6 OM-HY/6E
Water Quality & Treatment
It is essential that the steam generator be supplied with water that will not form scale
at an unacceptable rate. The boiler was engineered to minimize scale, but its formation
depends on water hardness and how much the unit is used.
In some areas of the United States the water is low enough in mineral content to avoid
scale build-up. However, most water supplies carry heavy loads of minerals. This
will form scale in the steam generator, reduce its steam output, and possibly cause
premature component failure.
Your water utility or local water quality dealer can tell you about the minerals in your
water. The water going to the steam generator should have:
1. Between 1 and 30 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS)
2. A pH (acidity rating) of 7.0 - 8.0
3. Total alkalinity less than 120 ppm
4. Silica less than 13 ppm
5. Chlorides less than 30 ppm
6. Sulfates less than 40 ppm
7. Chlorine less than 10 ppm
Please follow these simple precautions:
1. Do not rely on unproven water treatment equipment which is sold for scale
prevention or scale removal. They frequently don’t work. The best way to prevent
scale is to supply the purest possible water.
2. If your water contains scale-forming minerals, as most water does, use a well
maintained water treatment system. Whether an exchangeable softener cartridge
or a regenerating system is chosen, a regular exchange system is essential.
3. Installing a water meter on supply line to the steamer will provide an accurate
gauge of water use, and will help determine when to exchange cartridges or
regenerate the softener. Using treated water will provide longer generator life,
higher steam capacity, and reduce maintenance requirements.
4. If you notice a slowdown in steam production, check the steam generator for scale
build-up. Heavy scale reduces the unit’s ability to boil water, and can even cause
heating elements in the steam generator to overheat and burn out.
5. Steamers are available with two separate water intakes:
one for the steam generator (treated water)
one for the spray condenser (untreated water).
The steam generator only uses 14 to 31% of a steamer’s water. Since water
treatment systems are typically sized by total GPH (gallons per hour), the second
intake could reduce treatment requirements by up to 80%, resulting in significant
savings.
REDUCE SCALE PROBLEMS BY USING
AND MAINTAINING A WATER SOFTENER
FOR YOUR STEAMER!
