Chapter 6 – Maintenance
38
Avoid formation of spots
Formation of spots due to
improperly cleaned
instruments
Only if you correctly clean the instruments before sterilization can you
avoid the detachment of residues resulting from loading or instrument
preparation under steam pressure during the sterilization. Detached dirt
residues (e.g. residues of disinfectants) can clog the filter, nozzles and
valves of the autoclave and deposit as stains, spots or discolorations on
the instruments and in the chamber (see page 18,
Prepare items to be
sterilized
)
.
Formation of spots due to
third-party rust
All steam-conducting parts of the autoclave are made of non-rusting
materials. This excludes the formation of rust caused by the autoclave.
Should rust stains occur, then we are dealing with third-party rust.
If the instruments have been incorrectly prepared, rust can form even on
stainless steel instruments of leading manufacturers. Often a single rust-
producing instrument already suffices for third-party rust to form on the
other instruments or in the autoclave.
Remove third-party rust from the instruments with a chlorine-free
→
stainless steel cleaning agent (see page 37,
Cleaning
) or send the
damaged instruments to the manufacturer for reconditioning.
Formation of spots due to
inadequate quality of the
feed water
The extent of the formation of spots on the instruments also depends on
the quality of the
→
feed water employed for steam production.
Use qualitatively high-grade feed water
Warning!
Observe the following when using
→
feed water for the steam sterilization:
■
Use
only
→
demineralized or distilled water according to
→
DIN EN
13060, Appendix C (VDE 0510).
In case of non-observance, stains or damage on the instruments
can arise and the functional readiness of the autoclave can be
adversely affected.
Water according to VDE
0510
You can also use distilled or demineralized water from do-it-yourself
markets, pharmacies or service stations as
→
feed water, if the
→
VDE 510
is explicitly noted on the label of the packaging.
NOTICE:
→
Feed water which you can inexpensively produce with the osmosis
processes with MELA
dem
®
40 or with the ions exchanger MELA
dem
®
47 or
by distillation with MELA
dest
®
65, satisfies the requirements on the feed
water.