All steamed up! dry steam the old school way

 King of the steam pots?

I had some free time this morning and while going through some photos I found these thought I'll post them up for you. You don't see any thing like this in the industry much any more. Everything since the mid 70's have went the way of what we think of as today's power washer, where pressure is king.Well if you go "old school" I must be the king of low pressure dry steam cleaning. 

Low pressure may be a bit of a confusing term here since water can expand up to 100 percent when heated and under the right atmospheric conditions. Under the most sea level conditions the steam pot takes 40 pounds per square inch of water volume in the in the coil contained in the heat chamber and can expand at the nozzle when exiting over 100 % producing the same "cleaning effect" as say a 3500 psi power washer with less run off and a higher heat level. Low pressure is related to the water pressure in the coil only 40 pounds or less is required here. I can cut through greasy cars, motor oil grime, and auto clean ups, for BBQ grills and animal fat cleaning it is great. Heat and pressurized steam does the work. As a side advantage it also sterilizes the area for kitchen and food working of preparation areas, with little to no water run off due to steam being evaporated quickly. Today's power washer uses at least 2.5 to 5 gallons of water per minute while in use if we can just reduce some of that.

How do you save water, how do you reduce run off from cleaning? The picture shows the typical amount of water we use with our dry steam pots.

These old school steamer were made in the late fifties and continued in production to the mid 70 when the pressure washer as we know it today evolved. When it came to raw power over heat and finesse the power washer was winning out and these units were falling out of favor. I would guess if you asked the old timers in the auto shop how or what is the best way to clean grease and oil grime they would say steam. That is if you found an old timer still around, we are retiring and even dieing off. The Steam Jennie, Kota, or Sioux are a combination of a steam pot and a lower pressure pump to push the water through the coil, but most have went the way of today's power washer. You get a wetter steam which means your steam is contend is more concentrated with water. If you have a chance to pick one of these up they are a great addition to your line of cleaners. They were also touted as the best "ice dam" breakers / melter in the business, for you guys up north. Using little to no water and then superheating it the steam leaves little to no run off to refreeze the dry steam will do the work. I have used them cleaning some expensive Stainless steel BBQ grills and placed towels down to wick up the melted grease and fats working over a 1/2 hour towels be come damp. 

A bottle of propane. a water source is all you need to work with these little pots. Just a bit of old technology from the old school of washing, it's a fun tool to have in the arsenal.

 With a full head of steam cleaning take on a different view. Small droplets of water are rocketed at the objects in need of cleaning. These superheated droplets are steam propelled and burst upon hitting the objects inturn washing away the grease and grime that the heat helped to break down.

 FYI two or these pot have dry or cake soap containers one has a liquid soap containers which adds the soap or cleaner to the steam preheating it also to improve the cleaning effect of these units.

 

Above the steam cleaner set ready for use in cleaning a Terracotta style floor and disinfecting it at the same time. Below try to hold this motorcycle engine block down and wash it with a power washer and see how wet you get with the blow back or how much water and run off you have.

Here are two links if you would like to see more about steam or vapor cleaning:
http://www.cleanedbypete.com/vaporsteamcleaning.htm
http://cleanedbypete.blogspot.com/20...-cleaning.html

  I don't believe these steam pots are made any longer these are the reason, I would believe to as why:  Easy to use low tech no electricity or gas motors needed, hot steam and pipes would be a product liability with today's standards having to protect us from ourselves, product works well nothing to ware out, and open fire burner at the bottom of the pot may have some in the government wondering if fire is safe, and lastly the sides or cavity between heat chamber and out side walls insulated with asbestos material (it really keeps the heat in side and helps to heat the water in the coil up usually starts making steam in 4 minutes or so).

My steamers are all Wedco brands when based in Colorado during the 1960's, later in the 70's they're bought out and called Sukii. The earlier cleaners were mostly cake or dry soap later one were liquid soap models the plumbing is the only thing different. Wedco's came in yellow and red the only Sukii's I have ever seen are red. Below I picture each one in red and an add for the Sukii. Cleaned by Pete has the right tools and equipment for your cleaning job.

Call cleaned by Pete let us put our steam pot to work for you, not ever job requires steam but for the one that do we are ready. Not a pressure washer putting out hot water at up to 5 gallons a minute but true dry steam working for you. Cleaned by Pete 417-459-7869