Food plants, bakeries and machine shops all hit the same wall: grease and residue on equipment you can't hose down because of the motors, controls and wiring. The Therma-Kleen Therma-Steem Industrial XL Series dry vapor steam cleaner holds 365°F and 155 PSI around the clock, so a crew can steam conveyors, slicers, ovens and machinery for a whole shift without stopping to refill.
Inside the stainless cabinet are a 5-gallon stainless boiler and a 7-gallon reserve tank you top off while it runs. The XL1, XL2 and XL3 share the same body, hose and tools. The heater is the difference: 20 kW, 30 kW or 40 kW, which sets how much steam each one makes per hour. Therma-Kleen builds every XL to order in Au Gres, Michigan.
The video is Therma-Kleen's instructional walkthrough for the XL models: setup, filling, controls and shutdown.
Every XL runs on 3-phase power. 480 V is the standard build; 240 V and 575 V 3-phase builds cost the same and add about a week. Most restaurants, offices and small shops only have single-phase power, so check with your electrician before you buy.
At 480 V, Therma-Kleen rates the XL1 at 26 A, the XL2 at 38 A and the XL3 at 49 A, and its manual calls for a 60 A outlet on the XL3. Therma-Kleen doesn't publish amp draws for the 240 V and 575 V builds, so we confirm yours with the factory before the machine is built. The XL comes with a 25 ft power cord, and on these voltages it normally ships without a plug, so your electrician fits one that matches your receptacle.
No 3-phase power where you clean? The Therma-Steem Industrial 400 runs on a single-phase 120 V or 240 V outlet and also refills while it runs.
Therma-Kleen makes two kinds of steam cleaners, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake we see.
Dry vapor (Therma-Steem, like the XL) heats water in a sealed boiler until it leaves as superheated vapor with very little liquid. It cleans and sanitizes equipment and rooms without soaking them, so it works around motors, panels and food contact surfaces that can't take a flood of water, and it needs no drain. See all our dry vapor steam cleaners.
High-pressure wet steam (Therma-Kleen's Ultra series) pumps water through a burner or heater at hundreds of PSI. It blasts caked grease off engines, truck frames, dumpster pads and masonry, but it puts water everywhere. The propane models need open air or strong ventilation, and the electric Ultra 600E and Ultra 250E run on the same 3-phase power as the XL.
If the equipment can't be washed down, dry vapor is the answer. Not sure? Call (855) 601-5678 and tell us what you're cleaning.
All three run at 365°F and 155 PSI with the same boiler and reserve tank. What changes is the heater, and with it the steam the machine can make each hour. Steam production decides how hard you can run the wand without the pressure sagging, and how many operators one machine can feed.
|
XL1 |
XL2 |
XL3 |
| Heater |
20 kW |
30 kW |
40 kW |
| Steam production |
55 lb per hour |
82 lb per hour |
110 lb per hour |
| Current at 480 V |
26 A |
38 A |
49 A (60 A outlet) |
| Best for |
One operator steaming steadily through a shift |
One operator running high steam on heavy grease |
Large lines, several nozzles, 24/7 use |
| Price |
$19,995 |
$21,995 |
$23,995 |
Start with the XL1 for one operator cleaning equipment through a shift. Choose the XL2 when that operator runs the steam wide open and needs the pressure to hold. The XL3 is the one Therma-Kleen aims at larger plants: its brochure shows the boiler holding 350°F or more with up to four nozzles open in Therma-Kleen's tests, at 120 to 160 PSI. If you plan to run more than one hose, call us and we'll confirm the setup with Therma-Kleen. The XL2 costs $2,000 more than the XL1, and the XL3 $2,000 more than the XL2.
Cleaning a kitchen or a facility rather than a production line? The Therma-Steem #10 and the Industrial 400 do that from a wall outlet for a fraction of the price.
Therma-Kleen designed the XL for places where water shouldn't or can't be used: conveyors and food processing machinery, bakeries and caterers, condenser coils, vats and industrial coolers, dairies, pharmaceutical and powder plants, medical facilities, ships, military bases and correctional facilities, metal fabrication, and automotive, airline and oil industry equipment. Industrial decontamination and remediation crews use it too.
Dry vapor carries very little water (Therma-Kleen rates it at about 5% moisture), so it can be used around some electrical components where a pressure washer would cause trouble. You still cover control panels and never point steam into an outlet. Therma-Kleen also says kosher plants use its dry vapor machines to kasher equipment; your supervising rabbi has the final word.
On a production line the payoff is labor and chemicals: fewer rinse cycles, no detergent residue on food contact surfaces, and equipment that dries fast and goes back into service.
The XL is the most serious dry vapor machine we sell. Everything that touches steam is stainless steel or brass, the cabinet is heavy gauge stainless, the boiler has a lifetime warranty, and three cooling fans keep the electronics in check while it runs all day. It rolls on 10-inch wheels with 5-inch locking casters, and the hose winds onto a reel on the side.
The best fit is a food plant, bakery, dairy, machine shop or ship that cleans equipment every shift and has 3-phase power where the cleaning happens.
The honest parts. It's a 215-pound machine built to order, so expect 3 to 4 weeks before it ships, and about a week more for 240 V or 575 V. Startup takes planning: the pump needs about 30 minutes to fill an empty boiler, and the heater about 15 minutes more to reach 365°F, so switch it on before the shift starts. And fill the reserve with distilled water poured from a container, never from a garden hose; Therma-Kleen's manual says tap water through a hose voids the warranty.
365°F vapor at 155 PSI, all day. A DIN digital controller holds the temperature, and the 7-gallon reserve refills while you work.
Three heater sizes. 20, 30 or 40 kW, so you pay for the steam output your line actually needs.
25 ft stainless steam hose. A lockable trigger gun on the end, and a reel on the side of the machine to store it.
Adjustable steam. A steam control knob sets the volume; turn it down for fabrics and delicate parts.
Protection built in. Audible and visual low water alarm with heater cut-off, high temperature limit, high pressure limit switch, pressure relief valve, pressure transducer, inline pump filter and fan cooling.
Stainless boiler with a lifetime warranty. A 5-gallon 305 stainless boiler, 7-gallon stainless reserve tank and Incoloy 800 heating element.
25 ft stainless steam hose with trigger gun. The trigger locks closed when you change attachments or set the gun down.
Zero degree blast attachment for a concentrated jet into cracks, hinges, coils and drains.
Curved nozzle with brush for reaching behind and under machinery.
Triangle brush with cloth clips for flat surfaces, walls and stainless panels. Clip a microfiber cloth over it and the dirt goes into the cloth.
Screw-on detail brushes: 2 1/2-inch nylon, brass and stainless, plus three each of 1-inch nylon, brass and stainless. They thread on so they stay put at the XL's pressure.
You also get 20-inch and 36-inch wand extensions, a floor brush, a handheld squeegee, floor and triangle microfiber cloths, two terry towels, a funnel, gloves, safety glasses, and the manual and instructional DVD.
Fill the reserve tank with distilled water, poured from a container through the funnel. Tap water scales the heating element and boiler, and Therma-Kleen doesn't cover them if scale is present. Never put detergent or chemicals in the tank.
Check the inline pump filter regularly; it can clog with mineral sediment even on distilled water. When you're done, let the boiler cool, then drain both the reserve tank and the boiler (each has its own drain plug). Never let the machine freeze, and never ship it with water inside. To descale, Therma-Kleen gives a baking soda method and a vinegar steam-out, both with household products. Keep steam and water off the controls and the cooling fans.
Therma-Kleen builds each XL to order. The 480 V build generally ships in 3 to 4 weeks, and 240 V or 575 V builds take about a week longer; the factory's workload can move those dates. It ships free to the lower 48 states by freight truck. Tell us if your dock has no forklift so we can request a liftgate, inspect the crate before you sign, and note any damage on the delivery receipt. Call (855) 601-5678 and we'll confirm the current lead time, and the amp draw for your voltage, before Therma-Kleen starts the build.
Therma-Kleen (Vertim Inc.) has built steam cleaners in Au Gres, Michigan for over 30 years, and its Therma-Steem dry vapor line for about 20. Every machine carries a 1-year parts warranty counted from the factory ship date, and Therma-Steem boilers are covered for life. Warranty and repair work goes through Therma-Kleen or its authorized service centers, and we help you open the claim. We're an authorized Therma-Kleen dealer.
Not sure which XL fits your line, or whether you need an XL at all? Tell us what you clean, for how many hours, and what power you have, or call (855) 601-5678, and we'll tell you straight.
