The Steam Difference

Vapor Expansion: The Key to Steam Cleaning
Although a cleaning machine may be capable of producing both heated high-pressure water and steam, there’s a huge difference in the way the two cleaning processes work. In a pressure washer, a high-pressure, positive-displacement water pump simply pushes water through a restrictive nozzle. The narrow diameter of the nozzle increases the water’s velocity and, consequently, its impact and cleaning power. In pressure washing, the restrictive nozzle is the last part of the machine through which water flows.

Steam Cleaning Is A Different Process
Steam cleaning is an entirely different process. The steam cleaner uses steam’s expansion to accelerate water droplets, at the boiling point, to a high velocity. The closer the steam cleaner’s nozzle is to the surface to be cleaned, the higher the temperature and velocity of the water/steam mixture, and the more rapid the cleaning action. The temperature of the water/steam mixture drops quickly as the distance between the nozzle and the surface to be cleaned increases. Consequently, for many cleaning applications, the nozzle should be held close to the soiled surface to achieve the best results.