the after-sales service of the appliance retailer or the Rowenta after-sales service. You can also go directly to a Rowenta authorized service center near you. Before going there, we advise you to call the center chosen to make sure that they take care of the service.
If your device is no longer under warranty, you can either contact an independent repairer, the dealer's after-sales service or go to a brand service center by having contacted them beforehand. In any case, you will have to pay the cost of the repair. So don't forget to ask for a quote.
Read also: Common and resolved problems with hairdressing appliances
My steampod worked fine and I traveled in a province with the same voltage as always 220. I plugged it in and it didn't turn on anymore. What could be the problem?