WATER QUALITY
The water supply should be analyzed to make sure specifications are met.
Water Supply Specifications
Supply Pressure | 20 - 80 psig | |
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Hardness | 2 | - 4 grains per gallon |
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Chloride | Less than 30 ppm | |
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PH Range | 7 | - 8 |
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*17.1 ppm = 1 grain of hardness
Water supplies vary from one location to another. A local water treatment specialist should be consulted before installing any steam generating equipment.
Untreated water contains scale producing minerals which can precipitate onto the surfaces in the steam generator. Due to the temperatures in the steam generator, the minerals can bake onto the surfaces and components. This can result in early component failure and reduced product life.
Mineral scale on components causes several problems:
1.The surfaces of the heating devices become coated with scale, reducing the heat transfer efficiency. This can produce hot spots on the heating elements and result in premature failure.
2.The water level probes become coated with scale. Scale will bridge across the probe insulator from the metal extension which senses the water level in the steam generator shell. Once this scale becomes wet, the water level control is unable to maintain the proper water level in the steam generator. This situation may cause an electric heating element to fail if the element is not adequately covered by water.
Strainers and filters will NOT remove minerals from the water.
Sensors in the steam generator tank use ions in the water to detect the water level. Do not use distilled (fully demineralized or deironized) water. This could provide a false reading to the sensors.
Refer to REMOVAL OF LIME SCALE DEPOSITS, page 15.
VENT HOOD
Some local codes may require the steamer to be located under an exhaust hood. Information on the construction and installation of ventilating hoods may be obtained from the standard for "Vapor Removal from Cooking Equipment," NFPA No. 96 (latest edition), available from the National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269.
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