Truesteam Cleaning

mjbxx · 03-11-2009, 05:26 PM

Took the tank apart today, after a month and a half of operation, and noticed some sediment. Not to bad. The coil cleaned extremely easy with a 3M scouring pad. The manual says I could clean the tank in the dishwasher which I plan to do. However, it does not specify whether the sediment screen is dishwasher safe. Can the screen be placed in the dishwasher as well? I am of the opinion that the Truesteam should be cleaned at least monthly in conjunction with replacment of airhandler filter.

dgbehrends · 03-16-2009, 02:01 PM

Hi,
I cleaned my truesteam last night after a little over 2 months of operation, roughly 520kWh. The tank wasn't too bad. I took some pictures.

The cover is off because I was checking my dip switch settings. I didn't clean the heating element because it seemed like it would be near impossible to get in between the coils and get it entirely clean. I thought that this element was supposed to expand and contract and thus the minerals would flake off. I believe that's what the loose crud on the left is in the tank. I noticed that there was a little bit of crud on the water intake. I'm going to monitor this closely during cleanings to make sure it doesn't get occluded. One thing to be careful of is to not push to hard on the Unit when cleaning. I would hate to break the gasket seal to the plenum and develop a leak.

dgbehrends · 01-31-2010, 06:37 PM

Well, it's time for another cleaning. The unit looks like it did the last time I did a cleaning in the pictures above. I can clean the tank itself no problem. The coil is another matter. I bought the special scouring pads for non-stick pans or china dishes, and it did not even make a dent. If I take my fingernail and work at it I can get a piece to flake off. The only way the scale build up is coming off is if it dissolves in something. I've heard vinegar might be an option, but haven't read any posts from people that have actually tried it. Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

Thanks,
-Derick

**beenthere** · 01-31-2010, 07:56 PM

Haven't use vinegar on a Truesteam. But I've used it on other steamers. And it works well. Works better it its hot/warm.

Same minerals you get in your coffee maker. how do you clean it?

dgbehrends · 02-02-2010, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

Haven't use vinegar on a Truesteam. But I've used it on other steamers. And it works well. Works better it its hot/warm.

Same minerals you get in your coffee maker. how do you clean it?

I bought 2 gallons of distilled white vinegar at Target, and got a funny look from the clerk. I'll get around to soaking the heating element in a day or two.

**beenthere** · 02-03-2010, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgbehrends

I bought 2 gallons of distilled white vinegar at Target, and got a funny look from the clerk. I'll get around to soaking the heating element in a day or two.

Thats a lot of vinegar.

It doesn't need to be 100% strength to work.

dgbehrends · 02-03-2010, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beenthere

Thats a lot of vinegar.

It doesn't need to be 100% strength to work.

OK. The bottle says it is diluted with water to be 5% acidic.

**beenthere** · 02-03-2010, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgbehrends

OK. The bottle says it is diluted with water to be 5% acidic.

FDA requires vinegar to be between 4 and 7% acidic. If its less or more. Its not vinegar.

dgbehrends · 02-27-2010, 03:29 PM

I hate the smell of Vinegar but what the heck, I gave it a try. I unplugged my 12 gallon truesteam unit. Filled up the tank with a mix of 75% Distilled White Vinegar and 25% water. Reattaching the tank full of liquid was a little tricky. I made sure keep the drain in unlocked mode so that nothing dripped out. I let it soak for a little over a day and removed the full tank. Once again this was tricky as I could have easily dumped Vinegar all over my furnace if the tank slipped out of my hand(s). To my disappointment the white mineral build up was still there, however upon further inspection, it had softened to the point where I could easily rub it off with a microfiber cloth and scrape it off with my fingers or a non-scratch scouring pad. I spent about 20 to 30 minutes cleaning it. I installed the tank full of water twice to get the loose crud off. After all was said and done it looked pretty clean. I think I'll go through this process once a year. Hopefully it improves the efficiency of the heating coil. I've attached some pictures.

This last picture shows the filter which I changed and the super fine needle nose pliers I used to pop off the quick connect fittings. I bought a bunch of these filters for $20 bucks each. Honeywell recommends they be changed once per year. My last one was on for a little longer than that and I'm going to cut it open to see how bad it looks inside.

dgbehrends · 03-16-2010, 11:21 PM

I opened up the filter that I had on my truesteam for over a year and it looks like it is brand new. I'm not going to change my new filter for a couple of years. They cost $20 a piece.

I finally got the water test done. Here is a picture

Looks like the water is rather hard between 120 and 250. I'll have to review my water softener manual to see if I can adjust it. The alkalinity looks a little worrisome too.

**beenthere** · 03-17-2010, 06:44 AM

PH isn't bad, 7.5 is a very weak alkaline or base rating.

dgbehrends · 11-13-2011, 01:47 AM

I was doing my annual vinegar soak of my Truesteam and decided to check out what additional information on cleaning this thing might be available. It looks like Honeywell put out a set of videos for contractors.
Here is the one that does a good job of describing the cleaning procedure.
http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell...ule7/index.htm

While inspecting my Truesteam with the cover off, I noticed that the HVAC person whom installed it put the gasket/insulation that surrounds the tube feeding into the supply duct, on backwards. This left the entire area where the tube feeds into the duct open

I dismounted the truesteam, reversed the gasket/insulation however because it had been up against the tank it had gotten a little crusty and brittle so I used some HVAC tape to seal it up tight.

Crater · 11-18-2011, 02:08 PM

I think i screwed up on my first cleaning and used the wrong cleaning technique by not using a non-stick scouring pad. Now I get a 14 blink code (failure to heat element). Anybody know where I can order a new heating element coil or what I should do next?

Marty S. · 11-18-2011, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crater

I think i screwed up on my first cleaning and used the wrong cleaning technique by not using a non-stick scouring pad. Now I get a 14 blink code (failure to heat element). Anybody know where I can order a new heating element coil or what I should do next?

Call the contractor who installed it. Elements are not sold but the wholesale house will swap the whole unit for another one. If you bought on the internet then I believe there is no warranty.

dgbehrends · 11-19-2011, 11:15 PM

Just for the record if you let the element soak in vinegar overnight, you will just need a wet rag to wipe off the minerals. The vinegar makes the minerals very soft and easy to wipe off. Mine looked brand new after it's yearly soak. After watching the maintenance video above I learned there was another area they wanted checked/cleaned every two years. I did that cleaning as well. The hardest part to this is making sure you don't dump the reservoir full of vinegar when reattaching. It would be nice if they could add some sort of filler nozzle so I could just pour the vinegar in.