[derek sharp]

hi guys first post on here so be gentle.....I have a steampro 2000 which developed an attitude problem today that is to say when i plugged it in and switched on the middle vac switch it blew the fuse in the plug. does anyone know how to actually remove the outer casing so that I can inspect it for further problems ? the front of the machine looks like it is on a hinge so I am hoping that somehow it lifts off but cant see any obvious signs of how to do it .any advice would be greatly appreciated p s its just over a year old so warranty has run out ( just my luck )

[Kinver_Clean]

From memory, there are two large headed screws on the sides at the front. These hold the front down.
I may be wrong as I have not seen your machine.

[derek sharp]

 just found a picture of it on the prochem website hope this helps    cheers

[Kinver_Clean]

Mine must have been a couple of models before that.
Have a look at the area between the tanks, there may be screws there. They will be of a decent size.

[derek sharp]

thats what I thought that there would be a couple of screws in the tank but nothing obvious there..... im now starting to think that maybe the 2 screws which i took to be a hinge at the front could maybe be the ones to remove to gain access to rhe inside

[john martin]

  Unusual enough for the plug fuse to blow , do u mean the machine cord plug or an extension lead of some sort ?  I would have though a machine fault would trip the house RCD ... did u check the plug for signs of overheating caused by poor internal connections ? or just replace the fuse and try the motor again ?

[derek sharp]

yes it blew the 13 amp fuse in the plug so I changed it then tried the other vac pump ( ran ok ) switched the pump on ( ran ok ) then when I turned on the second vac pump ( middle switch ) it blew the fuse again . thought the rccd trip swith in the premises would have tripped but it never

[derek sharp]

looks like I need a new vac pump as sparks flew out the bottom of the machine just before the fuse blew . trouble is i cant figure out how to open the machine up .

[Jamie Pearson]

The front is a hinge.

There are two bolts on the rear that will allow you to flip it open.

[Tony Stewart]

Once you have undone the bolts push up on the top part of the casing and have a screwdriver ready. You beed to unscrew the vac hose and then the casing will lift all the way.
I place the steempro a little way from the wall so that it has no chance if tipping over.
You will then find all the innards laid out in the bottom.

[William McCafferty]

Dereck

There are 3 screws on the sides of the machine, these are on the back of the machine and about 3 inches from the base.

I would also check the compartment that the swiches are house in, this can fill up with water and when you turn on the switch is will blow the fuse.

[Fran84]

Go with what Tony said. I would use a bucket to rest the tanks on so it doesn't flip

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

Check the lead for an internal short, or with all this rain has water got in the plug?

[derek sharp]

heres the update guys i mamaged to have a look inside but vac pump was burnt out.took it to a loca repair shop and got 2 new vac pumps fitted and pat tested cost a few bob but worth it i hope.thanks for all replies. really appreciated

[Jamie Lindsay]

Same thing happend to me prob was just the brushes... If you have the old vacs open them up and take a look at the brushes.... Ps should have a look at the inside of your machine they are very basic and easily serviced... Keeps the overheads down and you dont have to wait for 3+ days for prochem to fix it

[Fran84]

Worn brushes wouldn't blow the fuse. My guess is moiture in the plug itself.

Although I do echo Jamie in saying take a look at the inside of your machine and try to get a knowledge of how they actually work. Very simple machines and easily maintained if you've got half a brain.

Fran.

[derek sharp]

as I was saying I opened up the unit examined the vac pumps and done an insulation test on the wiring with my megger which proved that the cause was a dead short on the windings on one of the vac pumps and a low earth resistance test on the other as both faults would fail the obligatory pat test i could do no other than replace both vac pumps ( even after blowing out the carbon dust from the commutator ) anyway to cut a long story short ive now got a fully pat tested machine with new vac pumps,all i need now is a few more customers and who knows this time next year rodney..........

[Kinver_Clean]

If the brushes are gone and the commutator is burnt, this will blow everything available- Usually the RCD but quite often the fuse itself as the windings get frazzled. It is only the lacquer that insulates them and if this melts they go bang.


Now you know how it comes apart, go one further and check the brushes regularly. Every 500-600 hours of running. It needs to have a record kept of the hours run for a week or so, then you can work out when to check them. When they have worn down they can be replaced and the carbon blown out. If motors like this are looked after they will run for years.
There are videos on youtube showing how to change them.

[derek sharp]

thanks for the info kinver_clean hopefully i will have a trouble free future well for a while anyway . like the old saying goes look after your tools and they will look after you . cheers everyone.