What scale does inside a steamer or combi oven
Hard water carries dissolved calcium and magnesium that stay behind when it boils. Blodgett calls deliming the steam generator the single most important preventive maintenance task, because lime builds up inside it, cuts efficiency and damages the boiler. Cleveland notes that scale collects in the bottom of a SteamChef reservoir and in its drain, and that removing it can prevent a costly service call.
Scale does its damage quietly. A coated element takes longer to make steam, a crusted level probe can tell the controller the tank is full or empty when it is not, and a narrowed drain leaves water standing in the cabinet. By the time the crew notices slow cooking, the scale has usually been there for weeks.
Source: Blodgett — BCX and BX combi oven manual — Deliming the steam generator is the single most important preventive maintenance task; problems from insufficient deliming are not covered by the warranty; reminder after 30 hours of boiler operation; interval settings by water hardness; cycle about 45 minutes after cooling below 140°F.; Cleveland — SteamChef 22CET3.1 and 22CET6.1 operator's manual, archived copy — Scale deposits in the reservoir and drain; feed water under 60 ppm dissolved solids and 20 ppm alkalinity; poor feed water voids warranties; frequency set by the owner; use only DISSOLVE descaler; the 22CET procedure takes about 1 hour 30 minutes with the steamer unheated; gloves and eye protection required.
How often the makers ask for it
There is no single interval, because water differs from one street to the next. Each maker sets its own rule, and several let the unit decide.
- Alto-Shaam CT PROformance combis: descale monthly, with the steam generator and oven interior on its monthly checklist.
- Blodgett BCX combis: a delime reminder after 30 hours of boiler operation, with the interval set by local water hardness, from Setting A above 14 grains per gallon to Setting C below 7.
- Rational iCombi Pro: the iCareSystem shows care status as green, yellow or red, and a red status calls for a cleaning program at the next prompt at the latest.
- Cleveland SteamChef boilerless steamers: descaling is not normally required, and its frequency is set by the owner according to water quality and daily cleaning.
Treat the water before blaming the schedule
Frequent scale is usually a water problem. Cleveland sets SteamChef feed water at under 60 ppm dissolved solids and under 20 ppm alkalinity and states that poor feed water voids its warranties. Alto-Shaam leaves water quality and steam generator upkeep to the owner as well. Test the water, then size a filter or softener to the maker's figures.
Source: Blodgett — BCX and BX combi oven manual — Deliming the steam generator is the single most important preventive maintenance task; problems from insufficient deliming are not covered by the warranty; reminder after 30 hours of boiler operation; interval settings by water hardness; cycle about 45 minutes after cooling below 140°F.; Cleveland — SteamChef 22CET3.1 and 22CET6.1 operator's manual, archived copy — Scale deposits in the reservoir and drain; feed water under 60 ppm dissolved solids and 20 ppm alkalinity; poor feed water voids warranties; frequency set by the owner; use only DISSOLVE descaler; the 22CET procedure takes about 1 hour 30 minutes with the steamer unheated; gloves and eye protection required.; Alto-Shaam — Combitherm CT PROformance operator's manual (MN-35948), archived copy — Descale monthly with 7 ounces of Scale Free in the drain and a heavy-duty cleaning cycle; water quality and steam generator maintenance are the owner's responsibility; damage from cleaning agents not recommended by Alto-Shaam is excluded.; Rational — iCombi Pro 20-1/1 and 20-2/1 original instructions for use (US) — iCareSystem shows care status green, yellow or red; only Rational cleaner and care tabs in automatic cleaning; the steam nozzle is removed and soaked in descaler; safety eyewear and chemical-resistant gloves.
Why every model has its own procedure
Cleveland warns that descaling differs by model and that the whole procedure must be read before starting. The differences are large. Rational's iCombi Pro removes scale inside its automatic cleaning programs with Rational care tabs, and its manual has the steam nozzle unscrewed and soaked in descaler separately. Blodgett's BCX draws delimer from a jug through its own pump and runs the cycle itself in about 45 minutes once the cabinet is below 140°F. Alto-Shaam's CT PROformance takes 7 ounces of its Scale Free product in the drain and a heavy-duty cleaning cycle.
Because of that, the steps below follow one model only, the Cleveland SteamChef 22CET boilerless steamer, as its operator's manual gives them. Use them as a picture of what the job involves, and follow your own manual on your own unit.
Only the product the maker names
Cleveland names DISSOLVE descaler and says no other product or method should be used. Rational allows only its own cleaner and care tabs in automatic cleaning, and Alto-Shaam excludes damage from cleaning agents it did not recommend. A generic acid from the chemical closet can pit stainless steel, attack seals and void coverage in one afternoon.
Dish machines and booster heaters
Dish machines scale too. Hobart recommends water at 3 grains of hardness per gallon or less, says to delime when a white chalky film shows on the walls and wash arms or when the machine prompts, and runs the delime from its menu with a 10-minute wash and a 1-minute flush.
Source: Blodgett — BCX and BX combi oven manual — Deliming the steam generator is the single most important preventive maintenance task; problems from insufficient deliming are not covered by the warranty; reminder after 30 hours of boiler operation; interval settings by water hardness; cycle about 45 minutes after cooling below 140°F.; Cleveland — SteamChef 22CET3.1 and 22CET6.1 operator's manual, archived copy — Scale deposits in the reservoir and drain; feed water under 60 ppm dissolved solids and 20 ppm alkalinity; poor feed water voids warranties; frequency set by the owner; use only DISSOLVE descaler; the 22CET procedure takes about 1 hour 30 minutes with the steamer unheated; gloves and eye protection required.; Alto-Shaam — Combitherm CT PROformance operator's manual (MN-35948), archived copy — Descale monthly with 7 ounces of Scale Free in the drain and a heavy-duty cleaning cycle; water quality and steam generator maintenance are the owner's responsibility; damage from cleaning agents not recommended by Alto-Shaam is excluded.; Rational — iCombi Pro 20-1/1 and 20-2/1 original instructions for use (US) — iCareSystem shows care status green, yellow or red; only Rational cleaner and care tabs in automatic cleaning; the steam nozzle is removed and soaked in descaler; safety eyewear and chemical-resistant gloves.
Handling delimer safely
Descalers are acids. Cleveland calls for rubber gloves, OSHA-approved eye protection and protective clothing, and Rational asks for close-fitting safety eyewear and chemical-resistant gloves around its cleaning products. Hobart adds the warning that matters most in a kitchen with chemical-sanitizing machines: delimer must never meet bleach or a rinse containing bleach, because the mix can form a hazardous gas.
- Gloves, goggles and sleeves on before a container is opened.
- Delimer kept on its own shelf, away from chlorine sanitizer.
- The cabinet cool and the unit off where the manual says so.
- Nobody cooking in the unit until the final rinse is complete.
Source: Cleveland — SteamChef 22CET3.1 and 22CET6.1 operator's manual, archived copy — Scale deposits in the reservoir and drain; feed water under 60 ppm dissolved solids and 20 ppm alkalinity; poor feed water voids warranties; frequency set by the owner; use only DISSOLVE descaler; the 22CET procedure takes about 1 hour 30 minutes with the steamer unheated; gloves and eye protection required.; Rational — iCombi Pro 20-1/1 and 20-2/1 original instructions for use (US) — iCareSystem shows care status green, yellow or red; only Rational cleaner and care tabs in automatic cleaning; the steam nozzle is removed and soaked in descaler; safety eyewear and chemical-resistant gloves.; Hobart — LXn and LXGn series dish machine instructions (F41243) — Recommended hardness 3 grains per gallon or less; delime when lime deposits show or the machine prompts; 10-minute delime wash and 1-minute flush; deliming solution must not contact bleach, since mixing may form hazardous gas.
