What fuse for a steam iron UK: a 13 A BS 1362 fuse

The base is on the board, the tank is still empty, and the fuse in your hand came out of a lamp plug. That is the moment to settle what fuse for a steam iron UK homes should fit, before any water goes in. Electrical Safety First puts an iron on a 13 A fuse: a BS 1362 fuse in a BS 1363 plug, on 230 V mains. A 3 A lamp fuse is the wrong replacement.

The public sources are regulation 35 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, Electrical Safety First's pages on plugs, fuses, and irons, GOV.UK's marking guidance, and Morphy Richards' UK note on an iron that trips the electrics. Products Compared did not meter these stations in a lab. Wattage and shut-off figures below are the ones recorded for this comparison from amazon.co.uk listings in October 2026.

In short

Fit a 13 A BS 1362 fuse in a BS 1363 plug. A 3 A fuse belongs with lamps and similar light loads, so it is the wrong spare for a steam iron. A two-pin plug needs a proper conversion that contains a BS 1362 fuse. A travel adaptor is not that conversion. If the plug is hot, cracked, or smelling of burning, unplug the station and leave it unplugged.

A British socket needs a BS 1363 plug

A British socket takes a BS 1363 plug, and the supply it sits on is 230 V. Regulation 35 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 is the rule for domestic equipment meant for that socket: a correctly fitted BS 1363 plug, or a proper conversion plug that carries a BS 1362 fuse. It is not an invitation to cut a moulded plug off the lead and build another one on the kitchen table.

Electrical Safety First says the plug should be BS 1363 and the fuse should be BS 1362. Unplug the iron when you are not using it. Stop if you see sparking, cracks, an unusual noise, or a smell that does not belong, and look at the plug for burn marks. A scorch on the face of the plug is a reason to leave the station unplugged.

The steam generator comparison is where the models in this set are lined up, after the plug is a British plug. The buying guide is the place for tank size, steam, and who should skip a heavy base. This article does not describe how to rewire a plug. Russell Hobbs booklets, in the material behind this comparison, tell you to call an electrician if you are in doubt.

What fuse a steam iron needs

A steam iron needs a 13 A BS 1362 fuse. Electrical Safety First puts appliances from about 700 W to about 3,000 W on a 13 A fuse, and an iron is one of the examples. They also say you replace a fuse with the same rating. A 3 A fuse is the rating they associate with lamps and similar low loads. On a steam station it is the wrong purchase.

A steam generator is still an iron for this rule. Morphy Richards' UK support page, written for an iron that keeps tripping the electrics, says the iron must use a 13 A BS 1362 fuse. If the fuse has blown, fit another 13 A BS 1362 fuse where that is what the maker specified. Do not step up because the first one failed. If a booklet prints a rating, follow it and do not go above it. If you do not already know how a BS 1363 plug opens, or the plug is hot or cracked, stop at the closed plug.

Watts, and where 3,000 W stops

Electrical Safety First's band for a 13 A fuse runs from about 700 W to about 3,000 W. UK mains at 230 V help you see why the top of the band sits where it does: 230 times 13 is 2,990 W. That sum explains the ceiling. It is not a new fuse rating.

In this comparison the Morphy Richards SpeedSteam 333202 is listed at 3,000 W, on the upper line of that guide. The Hamilton Beach Pro Care HB268SGBG is listed at 3,100 W, which is 100 W above it. Do not stretch the guide to cover 3,100 W, and do not fit a fuse larger than the maker specifies. If the watts and the fuse do not sit together cleanly, pause before the first fill. What those minutes cost is in the running-cost article.

The Tefal GV9230 is listed with an 8-minute shut-off. The Hamilton Beach and the Morphy Richards are listed with 10 minutes. Those clocks are not a substitute for unplugging a damaged lead. BS EN 60335-2-3 covers household steam irons, including a separate boiler that is not over 5 litres and not over 250 V. That is the scope of the standard, not a certificate for these models.

A two-pin plug is a reason to pause

A two-pin plug on an iron in the UK is a reason to pause before you pay. One Morphy Richards review on a listing in this set reported a two-pin plug. That is one buyer's report. A Schuko-only plug is a UK buying problem. A travel adaptor is not the conversion plug regulation 35 describes, and a two-pin kettle lead does not become a British plug because the appliance heats water. If the photographs show a European plug, check the pins before you add water.

Regulation 35 does allow a proper conversion plug that contains a BS 1362 fuse. Proper means a conversion meant for a BS 1363 socket, with the fuse the appliance requires. It does not mean a shaver adaptor or a lead borrowed from a kettle. This page will not tell you how to fit that conversion. If the station arrived with a two-pin plug and you are not sure, stop. Ask a competent person, or return the station.

The highest rating score in our steam generator comparison is 90, shared by the GV9230, the GV9224G0, and the GV9220G0. The link from this article is the GV9230, ASIN B08XXYC9L8, at about £199. The score is a shopper score, not a plug inspection. The shortlist matches a model to the wash you actually do. A high score does not excuse a two-pin plug. Check the plug on the GV9230 listing on the day you buy.

UKCA, CE, and Northern Ireland

A conformity mark answers a different question from the fuse. In Great Britain, GOV.UK's product-marking guidance allows UKCA or CE. In Northern Ireland the same guidance points to CE, or to UKNI together with CE. The mark does not print a fuse rating, and it does not turn a two-pin plug into a BS 1363 plug. Products Compared is not declaring any station in the comparison compliant.

When the plug is hot, you stop

If the plug is hot, you stop. Electrical Safety First tells you to contact the retailer or the maker if the iron sparks, cracks, or smells wrong, and to check the plug for burn marks. Switch the wall socket off if you can do that without grasping a damaged plug, then unplug and leave the station unplugged. Another socket in the same room is not a test.

A steam generator tripping the electrics has a short list on Morphy Richards' support page: an overloaded circuit, a faulty socket, the wrong fuse, or a damaged cable. Take the station off a crowded extension and give it the wall socket on its own. If it still trips, leave it unplugged. The wrong fuse includes the 3 A lamp spare. It does not include fitting something larger than 13 A because a 13 A fuse blew. If the correct fuse blows a second time, stop.

Brown water, flakes, or a drip can be a descale job or a leak you should not keep running. The leak and brown-water article separates a soleplate drip from water at the body or the hose. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn Products Compared a commission at no extra cost to you. We do not promise the cheapest price, and we have not tested these plugs in a workshop.