How to Clean a steam generator Iron

dumbo

I bought an Argos Value range steam Generator last year & it seems to now have a lot of gunk in it when I press the steam button.
I have tried running water through it but the gunk is still there...Any ideas please????

cyclonebri1

dumbo wrote: »

I bought an Argos Value range steam Generator last year & it seems to now have a lot of gunk in it when I press the steam button.
I have tried running water through it but the gunk is still there...Any ideas please????

I don't know how the muck you have there got in or how to remove it easily, but I do have some advice for you and others.

1st of all, argos value range? low cast unit and probably not worth the effort trying to fix if it's function is reduced, bin it when it fails.

Prevention is the answer, more sophisticated units may or may not have an inlet filter, regardless filter the water you use as you fill the unit, short life if you don't.

Use battery top up water or even condensate from a drier or dehumidifier, will reduce the problems of scaling up.

Sorry but I think the damage is done.

In a former life I used to supply these out to the factory floor in a large manf unit, semi pro units costing about £250 each, all failed sooner or later and every single time it was because crap and crud had been put into the water tank, used to drive me nuts trying to controls the use of them.

Mr_Ted

;)Water H2O + cast iron = corrosion + scale even without boiling, and boiling quickens chemical reactions.

There are also the additional addatives in water that increase the problem and add other crud to the internals when boiling occurs, they also evaporate and accumulate somewhere.

There are proprietary descalers for these units but the best option is to find a unit that has a stainless steel tank, although there will still be problems that need maintenance, but less often.

Demineralised water is usually recommended for any of these steam claeners to lessen the problems!

Biggles

Mine's not Argos, but it does get gunked up occasionally.

It takes a little while filling the boiler, giving it a good sluice around, and emptying it out, repeating a few times till the water seems to run out clear. Then it's OK for another six months or year.

Chopper_Read

Mr_Ted wrote: »

;)Water H2O + cast iron = corrosion + scale even without boiling, and boiling quickens chemical reactions.

There are also the additional addatives in water that increase the problem and add other crud to the internals when boiling occurs, they also evaporate and accumulate somewhere.

There are proprietary descalers for these units but the best option is to find a unit that has a stainless steel tank, although there will still be problems that need maintenance, but less often.

Demineralised water is usually recommended for any of these steam claeners to lessen the problems!

Argos value and cast iron?

Mr_Ted

Chopper_Read wrote: »

Argos value and cast iron?

:huh::huh::think:

daveyjp

Does it not have a filter in the water container? Our 5+ year old Argos cheapy does and we have never had a problem.

To clean it use an acidic solution (vinegar or lemon juice) in the iron and run it through.

After that use distilled water, rather than straight from the tap. Boiled water, or if you have one tumble dryer water.

cyclonebri1

Mr_Ted wrote: »

:huh::huh::think:

It's a zinc alloy casting for the threaded top part of the tank and the filler arrangement and a heavy gauge plastic tank on mine, all the others are similar. Even a cheapo needs to be safe so I'd guess most are the same.

daveyjp

I also forgot to add that as soon as you have finished remove the water container and press the steam button until all pipework is clear of water and the sole plate water jets dry.

cyclonebri1

daveyjp wrote: »

I also forgot to add that as soon as you have finished remove the water container and press the steam button until all pipework is clear of water and the sole plate water jets dry.

It's not an iron, it's a steam generator or rather a steam cleaner, but in principle you are correct, put it away dry is your intention? ;)

Mr_Ted

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

It's a zinc alloy casting for the threaded top part of the tank and the filler arrangement and a heavy gauge plastic tank on mine, all the others are similar. Even a cheapo needs to be safe so I'd guess most are the same.

My mistake on the cast iron, should have known it was cast alloy!:(

Cast alloys however are probably as bad for corrosion, or deterioration of the metals, Galvanic action, caused by disimilar metals in what is primarily an electrolytic situation.
In large appliances where alloys are used a sacrificial anode is used to slow the process, but even this is not fool proof and the anodes need to be regularly replaced!

The same cleaning solutions in this case must be checked for use with alloys as some acidic solutions will have an adverse effect!

Personal experience with Polti's have shown the same problems with alloy tanks on our 1st one, but the later models have stainless, and ours has been in use for many years with no problems, cant remember exactly but at least 10, so it does pay to buy a better model