What is the volume of cooling water required per use for a typical STME autoclave?
As per the manufacturer, there are two answers:
1) If the sterilizer exhaust steam is vented to the outdoors then there is no cooling water except for the excess water remaining in the chamber at the end of the day. This can be no more than 6 quarts of water if it is full at the end of the day. More likely, it’s even less.
2) If the unit cannot be vented to the outdoors than they will be using the optional cold water condensing unit. This is used to mix the exhausted steam with cold water to then send down the drain.
When using the condenser, during a normal 30 minute sterilization cycle, you can expect to use anywhere from 15 to 20 gallons of water.
Leave a Reply