37
Chapter 6 – Maintenance
In this chapter you learn
How to clean the autoclave and which cleaning agents are suitable
How to avoid the formation of spots
How to exchange the door seal
What to observe in autoclave maintenance
Cleaning
Weekly inspection of
chamber, door seal,
mounting, chamber sealing
surface
Examine the chamber including door seal and chamber sealing surface
and the mounting for loading (page 20,
Load the Autoclave
) once weekly
for contaminants, deposits or damage.
In case of contaminations
If you determine any contaminations, draw the existing trays or cassettes
and the associated mounting forwards out of the chamber. Clean the
contaminated parts.
Door seal
The door seal must not be greased or oiled. It should be kept clean and
dry.
Warning!
When cleaning the chamber, the loading mounting, the chamber
sealing surface and the door seal, observe the following:
■
Switch the autoclave off before cleaning and pull the power plug from
the wall socket.
■
Make sure that the chamber is not hot.
■
Use a soft and lint-free cloth.
■
Use chlorine- and vinegar-free cleaning agents.
■
First drench the cloth with cleaning alcohol or methylated alcohol and
try to wipe off the contamination.
■
In case of persistent soiling of the chamber, mounting or chamber
sealing surface, employ only a mild
→
stainless steel cleaning agent
with a pH value between 5 and 8.
■
Employ neutral liquid cleaning agents to clean the door seal.
■
No cleaning agents may get into the piping system which exits the
autoclave chamber.
■
Do not use any rough objects such as pot cleaners made of metal or
steel brushes.
In case of non-observance the cleaned surface could become
scratched or damaged and the sealing surfaces not tight. This
would promote dirt deposits and corrosion in the sterilization
chamber.
Housing parts
Clean the housing parts with neutral liquid cleaners or methylated alcohol.
External water storage tank
for feed water
Regularly clean the external water storage tank depending on the light
incidence, ambient temperature and consumption. In order to prevent
microbe and algae contamination, this cleaning should be done at least
once per month.
Empty the container and clean it with about three litres of warm tap water,
to which you add a neutral cleaning agent, and use a suitable brush.
Rinse with abundant tap water at least twice. To conclude the cleaning,
rinse the water storage tank without fail with a litre of
→
feed water.