steam jennies

[Ericp351]

You want one of those HOTSY horizontal jobs. Heats fast. Makes even gas-powered pressure washers look sissy. Also very useful for heating systems, leak testing, thawing stuff out et cetera. Pressure washers do serve chicks.

 

[PJH]

Couple of steam jennies coming up at a farm action not far from me. I've never used one or seen one being used. I'm under the impression they are a great tool for cleaning up grease and dirt from equipment as part of prepping for paint. Are they any better than a pressure washer and degreaser? How do they heat water - electric. If so I'm assuming 240 volts. Do they actually use steam or just hot water? If you could get a working one for the right price would you get it. Inquiring minds want to know.

60 years ago, when I was a farm hand, I used a steam jenny. The boss's orders were to keep the jenny on the opposite side of the machine that I was cleaning. It had a homemade pressure relief made from a pipe reducer with solder melted into it. How much solder was necessary? We never did determine the correct amount - or maybe we did - it failed every time that I used it and the darned thing didn't blow up. I have a probably unfair but nevertheless dim view of steam jennys.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I don't now how a person burns them selves like that using a steam cleaner. I worked for a guy back about 40 years ago that had one I liked it would clean engine blocks so good on the outside and would need to immediately oil the bores or they would rust before you got it back inside. IT would clean things very well. Never had a problem with it but he also didn't keep it for a lot of years but then I think he brought it home from somebodies road side garbage before the truck came along.

well on the second shift he spent all night washing an excavator had gloves on entered his time for the night then remembered he forgot and left the hose on the track and the morning crew had to move it in the morning if they wanted to wash anything once it was dry. Went back grabbed the steel part of the wand with both hands unfortunately after he had been GONE five minutes and burnt every inside knuckle on both hands and a big ole stripe across his palm. It burnt him so bad he didn’t feel it till he washed his hands and came out of the locker room yelling bloody murder across the shop I thought he had dropped something on his foot. that crazy red color on the inside of his hands got him 2 weeks off. I wouldn’t have believed if either if I hadn’t seen it. Especially since I heard it shut down saw him go in the office and then next thing I know he’s screaming in the bathroom. It would have been hilarious if he wasn’t in so much pain. Then like 3 months later the company sent down a whole box of gloves from the main office of every size and color and type so there wasn’t an excuse.

The hotsy was just enough colder you could feel it burning you and would move your hand.

 

[560Dennis]

60 years ago, when I was a farm hand, I used a steam jenny. The boss's orders were to keep the jenny on the opposite side of the machine that I was cleaning. It had a homemade pressure relief made from a pipe reducer with solder melted into it. How much solder was necessary? We never did determine the correct amount - or maybe we did - it failed every time that I used it and the darned thing didn't blow up. I have a probably unfair but nevertheless dim view of steam jennys.

Wow ! Thanks for commenting

 

[Hobo,NC]

Couple of steam jennies coming up at a farm action not far from me. I've never used one or seen one being used. I'm under the impression they are a great tool for cleaning up grease and dirt from equipment as part of prepping for paint. Are they any better than a pressure washer and degreaser? How do they heat water - electric. If so I'm assuming 240 volts. Do they actually use steam or just hot water? If you could get a working one for the right price would you get it. Inquiring minds want to know.

I have always wanted one I know a used one may have problems so never pulled the trigger to buy a used one. I worked in a garage that was know for their transmission work. A transmission are two would get steamed everyday along with other parts as they also did engine rebuilds. I got a small burn a time are two after that my memory kicked in it never happen again : ). You can not beat one its the cost that makes you believe a pressure washer will do the same thing. You can get close to the job of a steam cleaner with a good pressure washer it takes more time and you are gonna get soaked.

They had a outside place with a pit for cleaning sometime after I left the EPA stopped them from letting oil get in the city drains so I don't know if they quit using the steam cleaner. At that time they were at the bottom of the hill 3 other shops were above them with me being at the top of the hill. The EPA hit the other shops hard they never came to me I got the memo cleaned my pit and never allowed oil to get into it. The oil was not the big issue it was soap. I forgot about the radiator shop across from me they put him out of businesses he moved to another town.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

60 years ago, when I was a farm hand, I used a steam jenny. The boss's orders were to keep the jenny on the opposite side of the machine that I was cleaning. It had a homemade pressure relief made from a pipe reducer with solder melted into it. How much solder was necessary? We never did determine the correct amount - or maybe we did - it failed every time that I used it and the darned thing didn't blow up. I have a probably unfair but nevertheless dim view of steam jennys.

That is why I said that they need a specific degree of maintenance as opposed to a pressure washer. That is called a fusible plug and they fail when the machine is overheated, as they are supposed to.

Most cases they fail because the machine is badly in need of deliming. Pieces start breaking off and getting stuck in the wand and as soon as the steam/water becomes stationary, the fusible plug begins to absorb heat, until it melts. Another reason is very dry steam, indicating a failing pump or the fire turned up too high. A little water is required in the steam for maximum cleaning efficiency, and cools the fusible plug to a certain extent.

I never had the guts to make my own plug because I don't know exactly what's is in it, and I don't relish monkeying around with steam with experimental components. Besides, they are still available in 6-packs , and they all took the same one from the 2-C all the way until '91 when Homestead Industries went out of business.

If there were those that were smearing the grease around, there were a couple ways around that. One is to put the soap in the float reservoir via the solution tank, and run it through the coil. Sometimes it was as simple as turning up the heat, since too much water cools off the grease before it is washed away.

 

[Brown David]

Pressure washers do serve chicks.

???

 

[Fritz Maurer]

???

I was struggling with that one too. Maybe a word jumble from the game section of the newspaper?

 

[Ericp351]

PRESSURE WASHERS- Noun/ subject. DO- adverb, in affirmative. SERVE- Verb: provides or works for . CHICKS; Noun, pretty girls. THUS--- Pressure Washers do work for girls.

 

[Brown David]

PRESSURE WASHERS- Noun/ subject. DO- adverb, in affirmative. SERVE- Verb: provides or works for . CHICKS; Noun, pretty girls. THUS--- Pressure Washers do work for girls.

Lol, still doesn't make any sense.