Steam has many uses, from taking the wrinkles out of your trousers to heating your home and even cooking dinner, but did you know steam has many more uses? Alkota industrial and commercial steam cleaners have some fantastic applications. We have come up with a list of some of the unique ways customers can use our machines.
Steam to Sanitize Tobacco Seedling Trays
Tobacco seedling trays need sanitizing before seedlings can be transplanted. When the pesticide methyl bromide was eliminated, a new way of sanitization had to be developed: Enter steam. Scientists have found that when seedling trays are heated to 176 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, it would effectively kill most pathogens. To achieve this temperature, they took steamers in conjunction with insulated containers to superheat the trays.
Some Alkota steam washer systems can treat 500 or more trays at a time and farmers can purchase these units for use with their seedlings. We have also seen mobile units that go around to farms and provide steam sanitization as a service on a per tray basis. Watch for this use of steam to become more popular and move into other types of crops as it has many advantages.
Steam Cleaners for Commercial and Residential Cleaning
Using steam for cleaning is one of the most popular applications. From domestic uses, such as for flooring, home exteriors, and roofs, to more industrial uses like removing dirt, grease and grime from equipment. For ovens, steam cleaning is a safe alternative to running the self-cleaning cycle because the temperature is much lower than self-cleaning.
Steam cleaning is not only a chemical-free way of cleaning, but it is also incredibly eco-friendly. People with weak immune systems or allergies to chemicals can benefit from steam. Doctors even recommend this type of cleaning, especially for families with small children.
Steam for Soil Sterilization
Soil steam sterilization, or soil steaming, is a farming technique that sterilizes soil in open fields or greenhouses. Eliminating common nuisances such as weeds, bacteria, fungi and viruses with steam also causes vital cellular proteins to unfold.
Most importantly, spore-forming bacteria can survive the heat and revitalize after the soil cools. With the re-release of nutrients previously trapped in the soil, fatigue can be reversed.
Soil steaming can lead to better seed starting, quicker plant growth and better resistance to disease. Steaming is considered the best way to effectively disinfect sick soil, potting soil and compost. An additional benefit is the elimination of the use of methyl bromide, whose production was stopped by the Montreal Protocol in 2005.
Steam Cleaners for Trenchless Pipe Repair
Trenchless rehabilitation is the practice of repairing damaged or old pipe with cured-in-place pipe (CIPP). CIPP allows for fixing or replacing existing buried pipes and structures with minimal or no excavation. During the curing process, dry steam is used in conjunction with resin-induced liners.
CIPP combines a felt or fiberglass carrier filled with a curable resin that the dry steam helps cure and harden, forming a new pipe within the old. Trenchless pipe repair is generally more cost-effective than traditional trenching and excavating.
By using an Alkota 126 or 246 Dry Steamer (Pictured), you can repair from 3- to 36-inch diameter lines. Both vertical and horizontal lines can be restored.
Steam for Light Pole Installation
In the past, creosote has been used to help preserve the buried part of wooden light poles. As many states have started limiting the use of creosote, an alternative was needed.
The solution is to use heat-shrinking sleeves on light poles before they are installed. By using a heat-activated membrane that contracts when hit with dry steam, the use of creosote can be eliminated. This installation method is growing quickly as it is more environmentally-friendly.
Steam Cleaners for Clearing Ice Dams
Ice dams cause thousands of dollars in damage for homeowners every year. A roof ice dam is an ice build-up on the edge of a roof that prevents the draining of melting water. The water can then seep under the shingles and into the building, causing damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and more.
The use of Alkota steam clear allows for easy cleaning of ice dams from the ground. The melting of the dam will allow for the normal flow of water to resume, stopping backups and roof leaks and potentially saving the homeowner damage.
As you have learned – steam is extremely versatile and useful in many situations, from agriculture to pipe repair. See our entire line of steam cleaner equipment here. We’d love to hear how you use our steam washers. Please comment below.
