Frequently Asked Questions
What is wet steam?
Is the Sanitech similar to a pressure washer?
Will a Sanitech make pathogens airborne like a pressure washer?
How do you sanitize without chemicals?
How dangerous are chemicals?
How safe is wet steam?
Can the Sanitech be used anywhere within my facility?
Can the Sanitech be used anywhere within my facility?
How safe is the Sanitech for my employees to use?
How easy is the Sanitech to use?
What parts of the machine get hot?
What accesories might be useful?
What is wet steam?
Everyone is familiar with vaporous steam. When water is under normal pressure it changes from a liquid into a vapor at 212F (100C). this vapor is excellent for sanitizing but it has very little cleaning power because it is under low pressure and has a very low water volume. The Sanitech puts regular cold water under pressure (from 300 to 2000 PSI depending on the model). It is this pressurized water that is heated above steam temperature to give you both cleaning power and the sanitation effects of steam. When water is under high pressure it does not turn into a vapor at 212. All Sanitech systems can heat to 300+ (160C). They are normally operated in the range of 230 - 250to allow you to kill bacteria and thermally break down substances like grease, oil, mold, fatty tissue, sugars, etc., without the assistance of chemicals.
Is the Sanitech similar to a pressure washer?
A pressure washer tries to blast a surface with high water volume and high pressure. A Sanitech uses both water volume and pressure but at a much lower level. A Sanitech does not attempt to blast things clean, it uses the steam heat to clean the surface. The pressure and water volume just make the job go faster. In the food industries you don't want the "splash over" effect that you get from the pressure washers. Most importantly, a pressure washer does not have sufficient heat to thermally remove grease, oil, etc. or to kill bacteria. You must use vast amounts of chemicals, foamers and sanitizers to do what a Sanitech does thermally.
Will a Sanitech make pathogens airborne like a pressure washer?
The food Industry has issued warnings against using pressure washers on production equipment because they can make pathogens like listeria airbone and actually spread it around the plant. Wet steam kills all these pathogens on contact. We have customers who have experienced listeria problems and after failing to kill the listeria with chemicals, including quaternary ammonia, they finally solved their problem by purchasing a Sanitech to sanitize their facilities.
How do you sanitize without chemicals?
The effect of sanitizing is achieved by temperatures (250F / 120C to 300F / 150C). At these temperatures there is and instant kill of all pathogens (bacteria, viruses, germs, parasites). Outbreaks of Listeria, E-Coli, Salmonella and Bird Flu can be effectively controlled by the Sanitech Systems.
How dangerous are chemicals?
The extensive use of Industrials chemicals and failures to adequately deal with chemical wastes in the food Industry has caused extensive chemical pollution of the environment and many of these chemicals have found their way into the Food chain. The Sanitech systems are the answer for controlling this problem.
How safe is wet steam?
Wet steam is much safer than vapourous / dry steam. If sprayed accidentally on employees will not cause burn or blister. However, some basic precautions should be taken to protect employees from touching metal parts that are exposed to heat. Personnel operating the machine, should wear gloves.
Can the Sanitech be used anywhere within my facility?
A Sanitech can be operated anywhere that you have natural ventilation or forced ventilation. It should not be operated inside a cold storage area where the air is not exchanged but continuously recirculated. In this case, the machine should be operated in the normal/forced ventilation area and the steam hose taken into the refrigerated area.
How safe is the Sanitech for my employees to use?
The Sanitech has the most comprehensive automatic safety cut-off systems of any unit on the market. These systems monitor water flow, temperature, pressure and ignition. They automatically turn the Sanitech off if a problem is detected without the employee having to be aware of it. Sanitech's attention to safety has allowed us to pass rigorous safety tests by many of the largest food processing and food service companies in the world. We recommend that gloves be worn by employees when in operation.
How easy is the Sanitech to use?
Two switches control the entire operation. An employee can be properly trained within 15 minutes. They enjoy using the Sanitech because it makes the task of sanitation so much easier.
What parts of the machine get hot?
The "lid ring" at the top of the coil stack gets hot. It should be treated like a stove-top. The rest of the machine can be touched. We can also supply and optional "thermal hat" that sits on the lid ring and precludes direct contact with the lid ring.
What accesories might be useful?
If you have hard water you will want to use a descalent filter. We offer shorter wands (12" & 3") for getting into tight spaces. We offer extra 50' legths of steam hose joined together by quick connect fittings to allow you to go up to 200' from the unit. A 3 nozzle spray bar is good for cleaning wider areas.
