Tech Tips
Steamers can last for many years if properly maintained. It’s not unusual for us to see steamers in our repair shop that are twenty years old or older, that can be rebuilt to “as new”performance. Most jewelry steamers are of a very basic steam boiler design, and it’s usually just a matter of replacing worn out parts as needed. Like my old 1964 Dodge Dart, the maintenance is necessary but pretty simple.
The iron tanks in most steamers will rust when exposed to air and this is normal and will not hurt the quality of the steam that is produced. The rust can be avoided by religiously keeping your steamer full of water. We recommend that you make steamer maintenance a daily routine in your shop, and that job #1 is to fill it up every morning. If you have severe rust build-up, a series of daily blowouts will be required to help clean out the tank, but nothing will ever make it go away completely.
All cast iron tank steamers require regular blowouts as part of their routine maintenance. Steamer blowouts are necessary to maintain a clean tank and a long lasting heating element. The harder (mineral rich) your water supply is, the more often you will need to blow out your steamer. Blowing out usually requires that you move your steamer outside so the risk of burning someone or damaging property is minimized. Blowing out requires that the bottom drain valve be carefully opened while the steamer is still hot BUT UNDER MINIMAL 10LB. OR LESS pressure and with less than 1/4 tank of water. You must make sure that you and anyone else nearby are well protected from the super hot steam. Please read your owner’s manual for detailed instructions on how to blow out your steamer. Some manufacturers recommend that you blow out your brand new steamer every day for the first week of operation, then every week for a month, then once a month forever. Steamer owners who never bother to blow out their steamers can be in for a rude surprise when their practically brand new but just out of warranty steamer stops working.
Because all that super hot steam under tremendous pressure wants to escape and parts do wear out. Steamers will require regular replacement of parts to maintain that brand new tight as a drum look. The sight glass is the most common source of leakage and will usually require a new sight glass, and not just the rubber gaskets, when a leak is detected. The fill and drain valves can go bad and are easy to renew. The newest solenoids steam release valves can last for several years before they start to leak and need to be replaced. Once the safety valve lets off, it will need to be replaced and your heating element/thermostat will need to be checked, because that safety valve should only release steam when the steam pressure goes up too high. Otto Frei stocks a complete line of steamer repair parts. Call us and talk to our tool department with any questions you may have about your steamer.