Care and Cleaning
ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE PLUG FROM THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET AND ALLOW
UNIT TO COOL FOR 20-30 MINUTES BEFORE CLEANING. REMOVE STEAM UNIT,
LETTING ALL WATER DRAIN BACK INTO THE CONTAINER.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DISASSEMBLE THE ELECTRODE HEATING UNIT. DOING
SO WILL VOID THE WARRANTY AND COULD DAMAGE THE VAPORIZER OR
CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.
Daily Maintenance:
Empty any unused water from the water container. Rinse container thoroughly with
water, drain and wipe with a dry, clean cloth.
Weekly Maintenance
1.
Empty any unused water from the water container. Rinse
container thoroughly with water, drain and wipe with a dry,
clean cloth.
2.
With the steam unit safely unplugged, soak steam unit in 4
inches of white vinegar for 10 minutes.
Then, over a sink, with fingers covering the bottom hole
of the steam unit, add tap water into steam outlet. Cover
Steam outlet with other hand, shake vigorously, then empty
the water through steam outlet. Repeat several times until
black particles are no longer emitted and vinegar odor is
gone.
If using Vicks VapoSteam
, make sure any residue is
®
cleaned off steam unit using a mild detergent.
3.
Rinse area under the steam guard to remove any dust or dirt
particles. With a long toothpick, you can gently poke through
the steam outlet and drain hole if they've become obstructed.
4.
Disinfecting the Reservoir:
Fill reservoir with water and add 1 teaspoon of bleach per
gallon of water. Swish to wet all inner surfaces. Let stand for
20 minutes. Then empty reservoir and rinse with tap water
until the bleach smell is gone. Dry with a clean cloth.
End-Of-Season Maintenance/Storage:
Follow Weekly Maintenance procedure at end-of-season or when the vaporizer will not
be used for several days. Be sure to dry all parts and store in a cool, dry location. DO
NOT STORE UNIT WITH WATER INSIDE.
Troubleshooting: What To Do If...
A. Vaporizer does not operate or steams too slowly:
1.
Make sure the vaporizer is plugged in and the night-light is lit. If the night-
light is not on, you may have a blown fuse, a tripped circuit breaker or a
defective electrical outlet. Try a different outlet. You may want to contact
an electrician to check the potentially defective outlet.
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2.
The fault may be the low mineral content of the water in your area. Unplug the
vaporizer from the electrical outlet and allow it to cool. Remove the steam unit
allowing allowing the water to drain out, add one or two PINCHES (1/8 tsp) of salt to
the water and mix thoroughly. Replace the steam unit and plug in the vaporizer. It
should steam within 5 minutes. Add salt only by the PINCH, since too much salt can
cause excessive boiling or blow a fuse.
3.
If the vaporizer has been operating normally and is now failing to steam, it
needs to be cleaned. See the "Weekly Maintenance" section of Care and
Cleaning Instructions.
B. Vaporizer operates too fast, fuse blows:
Overboiling, flickering lights, blown fuse or heavy steam flow from Safety
Vents generally indicates one of the following causes...
1.
Too much salt was added to the water. To correct the condition:
Disconnect the vaporizer from the electrical outlet and allow it to cool.
Pour out water and rinse container. Rinse steam unit as described in
"Weekly Maintenance" section of Care and Cleaning Instructions. Refill
with fresh water but DO NOT ADD SALT. If the vaporizer now does not
operate or steams too slowly, see directions in Section A above.
2.
You live in a "hard water" area and minerals in the tap water are causing
the vaporizer to steam too rapidly.
To correct the condition: Disconnect vaporizer from electrical outlet and
allow to cool. Remove steam unit allowing hot water to first dribble out,
pour out water and rinse container. Rinse steam unit as described in
"Weekly Maintenance" section of Care and Cleaning Instructions. Refill
with fresh water but DO NOT ADD SALT.
If unit still steams too rapidly, use ½ distilled water and ½ tap water.
Food and drug stores usually stock distilled water. In "hard water" areas
it is advisable to clean the unit every few days in accordance with the
"Weekly Maintenance"section of Care and Cleaning Instructions.
C. Vaporizer is making crackling/buzzing/humming sounds or
water container is unusually hot:
1.
You may have added too much salt. See section B above.
2.
You may live in a "hard water" area. See section B above.
3.
This condition can happen when the water level in the container is low.
Disconnect vaporizer from electrical outlet, allow to cool, remove steam
unit allowing water to first dribble out. Fill the container with tap water to
water level marking.
4.
This may be an indication your vaporizer needs cleaning. Refer to the
"Weekly Maintenance" section of Care and Cleaning Instructions.
If you are still experiencing difficulty in operating your vaporizer, please call our
Consumer Service Department at 800-477-0457.
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