Dear Sirs,
I am writing about a problem that concerns the cleaning of a dry-cleaning washing machine drum, Firbimatic s2018 model.
I tried several things, in vain: filling the drum with soap and setting the fast rotation washing program with a few short intermediate spin cycles.
What do you suggest I should do?
Thank you for your help.
Regards
Claudio Dal Bianco
Dear Mr. Dal Bianco,
Firbimatic S2018 dry-cleaning machine is already equipped with the rear drum cleaning circuit that usually starts working every time the solvent loading into drum function is activated. As a matter of fact, the photos you sent us, show that drum cross is clean. The dirty part is the back plate in the central position around the bearing housing; this area – not subjected to any movement and not affected by any flow nor by the solvent level in drum – is difficult to clean just by a single solvent cycle (centrifuge with drum level). Usually, such scaling is cleaned on the occasion of drum bearing maintenance, when the dismantling of parts makes it possible to access the area and clean it mechanically. In alternative, it is possible to try specific cleaning products (not the common washing bolsters) for which the standard procedure, advised for a well-known product, is applied for a 340-liter drum:
- Manual mode setting, the distiller turned off and cold
- Introduce 250 ml of the product mixed with 200 ml of water into the drum button trap
- Introduce a 100 litres of clean solvent into the drum (buttons 1-13-15-28)
- Start circulation without the filters (buttons 1-15-21-28) for 20 minutes during which the drum velocity should be kept at 50 spins per minute (press button 53 on the Combi panel, inverter control)
- During this stage, it is possible and optional to start the spinning function every 4-5 minutes for 15/20 seconds (button 4), then return to its normal spinning cycle (button 1)
- During this stage, it is possible that the button trap gets obstructed and it won’t allow for the solvent circulation. In this case, stop the machine and proceed with the cleaning without extracting nor raising the button trap.
- After 20 minutes, enter the solvent into the distiller (buttons 1-21-25-28)
- Turn the distiller on (button 20) and check whether, once about 80°C degrees are reached, the azeotropic mixture of water/solvent starts boiling (if a great quantity of foam appears, stop the distiller, wait for the foam to go down and restart the distiller. Continue to monitor the foam until the temperature reaches more than 121°C degrees, it is when only solvent is present in the distiller for sure)
- At the end of the distillation, turn off the distiller and start cleaning the button trap
- Introduce 100 liters of clean solvent into the drum (buttons 1-13-15-28)
- Proceed with circulation without the filters (buttons 1-15-21-28) for 10 minutes in order to rinse the drum
- After 10 minutes direct the solvent into the distiller (buttons 1 -21-25-28)
- Start the distiller (button 20) and check whether, once about 80°C degrees are reached, the azeotropic mixture of water/solvent starts boiling (if a great quantity of foam appears, stop the distiller, wait for the foam to go down and restart the distiller. Continue to monitor the foam until the temperature reaches more than 121°C degrees, it is when only solvent is present in the distiller for sure)
- Dry the drum (buttons 1-5-6-7-8) for 15 minutes
- Cool the machine down (1-5-6-7)
- Deodorise (buttons 1-7-10 with carbons, 1-6-7 for non-carbon machines) for 4 minutes.
In order to obtain even better results, should the machine be equipped with a supplementary push-button panel, it is possible to carry out the circulation by button 39 (rear gable washing) instead of button 15. As an alternative, if the machine is equipped with the automatic exchange circuit (button 39 missing), you could ask for an assistance of a technician to remove the pneumatic connection temporarily (tube 21) from pneumatic drawer Y1 so that the rear drum washing valve is kept active when the machine is in the circulation stage (buttons 15-21).
Technical instructions for these products are available online. By request, it is also possible to contact Detergo staff.
By Gualtiero Beretta
Gualtiero Beretta started to work as a maintenance technician in the sector of laundry machines in 1989 at DONINI International customer care office and gained his experience while working for the main Italian machine manufacturers. Specialized in preventive maintenance, in mechanical maintenance of bearings and rolling elements, qualified, and in the possession of the certificate for refrigerating system maintenance, Beretta has acquired great working experience together with broad technical scientific knowledge through hard work and his passion for it. He publishes important information relative to the operators of the sector on his updated website www.berettagualtiero.it
Detergo Magazine
July/August 2017
