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from the autoclave chamber, and from tray racks by means of mild cleaning agents especially made for
stainless steel (for example, the German product Sidol™ or an equivalent).
Warning:
Do not use steel wool or steel-wire brushes to remove such rust. Remove soiled spots by means
of a damp, non-raveling cloth, or a cloth moistened with methylated alcohol or other forms of alcohol.
2.3 Maintenance of the Vacuklav
®
31 __________________________________________
2.3.1 Cleaning ___________________________________________________________________________
At least once a week, it is necessary to clean the tray rack, the chamber, and the surface contacted by the
door gasket. The trays and the tray rack must be pulled out of the chamber toward the operator. Then wipe
out the chamber with a soft cloth or a sponge. Do not use metal (mechanical) cooking-pot cleaners or steel
brushes for this work. To clean off stubborn spots, the MELAG company recommends the use of cleaning
agents especially made for stainless steel (for example, the German product Sidol™ or an equivalent).
Cau-
tion:
When using such agents, make sure that they do not enter the pipes which lead off from the autoclave
chamber. Do not use cleaning agents which contain chlorine, and do not use alkaline substances.
Check the door gasket once a week for damages, and clean it with mild liquid cleaning agents.
The door-locking spindle must be regularly lubricated with silicone grease
to ensure that the door can
be easily locked and unlocked.
Inspect the water storage tank once a week for soiling or fouling. If visible coating or deposits are discov-
ered in the water storage tank, drain the water out of the tank by opening the drain tap [2]. Then clean the
water storage tank (for example, by using a small brush, with hot water and a grease-cutting additive. Or
use a non-raveling cloth soaked in alcohol. Then thoroughly rinse out the water storage tank with water, and
fill up with new distilled or demineralized water.
You can clean the outside enclosure parts of the autoclave with commercial, mild liquid cleaning agents, or
with alcohol.
2.3.2 Use of distilled or demineralized water __________________________________________________
Quality requirements
For steam sterilization, it is necessary to use distilled water (aqua dest) or fully demineralized water (aqua
dem).
Use only water which satisfies requirements in accordance with the European CEN standard EN 285. The
table below contains the relevant data.
For operation of the Vacuklav
®
31, it is also possible to use battery water which must strictly observe the
following: conductivity upon production
10 µS/cm*; conductivity when used
30
S/cm*; pH identical to
the values in EN 285; and evaporation residues equivalent to those set forth in EN 285.
Where to purchase the water
Battery water which satisfies the above mentioned quality is available in most countries at low prices in large
drugstores, auto-supply shops, supermarkets, and do-it-yourself stores. If the purchased water does not
conform to the standards set forth above, and in the following table,it could cause calcium deposits to form in
the steam lines and in the valves of the autoclave, and could therefore impair the functioning of the unit.
Aggressive water (i.e., with a pH of < 5 or > 7) can also damage the Vacuklav
®
31. The automatic warning
system of the Vacuklav
®
31 may not detect such aggressive water: it will sound an alarm or report a fault
only if the conductivity of the water is too high.
Formation of spots on the instruments
The extent to which spots are left on the sterilized instruments will depend on the quality of the medium used
to generate the steam.
