What to watch out for with a steamcleaner for machines

Peter from Holland · May 11, 2014

I am looking in buying a electrical industrial steamcleaner to clean my machines
I found 2 different types
One with a boiler and one with a spiral kind of boiler
Anybody around here who can tell me the pros and cons
Also pros and cons of cleaning machines with steam in general

Now I have no problems with rust but in a relativly small building 450m2 6mtr high how would that turn out
the steam has to go somewhere

peter from holland

Heavey Metal · May 11, 2014

Minimal requirements here:

Water softener

Multiple waste water disposal permits (dependent on what soap etc.)

Outside bay/ well ventilated bay.

Meat head to operate it.

Scottl · May 11, 2014

Wear wrap-around eye protection and heavy rubber gloves.
Long sleeve shirts and long pants - minimum.
No open-topped boots aka Wellingtons (once saw a man in a garage shoot steam into open-topped rubber boots by mistake - he got nasty burns with blisters).

Be careful of seals around shafts, the jet of steam can slip past the seal and cause rust.
Watch spray angles - the nozzle can bounce stuff back at you at some angles.

If machinery dries too slowly it can rust. Make provision for air flow, fans, etc. Mobile machinery such as fork lifts do best if parked in the sun with covers open right after cleaning.

Steam cleaners are great but they can be a lot more dangerous than some people realize.

Limy Sami · May 11, 2014

What's been said plus, a big compressor to blow as much water off the machine as possible.

Definitely outside / roof only shed, ........... it's a shitty job and the crap flies everywhere.

We're in the EU so be extra extra careful over the waste water run off, if in doubt get a specialist certified outfit in to check it out and write up your waste management plan - and stick to it fines vary from eye watering to unlimited.

Peter from Holland · May 11, 2014

The cleaner I look into buying is a dry steam cleaner Not a hot water cleaner
The steam is just 3 to 5% wet So not much water involved but vapor

peter from Holland

johnoder · May 11, 2014

The 3 to 5% wet will be in all the places you wish it wasn't

Limy Sami · May 11, 2014

I've no experience of that type Peterve, but from watching a couple of youtube vids, I'd want to try before I buy, I don't need to tell you the gunk on machine tools is notoriously difficult to shift.

Spud · May 11, 2014

peterve said:
The cleaner I look into buying is a dry steam cleaner Not a hot water cleaner
The steam is just 3 to 5% wet So not much water involved but vapor

peter from Holland

I think the operative word you are looking for is "Vapor" Steam Cleaner"

. It is Dry Steam (i.e. less than 9% moisture content0

I got one (same as below), but can't use it since I don't have the apprpriate hose. The hose assy used to cost $250 but I procrastinated and didn't buy it when the Mfg website had it advertised. So fast forward a few years and they want $1000+ for the same hose assy.

BobRenz · May 11, 2014

I've thought about using a steam cleaner, but every time I've used one in the past, it has been a royal mess. Things get clean, but the runoff is a real mess. The other problem is that the boiling water gets darn near everywhere, especially where you don't want it. I just stick to mineral spirits or VM&P naptha, and a pile of old rags. I think the whole process takes just as long --- fast steam cleaning + detailing the machine & cleaning up the watery glop that's all over the place, or sitting down on a wheeled cart, indoors, with some rags and solvent.

Heavey Metal · May 11, 2014

Even using process steam requires soft water disposal permits and needs to be done outside or in a well ventilated place.

machtool · May 11, 2014

Peter.

Have you looked into dry ice cleaners. Are they used in Europe?

Welcome to ColdJet Australia

Regards Phil.

Spud · May 11, 2014

machtool said:
Peter.

Have you looked into dry ice cleaners. Are they used in Europe?

Welcome to ColdJet Australia

Regards Phil.

Very expensive machines.

neilho · May 11, 2014

A little OT, but I like a toothbrush, paper towels and a lot of Simple Green.

Neil

Peter from Holland · May 12, 2014

Limy Sami

That should go very well And I am looking for experiences on this board
None so far

Spud

Thats the one I am looking in to Exept a bit bigger
I want my steam as dry as possible to have less water

Bob
I think you are refereing to a normal steamcleaner Not a vapor steam cleaner
My mistake but a vapor steamcleaner is, well, cleaner

Heavey Metal

I have to check that out

Machtool

Too expencive I think but will check the price anyhow

Nielho

I have to do about 2 machines every week
I am a machinedealer you know So I run out of toothbrushes then

Thank for all the answers so far but I am still looking for someone who uses a vapor steam cleaner and can tell me something about it

Peter from holland

steve-l · May 12, 2014

Peter,
I think cleaning with pressurized anything make more work than it saves. Further, steam is bad news on machinery. I for one, wouldn't do it. Think of it like this, currently the machine is dirty on the outside. When you are done, you will have a clean machine on the outside, but you would have blown all that water with contamination into all those cracks and crannies, along all those shaft joints and into the inside of the machine with all those consequences, not to mention the entire area around the machine. It is very hard to beat a vacuum cleaner, an emulsifying cleaner and paper towels.

machtool · May 12, 2014

thermite said:
Cheating, but a Day Job was once into buying up ELECTRIC toothbrushes half a dozen at a whack, returning them for new ones under full warranty when they failed.

As they rather predictably did do, given they were used a production line basis.

Steady the fuck up. I know you are given a bit of lattitude since the I.T problems. But thats cutting just a bit too thick. Would you honestly try to have us believe that the buying up of "ELECTRIC" toothbrushes half a dozen at a whack, ever occured. Your just making shit up, yet again. Care to tell us again how they were "given they used a production line basis."

Production line, used machine, tooth brush. Is there any limit to your waffle? You make alot of sence man- not

Did electric toothbrushes even exist in the 1930's

MrFluffy · May 12, 2014

Meanwhile in the real world I know someone who details motorcycles for a living, and he just came back from lidl's with 30 battery electric detailers (all they had in stock) on a special offer, to replace his stock of electric toothbrushes he bought in their last special offer sale...

MrFluffy · May 12, 2014

Peter, can you not rent one to give it a trial? Report back as the guinea pig.

My wife is always on at me to buy her a smaller one to clean the windows and crap, if I thought it might have applications in the shop once she'd bored of it especially if it were too large, I'd buy her a really big industrial one as a special present, to keep alongside the large ultrasonic bath she wanted to clean jewelry that I use to clean parts in

Scruffy887 · May 12, 2014

machtool said:
Peter.

Have you looked into dry ice cleaners. Are they used in Europe?

Welcome to ColdJet Australia

Regards Phil.

Also called soda blasters. For 2 machines a week it may work out. Wide range of types available at different prices. I was at a 4 day trade show and one of the companies was across the isle from me. I watched their video loop soo many times because it was facing us.

kpotter · May 12, 2014

I used to clean machines for a machinerey dealer I cleaned hundreds of machines. We didnt use tooth brushes and solvent it takes too long and costs too much. We used a steam cleaner it was a big trailer mounted diesel engine powered machine. There were several settings you could use super hot dry steam or high pressure hot water. It could be used with soap or just steam. The sludge melts off, I live in Arizona so rust was never a problem the machine would dry in minutes it is 110 degrees outside so even trapped water is gone in a few hours. I cant imagine cleaning macinerey any other way, if you are in business. If a guy spends a week picking and scrapping crap off of a lathe you will lose money on it, I could blast a machine clean in less than 15 minutes. We did boaring mills and big lathes as well and they only took an hour or so.

What to watch out for with a steamcleaner for machines

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