Sunbeam 3981 User Manual

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Auto-Off

Steam Iron

USER M

ANUAL

Model

3981

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When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should always
be followed, including the following:

❑

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING THIS IRON.

❑ Use iron only for its intended use.
❑ To protect against risk of electric shock, do not immerse the iron

in water or other liquids.

❑ The iron should always be turned to “OFF” before plugging or

unplugging from outlet. Never yank cord to disconnect from outlet;
instead, grasp plug and pull to disconnect.

❑ Do not allow cord to touch hot surfaces. Let iron cool completely

before putting away. Loop cord loosely around iron when storing.

❑ Always disconnect iron from electrical outlet when filling with water

or emptying and when not in use.

❑

Do not operate iron with a damaged cord or if the iron has been
dropped or damaged. To avoid the risk of electric shock, do not
disassemble the iron. Take it to an authorized service center for
examination and/or repair. Incorrect reassembly can cause a risk
of electric shock when the iron is used.

❑ Close supervision is necessary for any appliance being used by

or near children. Do not leave iron unattended while connected
or on an ironing board.

❑ Burns can occur from touching hot metal parts, hot water or steam.

Use caution when you turn a steam iron upside down – there may be
hot water in the reservoir.

❑ If the iron is not operating normally, disconnect from the power supply

and have the iron serviced by an authorized service center.

❑ Your SUNBEAM

®

iron is designed to rest on the heel rest. Do not leave
the iron unattended. Do not set the iron on an unprotected surface,
even if it is on its heel rest.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

WELCOME

Congratulations on the purchase of your SUNBEAM®Iron! Sunbeam
has designed your iron to provide the utmost in quality, ease of use
and convenience. Sunbeam offers you an iron to fit your lifestyle:

SUNBEAM®irons offer the following features:

❑ Auto-Off – Automatically turns the iron off if it is not moved

after 15 minutes in the upright position or after 30 seconds
in the ironing position.

❑ Non-Stick Surface – Prevents starch residue and fabrics from sticking

to the bottom, making the iron easier to clean.

❑ 360° Tangle-Free Cord – Keeps the power cord off the fabric

and out of your way, whether you are right or left handed.

❑ SPRAY MIST

for creases or to remove wrinkles from heavy fabrics.

❑ Large Water Fill Hole with Cover – Allows you to fill the water

reservoir faster while reducing water spills and drips.

❑ Comfortable Ergonomic Handle – Provides a more comfortable grip

and easy handling.

❑ Power “ON” Indicator Light – Lights while the iron is heating

and turns off when iron has reached appropriate temperature.

®

– Provides a fine mist of water to dampen fabrics

❑ Adjustable Steam Dial – Adjusts steam level for difficult ironing

needs. For dry ironing, turn Steam dial to DRY.

❑ Soleplate – Has full-length steam button grooves for added

convenience when ironing shirts and blouses.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

❑ This is a 1200-Watt appliance.* To avoid a circuit overload, do not operate

another high wattage appliance on the same circuit.

❑ If an extension cord is absolutely necessary, a 10-ampere cord should be used.

Cords rated for less amperage may overheat. Care should be taken to arrange
the cord so that it cannot be pulled or tripped over.

For Products Purchased in the United States

To reduce the risk of electrical shock, this appliance has a polarized plug (one
blade is wider than the other). This plug fits a polarized outlet only one way; if

the plug does not fit fully into the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit,
contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to defeat this safety feature.

*In Mexico, the iron runs at 127 Volts, 1350 Watts. If an extension cord is necessary,
a 13-Ampere cord should be used.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Important Safeguards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Cover

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Features of Your Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Filling the Water Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Dry Ironing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Steam Ironing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Using the Iron’s Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

SPRAY MIST® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Auto-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Caring for Your Iron After Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Turning Off Your Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Storing Your Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Maintaining Your Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cleaning the Soleplate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Ironing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Ironing Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

One-Year Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How to Obtain Warranty Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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FEATURES OF YOUR STEAM IRON

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1. SPRAY MIST®Button

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2. Power “ON” Indicator Light

3. Power Cord

4. Heel Rest

5. Large Water Reservoir

6. Fabric/Temperature Select Dial

7. Soleplate

8. Easy-to-Fill Water Tank with Cover

9. Adjustable Steam Dial

10. Steam Vents

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Filling the Water Reservoir

You must fill the water reservoir with water to use the SPRAY MIST®feature
and to get steam out of your iron.

Tip: Sunbeam tests each iron at the factory to ensure that they function
correctly. The test may leave a small, harmless amount of water within
the water reservoir.

Before you fill the water reservoir, please consider the following:

❑ While this iron was designed for use with tap water, very hard water

will reduce the performance of the iron. If your water is very hard,
Sunbeam recommends that you use tap water the first time, then
consider using demineralized or distilled water for subsequent use.
You should use tap water once a month, however, to maintain the
iron’s optimal steam performance.

❑ Do not use water that has passed through a home water softening

system. This type of water contains minerals that will decrease the
performance and shorten the life of your iron. Use demineralized or
distilled water, instead.

IMPORTANT:

Select dial to OFF.

To fill the water reservoir:

1. Make sure the iron is unplugged and that the Fabric Select dial is set
to OFF and the Steam Control is set to DRY.

2. Open water reservoir cover and hold the iron at an angle.

3. Fill the water reservoir with tap water until it reaches the maximum
fill level (6.8 ounces).

WARNING: To prevent the risk of burns, be careful when filling a hot iron
with water. Hot metal parts, hot water and steam can cause injuries.

4. Close the water reservoir cover.

When not ironing, always set the Steam dial and the Fabric

Dry Ironing

1. Plug the cord into a 120-Volt AC outlet.

2. Make sure that the Steam dial is set to DRY.

3. Turn the Fabric Select dial to the Dry ironing fabric setting you desire
(Silk or Synthetics) and allow the iron to heat for 2 minutes.
While the iron is heating, make sure it is sitting on its heel rest
on a stable, protected surface.

Tip: Refer to the Ironing Guide on Page 11 for the recommended setting
for your fabric.

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Steam Ironing

1. Follow the instructions for “Filling the Water Reservoir” on Page 6.

2.

Plug the cord into a 120-Volt AC outlet.

3. Turn the Fabric Select dial to the Steam ironing fabric setting you
desire (Linen, Cotton or Wool) and allow the iron to heat for 2 minutes.
While the iron is heating, make sure it is sitting on its heel rest on a
stable, protected surface.

Tip: Refer to the Ironing Guide on Page 11 for the recommended setting
for your fabric.

4. After the iron has heated (2 minutes), turn the Steam dial to the
appropriate setting.

5. The Temperature Indicator Light will go off when iron reaches
appropriate temperature.

How To Use the Special Functions

®

SPRAY

The S
from heavy fabrics and for setting creases.

To use the SPRAY MIST®feature:

MIST

PRAY MIST

Press the SPRAY MIST®button firmly.

®

feature dampens the fabric to aid in removing wrinkles

AUTO-OFF

When the iron is plugged in, the Power “ON” Indicator will light steadily,
indicating that the iron is heating.

If you leave the iron:

• in a vertical position (on its heel rest) without moving it, the iron
will automatically turn off after 15 minutes indicated by the blinking
Power “ON” Indicator light.

• in a horizontal position without moving it (or it accidentally tips
over), the iron will automatically stop heating after 30 seconds
indicated by the blinking Power “ON” Indicator light.

I

MPORTANT

the iron is unplugged.

To restart the iron:

Move the iron back and forth and allow it to reheat for 2 minutes.
The indicator will light steadily.

WARNING: The Auto-Off is a safety feature, not a recommended means
for

turning your iron off. See “Caring for Your Iron After Use”

for information on turning off your iron and storing it safely between use.

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:

The Power “ON” Indicator will continue to blink until

on Page 8,

Caring for Your Iron After Use

TURNING OFF YOUR IRON

1. Turn the Steam dial to DRY and the Fabric Select dial to OFF.

2. Unplug the iron from the power source.

WARNING: NEVER yank the power cord when unplugging the iron,
this can damage the cord.

STORING

1. Allow the iron to cool.

2. If you do not use your iron on a daily basis, empty the water reservoir
after each use for a longer iron life. To do so, open the water reservoir
cover and turn the iron upside down to allow water to flow from the
fill hole. Shake the iron gently to remove trapped water drops.
Close the water reservoir cover.

3.

Loosely loop the power cord together and store the iron on its heel rest.

MPORTANT

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the cord.
Tip: When not ironing, always set the Steam dial and the Fabric Select

dial to OFF.

YOUR IRON

:

Wrapping the cord around the iron too tightly can damage

Maintaining Your Iron

CLEANING THE SOLEPLATE

Clean the soleplate if starch or other residue accumulate.
To clean the Soleplate:

1. Allow the iron to cool and then wipe it with a soft, damp cloth.

WARNING: DO NOT use abrasive cleansers, scouring pads or vinegar
to clean the soleplate, this will damage the finish.

2. Run the iron over an all-cotton cloth to remove any residue.

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