Highest Temp. Rise Hot/Steam pressure washer?

Spuds

Spuds

New member
Hello

I live in SE Wisconsin, we get very cold weather up here. Ground water temperature is between 54-56 F according to the City water department, and theres is minimal change to that temp all year round.

I am looking for a Hot water & Steam Pressure washer. Intended use is decreasing/cleaning and Sanitizing,Disinfecting & Sterilizing. I am looking for minimum of 250F output Wet/Saturated Steam.

Owing to our cold water temps, I need a Hot/Steam pressure washer with the highest possible Temp. rise.

So who makes said type of machines with the highest Temp rise? I noticed that most Hot/Steam PWRs state a 140F temp. rise but Aaladin has some units with 155 F Temp rise.

Machine needs to be self contained, so gas engine to drive the pump. Either Skid or Wheeled frame.
 
Many Hydro Tek models have 250° steam capability. They do it with the nozzle, bypassing a little bit of the water, so the discharge gets hotter.
 
Ah, one of the great conundrums. What are you using it for?
By the way, any machine with a heater develops the btu's to heat waterhoter then you would ever need it. It is a matter of efficiency that changes their capabilities. For what it is worth, I consider the 250 degree water argument silly, most likely because it defies the laws of physics.
 
Just remember the higher the temp, the lower the pressure.

The vast majority of cleaning applications are performed quicker with higher pressure than temperature.

About the only application I generally recommend true steam for would be removing oil and grease.
 
Welcome Fliiper, and thank you. That is something that I have been saying for a long time.
 
Some uses
* De-greasing / Cleaning of Machine tools & tooling, trailer and other equipment.
Removal of lots of caked on grime, dust, dirt, grease, coolant etc...

* Sanitizing, disinfecting and sterilizing daycare restroom , kitchen/cafeteria and trash bins/dumpster.

* Disinfecting and sanitizing concrete floor with pet waste. Flooded basements also need disinfecting.

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I think I can make do with low pressure (below 1000psi ) for most applications except for the machine tool cleaning in which case I might need more than 1000 psi .

So can I get high temp Wet/Saturated Steam from 212 F upto 310 F+ if I lower the pressure to between 100-500 psi?

Would I also get higher temps by lowering the gallons per minute?

Is it pressure or GPM that matters when seeking high temps?

How do ya'll in cold climates attain high temp Wet Steam or mostly Steam output?

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What manufacturers provide temp rise higher than 140F ?

Can you'll explain to me how Manufacturers claim 250F output Wet Steam or 300F+ Steam when their Max Temp rise is only 140F ?

Is higher the BTU the better when looking for a Steam cleaner combi unit for use in cold climates?

Thanks
 
Just go and buy a Landa and start to work.
 
First some basic physics.
A btu is a unit of measurement for temperature rise. It is how many calories, or how much heat that is needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree.
A gallon of water weighs about 7.8 pounds. So, in order to raise the temp of one gallon of water one degree, it requires 7.8 BTU's.
The standard pressure washer is a 5 gpm machine, which takes 39 BTU's to raise the temperature one degree.
Most heaters on pressure washers are somewhere between 450,000 BTU's and 550,000 BTU's.
To raise the temperature of 5 gallons of water 140 degrees requires 5460 BTU's. All the rest is waste lost to the atmosphere. Which means that every pressure washer is a minimum of 99% inefficient.
If a pressure washer manufacturer is able to develop a way to make the heater more efficient, that manufacturer will be able to get a higher temperature rise. There are different ways of doing this, but there are also multiple ways to reduce the efficiency, like not burning cleanly, etc. You can raise the temperature to extremes by reducing flow, but once you get to the steam stage, even though the pressure in the hose and heater are at extremes, once the water exits the nozzle, it will turn to vapor. That vapor will do what vapors do, and dissipate. When it dissipates, which is immediate, it is not under the kind of pressure you are used to, and will not have the striking force of the water.
Looking at what you are wanting to do with your equipment, as cool as it would be to have those high temperatures, you will be able to work more quickly and efficiently with a bit lower heat and pressure. If you are worried about sanitizing areas, most consider 210 degrees sufficient for sanitizing. If you are still worried that will not be sufficient, use a quanternary solution. You will be able to do the work more quickly, and thus be more profitable.
 
Oh, and you need a signature. USER CP on the top and it will be in the list on the left.
 
Scott Stone said:
Oh, and you need a signature. USER CP on the top and it will be in the list on the left.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the informative post.

So reading your post, am I right in thinking that I could get higher than Mfg. advertised heat rise by using less GPMs than advertised but with the thermostat set at Max?

If I wanted 2 gpm of 250F water , and my cold water temp is 54F;
it would be (250F - 54F) x 7.8 x 2 = 3057 BTUs
?
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I have been reading a lot about Hot/Steam pressure washers last 2 weeks.
I just found out that Hydro-Tek's HX Series gives a 170F heat rise.
http://www.hydroteksystems.com/series-hx.htm

The only problem is that it (HX series) uses a 230V electric motor to power the pump, while I would prefer an internal combustion engine for true portability. They do have gas/diesel engine powered skids but none of those go above 140F temp rise.


Question; Supposing I was to buy a gas powered skid like a SC30005VH,
http://www.hydroteksystems.com/series-sc.htm

could the unit be retrofitted with the burner from the electric powered HX series for 170F temp rise? Or is it cheaper to get a HX and retrofit it with a gas engine to power the pump?
 
offdutyfireman said:
Surely this guy is joking? Or maybe he has no name, thus no signature. Maybe Jim is back.
Click to expand...

:confused:

I am not currently working due to family health issues,so no sig to speak of . I plan on getting back to dabbling in Machinery and to maintenance of the family daycare business. If there is a prospect of branching out to work on other people's premises/equipment, then I would try that too.

Re. for my questions, well I am trying to find the machine that fits my needs and don't want to end up buying something that I won't be satisfied with.


Oh and I have no idea who this Jim guy is.
 
Scott, I found out the burners are rated at BTU's per hour and water is ~ 8.4 lbs/gal.
 
oops, my mistake, it is 7.8 gallons per cubic foot. I was tired.

Yes, you can reduce the water flow and increase the heat. You can also determine a way to increase the heating efficiency of the burner. Both will achieve the same results.
In my opinion, you might want to explore renting a machine, to see if its specifications suit your needs before you purchase a machine. I think that you will be surprised that it does meet your needs.

I understand that you know what you want, but many on here have years of experience in this specific industry, I myself have 20 plus years, and I know Russ has been around for that long, as well.
 
Scott Stone said:
Looking at what you are wanting to do with your equipment, as cool as it would be to have those high temperatures, you will be able to work more quickly and efficiently with a bit lower heat and pressure. If you are worried about sanitizing areas, most consider 210 degrees sufficient for sanitizing. If you are still worried that will not be sufficient, use a quanternary solution. You will be able to do the work more quickly, and thus be more profitable.
Click to expand...
I agree.

I've sold lots of machines to the MP's on military bases to wash out the dog kennels. I've sold many to the National Parks to clean out their remote restrooms. I've also sold several to the VA for applications too unpleasant to discuss.

In every instance where they were trying to sanitize an area, they required chemical application. Temperature was never enough to meet their standards.

Commercial applications may differ.
 
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