Philips PerfectCare Aqua does not pump [SOLVED]

The PerfectCare Aqua is a steam generator iron made by Philips. My model GC8620 had a strange problem: it would heat up the iron and I could hear the steam chamber heating up also, but when I pressed the trigger on the iron (after the steam chamber made no more noise and it was at the right temperature), the pump would not work. No water being pumped to the steam chamber meant no steam šŸ™

Let’s dig deeper and try to find the culprit and repair this…

The printed circuit board looked very clean, no discolorations or defective looking components. The solder side (underside) is coated with conformal coating, not a stupid idea, water and electricity are not friends.

When I bridged the blue wire coming from the pump (point 9008 Blue Wire Pump Ctrl) to neutral (point 9003 Flex Neutral), the pump worked, so I suspected it had to be the board.

The Service Manual is not very helpful, it only indicates part 39 as the Power board PCB-Pump service kit with service code 4239 022 67101. The PCB has marking FLORIDA CONTROL BOARD V3). The power board is sold together with the pump for about ā‚¬80. You can also get the board alone (423902267101) for about ā‚¬65, but still a bit pricey if probably only one simple component on the board is defective!

When I measured the DC voltages on the board I noticed the 5V rail sagging frequently to about 3,5V and the 54V rail sagged to about 21V. Before going down the rabbit hole and looking for a defective component suspect of pulling the voltage supply down, I decided to take a closer look to at the power supply circuitry.

The DC power supply is made up of a simple capacitive dropper: Resistor 3001 (56R) in series with capacitor 2002 (0,47ĀµF) is being rectifiedĀ  via diode 8001 to buffer capacitor 2003 (100ĀµF). I desoldered capacitor 2002 and bingo: I measured only about 100nF and that is not OK.

MPX ETC X2 0.47ĀµF 275V

After replacing capacitor 2002 with a new one, the pump worked again! I decided to go for a WĆ¼rth Elektronik 890334025039CS: 0,47ĀµF X2 310V (in stead of the 275V original). Make sure you get an X2 MKP (Metallized Polypropylene Film).

This solution should also apply to other Philips PerfectCare Aqua models:

  • GC8615/02
  • GC8630/02
  • GC8635/02
  • GC8620/02
  • GC8622/20
  • GC8636/02
  • GC8640/02

62 thoughts on “Philips PerfectCare Aqua does not pump [SOLVED]

  1. Hi Lieven,

    Thank you for your sharing !
    -> I repair my friend’s GC8620 , falling in the same issue
    Capacitor 470nF / 275 was dead too !

    some more comment :
    On my friend’s one, the steam seemed to be ok (steam go out), but after a while (2-3min) of power on, the machine go off and that’s all …
    a new pushing on the button, the machine do the same cycle …

    I checked the -5V, found 4Volt, when powered on, the Voltage drop to 2.3V.

    the 45V was also a bit low : 43V (when powered on else nothing)

    replacing the same capa as yours (found a scrap 470nF 250V for testing šŸ˜‰
    Bingo, the machine do no more self stop after 2-3 min ! šŸ™‚

    it is also good to say : when not in use : ALWAYS remove the power from the outlet wall !

    measuring the dead capacitor : >> 20nf .

    regards

      1. Yes, you will have to open the case. You will probably need a screwdriver with a fitting Torx head for that.

    1. Steam not coming out but iron is hot , I changed the pump still not steaming, how I know problem is capacitor or selenoid?
      Thank you

      1. As described in my article, you could try to measure the DC voltages on the board. But watch out, there are live voltages on that board! Or you could just do what I did: replace the capacitor. Or desolder it and measure it first.

  2. Found you page via Google as our 4.5 year old Philips Perfectcare Aqua was having the same issue. Didn’t have testers for the capacitor so got a similar capacitor from the local hardware store, soldered the new one in place and it seems to be working fine now.
    Total cost : Australian $3.50.

    Thanks so much for sharing your solution. I really liked how this steam station works and would probably have replaced it with a similar one (still selling here for almost $300!)

    1. What’s the name of your hardware store? I am having a problem getting one. I am in Aust jaycar don’t have a listing. Thanks

  3. My iron auzer not working when turn on it show light but iron not heat up need help

  4. Hi thank you for the comment it is very valuable . I have the same problem so I did the same following your instructions as I am not good at Electronics.However it did not work when I replaced the capacitor so I believe the root cause was not the same. As soon as I opened the device and took a look at the Florida electronic board I realized there was a missing part (at least it seemed to me). There was two written (IDENTIFIED) parts: “high” and “low”. At the “low” there was no part OR WIRE, and it seems there was missing something, some connection. The “high” identified part was just a wire, a high wire. Do you have the same at your boards? Is this a possible flaw? Thanks in advance!

          1. Jan, this is a blog article about the repair of a specific problem with a Philips iron. This is not a repair forum, please keep it relevant. I suggest you try searching the web with the model and the problem.

        1. Sorry appreciate the time you’ve took to read my messages and also told me what you think I should do thank you

  5. Hello
    When I hit the power button it gives a fast clicking sound near the boiler unit, then turns off…
    Dose anyone know what the problem may be ?
    Cheers
    Paul

  6. hello , my iron steam starts work after the green light . but now the green light isn’t working! It works for less than asecond then it turns off! Theres heat but no steam, we sometimes forgot to switch the iron off after we finish for houres and i think that caused to this problem ? I hope you to help me or give suggestion please ? (sorry for my bad English)

    1. Be sure to check the voltages on the PCB, but be careful, it is connected to live mains!

      When I measured the DC voltages on my board I noticed the 5V rail sagging frequently to about 3,5V and the 54V rail sagged to about 21V.

  7. Hello, I am very happy that it is a place you can rais your problems.
    I have a power steamer iron Morphy Richards Model 42580
    problem: the steam does not get out, I checked the pump, and the steam valve under direct line they worked OK. so it looks like a problem with the electronic circuit but i don’t know how to check it and need help.
    Thank you in advance.
    Nenad

    1. On this blog I share my personal experiences with electronics and computers. Sometimes I can fix something and if I can help somebody with sharing that information, I am a happy person. But I am no support technician and this website is not a technical support forum. So I advise you to look in other places.

  8. Hi Lieven,

    Thank you for details about repair older model of philips steam iron, i could only
    say that this can be fully applied to new model GC9642 even if the board is different.
    Stellar Power Board VER4.0 WK 1510 but it also suffers from same issue as older series.
    In my case the iron stopped spraying steam when switch was pressed, i could hear
    boiler inside generating steam after temperature achieved beep was there but after switch press nothing.

    Between black and blue wire for pump there is capacitor MKP62 275 X2 473M 40/110/56B (0,047uF) but i measured it 0,033uF soldered out of the board.
    As it was on pump output I have changed it with new which i measured 0,045uF
    And voila the iron is steaming again with no problem.
    Buuu for you philips….new ver of board but old issue….

    1. Djadjo, happy to read your comments. Pity that Philips still has not solved this problem. I have noticed the older irons had a physical on/off power switch but on the “modern” irons the electronics are continuously powered when the iron is plugged in, possibly wearing out the capacitive dropper due to some low quality parts. Have a nice 2019 and keep on repairing!

    2. @Djadjo I was really happy to find your comment, as my steam generator is almost the same version (GC9630) and the symptoms of the problem also identical, thanks for sharing that with us!
      So I bought new capacitors (MKP62 275 X2 474M 40/110/56B) which is slightly larger in size, but seems to have similar characteristics.
      Unfortunately replacing the capacitor didn’t fix the problem for me šŸ™
      I guess need to check more capacitors for failure.
      Just to mention that I can hear the pump functioning fine, and also when I push the steam button there is a clicking sound inside the generator (probably the opening mechanism for the steam valve), but unfortunately no steam.
      Please suggest if you have any ideas.
      Many thanks.

      1. An update to my story.
        After buying a polymeter, I discovered that MKP62 275 X2 474M is 0.47uF and not 0.047uF
        Will update you in couple of days when receive the right capacitor.

        Regards

          1. Hi my Philips GC 8220 steam generator The plate heated up but no steam and the button ,+ and – no light and doesn’t function please help

  9. Looks like our more recent GC9540 has a similar problem. How did you remove the plastic coating from the test points? Scratching with the probes doesnt seem to remove enough for a good connection.

    1. Maybe the plastic coating is thicker or harder to remove on some models. The only advice I can give is “try harder”. Maybe scratching it off with a sharp knife or something. Success!

  10. I stuck trying to reach the motherboard. How to open the case? I need guidance. Model gc 9622

    1. You probably need to loosen the screws from the bottom. You will need a torx (star) screwdriver for that. Good luck and remember: don’t be scared to try, it’s already broken anyway šŸ™‚

      1. Philips gc 7035 system ,power on ,but after a while it stops , the 3 led in front start blinking from right to left ,diong nothing else.

        Any ideas?

  11. Hello, I have the same issue. After a few seconds the system turns off. I have replaced capacitor 2002 (0,47ĀµF X2 310V) and it worked fine for 1 day, then the problem restarted. So, I replaced the capacitor for the second time (again with a new one) and it worked fine for 2 days. Then the same problem restarted (turns off after afew seconds). Should I replace the two other capacitors as well? Thanks.

    1. New capacitors do not cost a lot of money, so you can always give that try. It’s also possible that you are experiencing another problem.

      1. I decided to replace all 3 capacitors and also the 2 PCB relays (24VDC 16A) at the same time, they don’t cost much and I had to pay for the capacitors shipping anyway. Now it’s working fine.

  12. Thanks for this write up – you’ve given me a glimmer of hope at the final hour. I’ve struggled getting hold of a similar capacitor so went for this instead ‘MKP62 0.47uF 474M 275V X2 no polarity AC thin film capacitor’ which was for sale on eBay. Hopefully this will get my iron back to life and if not i’ll just have to stick with plan A which was to buy a new one!

  13. Hi,
    I have a Philip’s perfectcare gc9220. It’s not giving steam. It is heating though. Steam is getting generated but there’s no steam output.
    Every time I press the trigger button, the power indicator button dims and when I release the trigger it brightens up again.
    Please tell me which part is to be replaced.
    Many thanks

    1. Amjad, this is a blog article about the repair of a specific problem with a Philips iron. This is not a repair forum, please keep it relevant. I suggest you try searching the web with the model and the problem.

  14. Hi,
    a couple days ago our steam generator Philips, version GC9630/20, Stellar control board ver4.0 WK1510 stopped produce steam.

    Startup sequence is executed normally, LEDs on iron and steam generator
    are fading blue color, the iron and steam chamber are being hot, when needed the water pump run, after approx. 2 minutes . LEDs are on.

    I could hear the steam chamber heating up also, but when I pressed the trigger on the iron, there is only clicking sound inside the generator but no steam, even if steam chamber is hot and under pressure. The sound isn’t issued by steam valve, but some relay.

    Because the steam valve was suspisious element No.1, so I connected it directly to 240V. And I was cheated by this appliance – the steam was released from steam chamber, so I supposed, the steam valve is OK!!! But I was wrong.

    This valve is controlled by 1A triac. I cannot detect any failure with it and belonged parts, so I made one more test – I connected 1K5/15W resistor (outside appliance), to steam valve by thin leads (through screw-hole in the bottom). After startup process it was all clear – 240V on resistor, every time I pressed button – broke winding of steam valve coil . Good winding has resistance (for DC current) approx 1K3.
    In my case wasn’t necessary to replace whole valve, only coil.
    BTW : two MKP capacitors on this board (100nF and 47nF/275V~) have no influence for function – only for interference elimination (100nF) and triac protection (47nF – induction load).

  15. We have GC9630 phillips. Tested and found part faulty labeled Z3M G E712. I searched but unable to find this. Any idea from where I can buy that??

  16. Sorry. Forgot to mention. We are based in UK but I dont mind ordering it from abroad if needed. It is Triac thyristor

      1. Thanks. Triacs are available but not exactly same model. Can you guide how can I find compatible one?? Model we need is

        Z3M
        G
        E712

        Wrote in 3 lines as on Triac.

  17. Thanks for all help. We fixed it many days ago and we bought one from ebay (Some German Seller)

    CEME 6628 CEME 688 Magnetventil 230V kompatibel mit Magnetventil Jiayn JYZ-5

    Worked like a charm. Thanks.

    Kashif
    https://mitrecyclers.com

  18. Hello, we have a Philips GC7540 here that would steam and pump, steam deminishes and stops. Whenever you press the button you can hear an internal click from a relay or something, but the pump will no longer come on. Anyone any ideas?

    1. So I opened it up.

      First off, how to check the power rails?

      Second how does the pump get activated?

      Sometimes when we first start using the machine the pump funtions just fine, but will stop working after a few minutes. Am I correct in saying this cant be an issue with the caps but is most likely the microcontroller/control board acting up?

  19. Hi – thanks for this article. Can confirm I’m having the same / similar issues and also suspect something on the PCB, you’ve given me some hope for a fix!

    Now I’m an electronics novice, but I do have a multimeter and a soldering iron so I decided to investigate the capacitors you mention. I’ve desoldered several but they actually test ok. Have also removed resistor 3001 and tested this, all ok. My issue is that the iron steams fine for around 1-2 minutes and then stops, so it’s something to do with it warming up, some component is failing under heat I suspect.

    I think possibly relay as there is no clicking noise when the steam stops working but these look tricky to desolder. Will be trying though

    My question – if I decide to replace the power board due to making the problem worse, do you have any ideas where I could get one from? I realise it’s some years since you wrote the article but I can’t seem to find one stocked anywhere – am UK based but don’t mind ordering from wherever I can

    For now I’m going to order the components I’ve already desoldered, no point putting the same ones back on and will see how I get on. Fingers crossed

    1. Alltough the components may measure OK, it is still possible the DC voltage rail may sag under load. But do make sure you measure the voltage safely, there is 240V on that PCB!

  20. Tengo una plancha gc8635, el problema es que parpadea un led azul todo el rato. Al medir los rieles de alimentacion el primero me da bien que es -5V, pero el segundo riel que deberia ser de 45V no estan presentes me da 0V. los condensadores lo he cambiado no son MKP, podria ser ese el problema?

    1. I only share my story here, this is not a support forum. If you replaced the capacitors with other types that could be the problem. A new capacitor is not expensive, give it a try.

  21. Best regards, my product is Philips perfect care expert, when I turned it on it will give sound as if it’s boiling water but it won’t steam. I also noticed the valves that connect the iron and the board that usually hot while work just remained cold. Also the “easy de-calc” portion produces more water while boiling. Please what can I do?

    1. I only share my story here, this is not a support forum. Maybe my article can give you some clues on how to debug your situation.

  22. Main components are water pump to get the water from the reservoir to the heating chamber, heating element to heat the water in the chamber and then solenoid to let the steam out of the chamber when you want it.
    To test each one without dismantling;
    When cold drain the steam chamber by removing decalc plug then refitting. Fill the reservoir and turn on and put your finger at the water line on the reservoir and check that the water level reduces due to the pump sending water to the steam chamber. If it does then the pump is fine and if it doesnā€™t reduce then the pump isnā€™t working.
    Wait for the iron to indicate ready and feel the temperature of the decalc plug. If itā€™s hot then the heating element is working and if the iron indicated ready then the heating thermostat is also working.
    The solenoid is then the likely issue, as it was with my iron. I removed the screws from the bottom of the iron and the top lifts off and I could put the reservoir back into position with the top removed. I then filled the reserviour and turned the unit on until it indicated ready. While holding the steam switch down I held a small screwdriver next to the nut at the end of the solenoid. If it was working it would generate a magnetic field and Iā€™d feel the screwdriver pulled to the nut. This is how the solenoid works – when itā€™s powered, a magnetic field is created and pulls a steel piston towards it and allows the steam to pass, when power is removed, a spring pushes the piston back against back against a rubber seal and blocks the steam path.
    In my case there was no magnetism so I suspect a wire in the solenoid coil was broken. I got a new off eBay, also listed on AliExpress, for AU$30.
    Had to unscrew the steam inlet a bit and then replaced just the coil, not the whole fitting otherwise I would have also had to remove the thermostat which was in the way.
    Works fine now and I didnā€™t have to check or replace any electronic parts.
    FYI I removed the piston to check for scale and there was a little so I cleaned it and the tube with vinegar but it would have had to be a lot lot more scale before it could have caused a blockage.

  23. This is a great resource and I really want to thank you for the incredibly useful information.

    I had the problem of steam not coming out when the trigger was pressed so using your guide I replaced the capacitor in my iron as it’s reading was significantly lower than 47nF. That didn’t solve the problem so I moved on to testing and eventually replacing the solenoid.

    This almost solved my problem. Unfortunately what seems to be happening now is that when I press the trigger for steam I do get steam but the trigger latches open and won’t close again. When I press the trigger again I hear the solenoid actuating but steam still keeps coming out. If I press the trigger enough times it does eventually shut off the steam.

    Please could anyone suggest what I should check next to try and remedy this problem?

    1. A bit more information on this issue: I put a meter across the solenoid terminals and it read around 82v when the iron was fully heated and ready to go. When I press the trigger I get around 230v as I would expect but then when I release the trigger it drops to around 150v which looks like it isn’t enough to close the solenoid so steam continues to flow. If I then pull the trigger again it goes to 230v again and releasing it drops it back to 150v again. If I double press the trigger the it latches on as it should (230v across terminals) and another press releases it again but it still only drops to 150v.

      Any suggestions about what I could test or check next would be really appreciated please.

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