Vulcan Heat exchanger

[Ron Werner]

I ran a kero, replacing my HX on Big Red. Keros are meant for high CONTINUOUS flow, not the On-Off flow from normal wanding. A Zipper uses continous flow. (btw FIVE restaurants within 2hrs!!!???) My kero spiked its heat, was too inconsistent, varied from 180 to 240. Burnt out my Neptune hose cause black death and cost me $2000 to replace a carpet.
Plus, the coil started rusting and I couldn't get clean water out of the steel coil, best I could get was an clear orange. Pulled it out and went back to HX and no more problems.
They are also loud and messy.
Can't argue though that they produce the heat. I'd never buy another one however unless they built one specifically for carpet cleaning. They are meant for pressure washing, long periods of continous high flow. not for low flow wanding or upholstery.

I used Propane heat with a 4HT for 5yrs. Best thing is it was more consistent heat because it would heat better with On-Off flow. Plus being copper coils I never had to worry about rust. ALWAYS had clean water. Pressure was good up to 1250psi.

Now I'm running an exhaust HX and with 15 flow at 600psi I don't drop below 200 (conservatively)

If you do need a new HX you can have one made at TTI Custom Fabrication in Florida, formerly John's Hot Heat Exhangers.

 

[Captain America]

Correction 5 resturants per month...take 2 hours each to clean....
If you use acid rinse only it will rust the northern tool kero heater....
Ways to solve this is straight water rinse or alkaline rinse.....will put a coat on the heater coil....
Also steambrite has a filter that plugs into the outlet of the heater...costs 100$. ??
These heaters are fine if you do a lot of tile, trash rentals or resturants as they all need alkaline rinse...
Spiking is minimized if you turn it down to 160-180 heat......
If you do homes only go with kleanline heaters 832-398-3989 make a stainless steal heater specifically for carpet cleaners.....no rust....

 

[Ron Werner]

I looked at the 2nd fuel route when I was having a bugger of a time getting propane reconnected when I was reinstalling my CanAm into a new truck. Bloody BC govt regulations. So I switched to gas and got an exhaust HX from TTI (Johns) I can't complain. My fuel costs have dropped probably 25%. I do miss that instant heat from the LG at times.
I had ignition challenges with my kero unit as well. Twas a royal pain to pull up to a job and the kero wouldn't fire.
Nice thing about the LG was all I needed was a lighter. Only time I had a lack of heat was when my jets needed cleaning. Once I cleaned them out, BOY did I get the heat!!

 

[Captain America]

I would like to know feedback on el diablo truckmounts using
Kero and propane heat.....
Are these kero heaters having some of the problems that are mentioned here?
I would also like to know if anyone has had problems with the old steamway heaters? ?
Have any of these burned up there vans....
Thanks
Cap

 

[Ron Werner]

A friend here has a Diesel Chief II.
He has experienced some of these issues. He has to modify his heating when he cleans upholstery cause the burner wont fire due to the low flow.
It has also blackened the interior of his truck.
I talked to the guy at Eldiablo and we talked about this and how it could be modified to correct.

 

[Captain America]

Yea I had to get pressure washer guys to change the water flow sensor down to about 1/4 GPm???
Also did this guy burn deisel or kerosene??....big difference in soot....
It's well worth the extra $$ to buy kerosene as it burns cleaner and hotter...I turned my heater down 10 degrees with kerosene....

 

[Dolly Llama]

I would also like to know if anyone has had problems with the old steamway heaters? ?

been running Powermatics for better than 15 years .
Liquid HX before that
Propane before that


I'm mechanical and quite familiar with kero burners and happy with them...however, they're far more "quirky" than propane.
Flow switches, fuel solenoids and igniters ...there's simply more to them than propane, so there's simply more potential issues, real and imagined with them


..L.T.A.

 

[Danny Strickland]

Everyone has there opinion....but those of us who have kero heat know the advanages....
I have used hx and know the difference.....hx are maybe 10-20 percent the heat of kero heaters....
But you don't see the difference until you increase your water flow and hold the trigger down on a continual cleaning basis such as returants and rental, tile......

With the kero heat I have doubled my water flow and therefore double the cleaning capacity...
I use. The NORTHERN tool heater-1500$

Heat is only 1 part of the cleaning pie. Chem and agitation and time can deliever great results if you only have limited (HX) temp.

PS I ran a propane fired Duane Oxley machine that would melt grout if need be!!!