Descaling solution for steam generator (steam room)

esuhl

I have a "steam room" and I really need to descale the steam generator -- not much steam comes out now!

I've found the relevant instructions, but I'm not sure what kind of descaler I need to use.

Apparently citric acid is safest but least effective... And there are loads of liquid descaling solutions available online, but they all seem to be for cleaning dishwashers or tiled surfaces or for unspecified "industrial equipment", and I'm not sure which ones would be safe to use in a steam generator.

Obviously I'll flush it out with clean water a few times, but I don't want to gas myself!

Does anyone know what I need to buy?

CrazyRed

Try your local Aldi and see if they've got any of the KILROCK "Washing Machine Descaler" left.

I know this is citric-acid based, and fairly gentle. I cannot vouch for it's effectiveness in a steam generator (I'd guess, much the same as a horse hay steamer - a giant kettle) but I can vouch for it's effectiveness on both a washing machine and a horse hay steamer!

If in any doubt, why not contact the manufacturer or their agent and ask what they would recommend (or sell) to descale the device with?

Citric Acid does work - you might need to use it a couple of times if the scaling is particularly bad.

HTH

esuhl

Hmmm... I don't think there's an Aldi anywhere round here... but thanks for the suggestion.

The manufacturer recommends using a cleaner from a sole trader who doesn't have an online shop! It just feels a bit weird phoning an order through these days... :-/

This one (below) is a mix of citric acid and formic acid... It says it's for kettles, so I guess it will be safe to use... (although 5 litres will keep me going for a fair few years!),

http://www.artemisproducts.co.uk/kettle-and-urn-descaler-5-litres.html

esuhl

esuhl wrote: »

This one (below) is a mix of citric acid and formic acid... It says it's for kettles, so I guess it will be safe to use... (although 5 litres will keep me going for a fair few years!),

http://www.artemisproducts.co.uk/kettle-and-urn-descaler-5-litres.html

On second thoughts, maybe not! That website is registered to an individual and there's no contact information. Looks very dodgy! Just thought I'd warn anyone thinking of using them...

imho

Have you tried using white vinegar ?

esuhl

CrazyRed wrote: »

Try your local Aldi and see if they've got any of the KILROCK "Washing Machine Descaler" left.

I got some Kilrock Big K (which is formic acid, I think) in the end.

Diluted it with ~9 parts water and left it for an hour or so and couldn't believe how much limescale came out! It certainly did the trick -- the insides are sparkling now!

Cheers all :-)