Pressure Steam Cleaner for Machines?

[catalytic]

I have read a few times that the (now defunct) biggest used machine tool dealer on the west coast -- Reliable -- used power steam cleaners to degrease their machines before reselling.

Having spent way, way too many hours degreasing grinders, milling machines, etc. with simple green or acetone and elbow grease, I would love to have an alternative.

Does anyone know about power/pressure steam cleaners? Are there good types/brands to look for? Do they all use electricity and gas/diesel?

Or, is there a place that one can take a machine to have it steam cleaned?

 

[sberry]

We hot hi pressure wash.

 

[CGT80]

The heat is the key.

Hydrotek was a brand I used professionally. Ours were around 20hp units with 3500 psi 5 gpm pumps and diesel boilers. The water was heated after the pump (hot water is not good for the pumps) and we ran them at 200 degrees F. Our wands had twin nozzles and a handle to divert flow to the second. For delicate areas and restaurant equipment, we could turn the handle and not tear up equipment, but it was still very easy to clean the grime. It was up to the user to choose which tip and amount of pressure was right and of course we washed cold when heat wasn't needed. It didn't take long to empty a 300 gallon tank of water so we always were ready to find the next hook up. Without a tank, some water connections wouldn't have provided enough flow. Good cleaners help and while simple green is not bad, we had our own mixed, very strong and geared towards the type of cleaning we did.

Even the little pump on the big carpet machine was great for degreasing, and it was only 1500 psi or so but was hot.

My friend owns the company I worked for and is out of Chino Hills, Ca. We used to do Dodger's, Staples, Nokia, restaurants, commercial buildings, etc. He doesn't have a great place to wash equipment and depending on where you were on how big the job was, he might to to you. You can look for others who service gas stations and these other buildings and see if they will do equipment.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Any machinery cleaned with hot water and/or soap and/or solvent will rust VERY QUICKLY. Blow dry and the spray with WD40 or Fluid Film.

 

[kctyphoon]

I have read a few times that the (now defunct) biggest used machine tool dealer on the west coast -- Reliable -- used power steam cleaners to degrease their machines before reselling.

Having spent way, way too many hours degreasing grinders, milling machines, etc. with simple green or acetone and elbow grease, I would love to have an alternative.

Does anyone know about power/pressure steam cleaners? Are there good types/brands to look for? Do they all use electricity and gas/diesel?

Or, is there a place that one can take a machine to have it steam cleaned?

Reliable tools sells hydraulic tools and utility company tooling - is that who you're talking about?

 

[yuanzichen]

I have read a few times that the (now defunct) biggest used machine tool dealer on the west coast -- Reliable -- used power steam cleaners to degrease their machines before reselling.

Having spent way, way too many hours degreasing grinders, milling machines, etc. with simple green or acetone and elbow grease, I would love to have an alternative.

Does anyone know about power/pressure steam cleaners? Are there good types/brands to look for? Do they all use electricity and gas/diesel?

Or, is there a place that one can take a machine to have it steam cleaned?

I have Reliable's hanging clothes steamer and a handheld steam cleaner called Pronto, I think. Both for home use though. Are they the same company?


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[ffast65]

hotsy is the one I have used on grease and under coating.. These are Steam Pressure washer, not just hot water.

FYI, this removed most old nasty undercoating off my 68 Mustang

 

[larry_g]

Reliable tools sells hydraulic tools and utility company tooling - is that who you're talking about?

In the early days of Ebay a used tool company, Reliable tools, gained a bit of infamy by buying up tons of machine tools and tooling at auction and then selling through Ebay. They were out of socal.

As for pressure or steam cleaning assembled machine tools water; can get into places that it cannot get out of. So you have now got rust and no lube in places that will self destruct when the machine is put back in operation. If the machine is disassembled then go for it.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ilovevocs]

I have a landa hot water pressure washer. Does an amazing job of cleaning our heavy equipment vehicles. Once you start using one nothing else will do. It does such a nice job. We wash every before we service it.

 

[metaleltr]

I can't recall if the older Sioux units were hot water or steam but I do know they were highly regarded. Since snap-on acquired Sioux these machines are probobally no longer available.

 

[LXCam]

I have a landa hot water pressure washer. Does an amazing job of cleaning our heavy equipment vehicles. Once you start using one nothing else will do. It does such a nice job. We wash every before we service it.

Same here, I luv that expensive toy. As for cleaning up machinery it does a great job, but you really need to do a thorough job of drying and lube / protect everything when your complete or you'll get rust in places you didn't know existed

 

[DocsMachine]

I've used pressure washers, both hot-water and unheated, to clean almost all of the machine tools I've rebuilt.

BUT ONLY AFTER THEY'VE BEEN DISASSEMBLED!

There have been a few times I've used it on an assembled piece, but only because I was going to immediately disassemble it and keep cleaning.

On a machine tool- like a lathe or mill- the pressure washer WILL push water into places it should not go. Gearboxes, aprons, sliding ways, bushings and shafts, etc. And virtually everything on a typical machine tool is unpainted iron or steel, protected only by a thin layer of oil- which you just pressure-washed off.

"Reliable" had a reputation for delivering machines that still had 6" of scummy water trapped inside cabinets, water on oil-filled gearboxes, and rust found under and inside closed parts.

If you're NOT going to fully dismantled the machine, use solvents and rags, and clean it by hand. It's much safer.

Doc.

 

[sberry]

I been pressure washing for 30 yrs. Never used steam, can someone splain it?

 

[mbshop]

Had one at my shop. Old model but man it took everything off real fast. And then the state got involved. We had to mark on our bar app if we had a steam cleaner. We had a three compartment grease trap. With the steam cleaner they inspected it more often. Not cheap to have the trap cleaned. Just became a big mess so we stopped using it. So better check yer state and local laws, etc before you get involved. Try cheating and you get closed down and put in jail plus fines. Foul the ground or sewers and you will be intoduced to hell.