Review and how-to: Vapor Chief Steam Cleaners by Mike Phillips

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Review and how-to: Vapor Chief Steam Cleaners by Mike Phillips




The POWER of steam!

Benefits

Clean without chemicals - or if needed, clean with chemicals. (Some people are sensitive to cleaning chemicals, steam solves this problem)

Kills germs, bacteria and viruses

Kills bed bugs

Low humidity dry steam

High heat and high pressure steam cleaning power



Video Product Showcase

First, here's a video showcasing the three different models of Vapor Chief Steam Cleaners avaialbe at Autogeek.com

3 models to choose from - from left to right


Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner

Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner

Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner

Pro Grade Attachments
Making steam is one thing, being able to use it however comes down to the attachments and Vapor Chief has incredible attachments!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner - $679.99

Single fill water tank, fill her up and you're good to go until you run out of water. This is what is meant by the word SINGLE in the model name.

Very sturdy stainless steel construction. Vapor Chief Steam machine are built like TANKS!

Convenient hooks to wrap an secure the power cord

About this model

Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner is a boiler steam cleaner manufactured using a stainless-steel body and features advanced pressure and heating capabilities. The Italian-made Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner uses the power of steam to completely transform the area it is working on. Essentially a simple machine, the Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner works like a commercial grade tool, but at a residential price and ease of use!

Featuring an external heating coil located on the underside of the Single Pro 75 that can heat the water in your boiler to 315 – 320 degrees, Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner sanitizes as it cleans. Also, because this heating coil is under the unit rather that inside the unit, your coils will not erode and calcify over time. Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner utilizes a fully adjustable steam pressure control from zero to maximum and gives you the ability to customize your detail!


Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner Technical Specifications:

• 1700 watt external heater
• AISI 304 stainless steel boiler with a 3.1 (total volume) liter capacity
• 11 foot detachable hose
• Approximately 315-320 degree steam
• Now with 85 PSI!
• 13 foot power cord
• Stainless steel body
• Full accessory package


Also includes:

• LIFETIME boiler warranty
• LIFETIME heater warranty
• 3 year internal parts warranty


Attachments
Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner comes with several attachments including 4 large and 6 small round cleaning brushes, two extension pieces, a triangle head brush, two flat head brushes, and micro hose tips for precision detailing.


Main difference
The difference between the Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner and the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner and Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner is this model is NOT a continuous fill model. This means after you run out of steam you must turn the steam machine off and allow the boiler and steam pressure tank to cool down before you can remove the threaded cap to add more water.


This model has a threaded, spring loaded cap to seal the water tank and build-up and hold steam pressure.

Before you can remove the cap during use, you must turn off the steam machine allow some time for the unit to cool down so you can safely remove the cap.

On Autogeek.com

Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner - Not continuous fill

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Continued....


Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner - $1,029.99



About this model

Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner is a continuous refill steamer (meaning you won’t have to stop halfway through to refill your tank), that produces steam up to 380-295 degrees to effectively, and better yet safely, clean all interior and exterior surfaces. Featuring an external heating element, the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner heats up in just 9-10 minutes and provides pressurized steam for as long as you need it! Perfect for use by both professional detailers and enthusiasts alike, the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner cuts your detail time down and provides a fully cleaned (and sanitized!) surface!


Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner Technical Specifications:

• 120 volts at 14.5 amps
• 1750 watts
• External heating element
• 9-10 minutes heating time
• Continuous fill operation
• 14.5 foot hose
• 13 foot grounded power cord
• 2.5 liter refill tank
• Stainless steel body
• Stainless steel 2.0 liter boiler
• Maximum internal boiler temperature of 335 degrees
• Detachable steam hose
• Fully adjustable steam pressure from zero to maximum
• Out of water indicator and alarm


Also includes:

• Lifetime boiler and heater warranty
• 3 year internal electrical parts warranty
• Lightweight and portable about 23 pounds


Attachments
Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner comes with several attachments including 4 large and 6 small round cleaning brushes, two extension pieces, a triangle head brush, two flat head brushes, and micro hose tips for precision detailing.



Main difference
The difference between the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner and the Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner is that this model IS a continuous fill model meaning as you use up water in the water tank to make steam, you can add more water at any time. There's no need to turn the steam machine off and wait for it to cool down so the lid can safely be removed.


Main difference
The difference between the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner and the Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner is primarily less heat and less steam pressure. You still get plenty of both just not as much as the injection model and you also don't get the ability to inject a cleaner while steam cleaning.

Note the cap is different than the cap on the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner

This cap simply pulls off and presses on, there's no pressure in the water tank and you can add more water at any time...

If you want continuous fill feature but don't think you need the ability to inject cleaning chemicals when steaming, this is the best option.


On Autogeek.com


Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Continued....




Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner - $1,899.99


About this model

Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner features a unique chemical injection (the cleaner of your choice), as well as steam to clean any interior and exterior surface. Unlike other injection steamers on the market, the Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner is not diesel or propane powered, and uses 120 volts – making is safe for use both indoors and out. Weighing in at just 45 pounds, the Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner is perfect for both the mobile detailer as well as the DIY enthusiast!


Unique Injection Feature

The Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner has two separate tanks as well as the boiler for steam. One tank is for your clean water and the other tank is for your choice of chemical to use with the steam for cleaning.

Vapor Chief 125 Steam Injection Steam Cleaner’s unique chemical insertion bypasses the boiler and uses a pump to inject your cleaning solution directly into the steam hose. With buttons on your handle, you are able to adjust the amount of steam as well as the amount of chemical that is being introduced to the surface.

Two cleaning actions

With the injection model, you get cleaning from,

1. Steam
2. Heat
3. Chemicals

Featuring an upgraded 135 psi rating, the Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner offers more psi than the either the Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner or the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner


Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner Technical Specifications:

• Continuous fill for all day use
• Super duty 304 AISI stainless steel boiler which meets all industry standard codes
• 3.0 liter boiler is the perfect size for great pressure and fast recovery
• Fast heating in about 12-13 minutes
• Heavy duty 1750 watt heater
• EXTERNAL heater
• 135 PSI in the boiler
• Great steam delivery and volume
• 350 degree steam temperature in the boiler
• 320 degrees of working steam temperature at the tip
• Steam pressure adjustment from zero to maximum pressure
• Injection cleaner adjustment valve on the front of the machine
• Full Attachment package
• 15 foot hose
• 13 foot power cord
• BIG 5 liter external water tank
• BIG 5 liter external injection tank


Also includes:

• LIFETIME warranty on this boiler
• LIFETIME warranty on the heating element
• 3 year warranty on internal electrical components


Attachments
Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner comes with several attachments including 4 large and 6 small round cleaning brushes, two extension pieces, a triangle head brush, two flat head brushes, and micro hose tips for precision detailing.


Main difference
The difference between the Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner and the Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner and the Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner is primarily,

1. More heat.
2. More steam pressure.
3. Unique injection feature enables you to inject your choice of cleaning chemical through the steam wands.

Note the water filter to ensure no debris gets into the water tank.

On Autogeek.com

Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Continued...


Pro Grade Attachments and Accessories

All three models come with the same high quality attachments so you can get the most out of your Vapor Chief Steam Cleaner no matter which model you purchase.


14' hose and extension for cleaning floors or reaching into cars, truck and suvs

Large rectangular floor cleaning brush and triangle cleaning brush. Both come with microfiber cleaning bonnets for delicate surfaces.

Also pictures are spare O-rings.

Gum scraper and large squeegee

Gum scraper is super hard plastic for heavy duty scraping...

Here you can see the hole where steam comes through to super heat the gum...

General purpose plastic brushes and horse hair brushes for more gentle scrubbing....
(not pictures are two small brass brushes for cleaning tile and grout)

90 degree elbow for use with brush heads and extensions...

Snap-in plug for electric communications between the spray, the steam machine and the chemical pump...

Here's what convenience looks like - a 14' hose - this makes it easy to work around a car interior...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Continued....





Now lets see this steamer in action!


Add tap water to the water tank and your all-purpose-cleaner to the other tank...

After plugging the steam machine on, turn the power switch from the 0 to the 1

It takes about 10 to 12 minutes for the boiler to heat up the water and create steam and pressure.

While the Vapor Chief Steam Cleaner is heating up, let me see if I can find something REALLY dirty to test it out on...

Found something - the floor inside our Competition Ready Van!

Note I'm using the SCANGRIP Multimatch and the SCANGRIP Tripod to light up my shots.

I stated back in December of 2016 that I look for a swirl finder light that not only shows swirls but also works great for photography and video work and you read my comments about that here

The SCANGRIP Multimatch lights up a set pretty good!

Meanwhile, the steam machine is just about up to full temperature and full pressure....

Note the green light is off?

That's because it's >>>BLINKING<<< while it's heating up and I captured this shot in-between >blinks<

Once the steam machine comes up to full temperature and pressure the light will go from blinking to constant [ON] like you see in the below picture.

Here's a tape-line to help show before and after results...

Here I'm pulling the trigger for steam...

Here's where the trigger is located for steam....

On the back, top of the handle there's a button for your cleaning chemical

Time to start steam cleaning...

Wait for it....

BOOM!
Here's the floor both cleaned and SANITIZED!

Here's another favorite and handy tool and that's the SCANGRIP I-VIEW, which is perfect for interior detailing as it lights up your work area...

Here's the job completed...

2 very important features that come with professional grade steam machines like the Vapor Chief Injection Model is,

1 Continuous fill - This means as you run out of water you can simply add more water on-the-fly, no need to wait for the unit to cool down so you can remove the water tank lid.

2 Use tap water - that's right, because the heating element is on the outside of the boiler there's no need to use distilled water.​

Here's my buddy and co-worker Will adding more water from a hose at our utility sink in the warehouse...

On Autogeek.com

Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner - Not continuous fill

Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner

Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Comments and review


Comments...

When people ask me about steam cleaning, I use a simple analogy to explain how well it works....


Say you've been working with your hands all day on something greasy and grimy, for example, replacing the starter motor on an old Ford. (Chevys never break).

Your hands get this black oily sludge on them but it also embeds down into the pores of your skin. You could wash your hands with soap and COLD water and with enough scrubbing finally get your hands clean or you could wash your hands with soap and HOT water and I think you'll agree it will be a lot faster and a lot easier to get your hands clean.


That's how steam machines work. They heat up the surface causing it to expand a little and then the high pressure and high heat of the steam loosens and dissolves dirt and grime so you can easily wipe it away.

You can use steam by itself or incorporate one of the many tools included with all Vapor Chief Steam Cleaners and increase the cleaning ability of the steam.



Review
The Vapor Chief Steam Cleaners are truly built like TANKS. Yes, like a military tank. They are sturdy and well-built. Just handling one you can tell no sane person is ever going to break one. The heating elements work fast to bring up both the temperature and the pressure so you can get busy cleaning. 10-12 minutes is all it takes. By the time you turn any of these steam machine on and then get your car in position or whatever it is you're cleaning it will be ready to go.

Time behind the tool
Just like anything, in order to become an expert at cleaning with steam you need to invest some time behind the tool. It's not hard but practice does hone your skills.

Sanitizing
The thing I like about cleaning with steam is at the same time you're cleaning a surface you're also sanitizing the surface and that's a cool feature that can stop germs in their tracks and keep them from affecting you. I don't know about you, but I appreciate my health and it's never any fun getting sick with a cold or flue and then missing my fun job. So sanitizing with steam is an extra level of protection you can't get with chemicals along.


If you've been sitting on the fence about getting a steam cleaner and one of the things that's been stopping you from making the decision is quality, then have no fear. The Vapor Chief line of steam cleaners will probably outlast you and most any other tool you've purchased.


There's lots of cheap, plastic steam machines on the market, for a hundred buck or so you can spray some steam around. But when you have work to do, day-in and day-out, then it's time to invest in a real tool not a wanna-be tool.



On Autogeek.com


Vapor Chief Single Pro 75 Steam Cleaner - Not continuous fill

Vapor Chief Refill 100 Steam Cleaner

Vapor Chief 125 Injection Steam Cleaner

 

[bill walsh]

nice to see you guys selling vapor chief steam cleaners

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

nice to see you guys selling vapor chief steam cleaners

Thank you for commenting Bill..


I was told we had a lot of requests for the Vapor Steam brand of polishers so we listened to our customer feedback and now they are available on the AG store.


I'm curious to see how sales are. It's a very rugged tool with all the bells and whistles someone would want in a professional grade steam cleaner. Each time I get a project car into the garage where I can use steam I'll document one of these steam machines in action.


Stay tuned...

 

[SabbyNJ]

That's a mega bonus that it can use tap water.


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline

 

[ShaneB]

Great write up!

What are your thoughts on detergent injection in terms of what dilution to use with your cleaner of choice? I'm just now getting into experimenting with something other than the Dupray APC which is made for steam injection and am a little unsure as to how I should mix my APC. I'm going to try Poorboys APC+D at 64:1 at first and see how I like it, but I worry about mixing it too strong. There really isn't much info out there when it comes to what chemicals and how they react with steam injection

 

[Eric@CherryOnTop]

Mike, what is the reason it says to only use tap water and not distilled water?

 

[ShaneB]

Mike, what is the reason it says to only use tap water and not distilled water?

If im not mistaken they use some type of electrical current which goes thru the water to monitor the level in the boiler. Distilled water is not conductive, tap water is, and therefore the machine would probably assume the boiler is empty and wouldn't heat up if filled with distilled water.

I could be wrong but I thought I remember reading that somewhere

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Great write up!

Takes a little time to do the work, take the pictures and then do something with it all.

What are your thoughts on detergent injection in terms of what dilution to use with your cleaner of choice?

I'm just now getting into experimenting with something other than the Dupray APC which is made for steam injection and am a little unsure as to how I should mix my APC.

I'm going to try Poorboys APC+D at 64:1 at first and see how I like it, but I worry about mixing it too strong.

There really isn't much info out there when it comes to what chemicals and how they react with steam injection

Great question Shane...

I think in the video I covered this topic by saying to dilute whatever product you're going to use to the normal dilution you would use it without steam injection and that is the rule of thumb.

So if an APC states to dilute at 4:1 then mix up your product accordingly for a the holding tank you're using with the system you own. In this case, I had to do the math, (not my strong point), and the way I did it was to first see what I had for a measuring cup.

I have a 1000 ml or milliliter measuring cup in the garage for just this type of thing.

Next I had to convert 5 liters to milliliters which is simple as it's 5000 milliliters.

Now to figure 4:1 dilution this means 4 parts water and 1 part of the product you want to dilute which will give you a total of 5 parts.

This is where I was lucky as it's pretty easy to figure out how many times "5 parts" go into 5000 and the answer if 5. So if I need a total of 5 parts of 1000 milliliters that means I'll need 4000 milliliters of water and 1000 milliliters of product and that's what I mixed for the video.


I think that's right. I'll cede to any math whizzes in the audience.


The bigger point is that just because you're using steam you don't have to or need to change the dilution of a product.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike, what is the reason it says to only use tap water and not distilled water?

Great question Eric.

With Vapor Chief, the heating element is on the OUTSIDE of the stainless steel boiler not the inside.

Thus the heating element is NOT coming into contact with any dissolved minerals and other substances found in tap water so there's no physical contact or interaction between these things thus no problems. There is a problem when the heating element is in the inside of the boiler and whatever chemical changes take place to the heating element and the boiler itself from the interaction between the two will tend to wear-out or break the unit plus void any warranty.

At least the above is my understanding....

 

[lolitsDanny]

I got my 75 last week and its an excellent machine. What are your thoughts on using steam to clean out speaker grills? I was a little apprehensive on using the soft bristle brush with the single nozzle and resorted to using a detail brush instead.

 

[jjackkrash]

My 125 came a few days ago, and I spent a little time with it last night. Its pretty impressive they way it gets the grime out of nooks and crannies.

 

[Ted Y]

I bought a Vapor Chief 100 over a year ago and it is a great tool! You can also use it to clean your bathrooms and tile floors. High quality product. You won't be disappointed.

 

[josher]

Thanks for the SOLID review and write up Mike! I am in the market for a Steamer and the 5 i have considered you guys sell so please help me eliminate a few so I can better make a decision!... Originally I was going to get a Dupray Innox Carmen injection model that is about $4,000 dollars which I think is no longer an option as I don't think I NEED one that expensive...

GOALS with steamer... Engine bay details as needed, all interior as needed.... and the occasional rim-job if the particular job calls for steam...... With the carmen innox out of the 5 options I think I have come up with 4 potentials to get......

2 in the $2,000 range and 2 in the $1,000 dollar range.

*** $1,999.99 - Dupray Hill Injection (I like this one along with the next 3 i'm about to list due to price and continuous refill ALSO the injection capabilities..... not sure if the injection is needed or worth the extra $1000)

*** $849.99 - Dupray ONE Plus - I like the price... NO INJECTION capable....

*** $1,029.00 - Vapor Chief 100 - I like this because continuous refill.... price range is good and Mike you say it's good so that helps me like it more

*** $1,999.00 - Vapor Chief 125 - I like this one IF I need injection or think it is a wiser purchase for the long run investment...... Please help me choose what would be great! I no longer want the Innox Carmen due to how big it is....

Thank you Mike and everyone else who may chime in.... appreciate the review on the Vapor Chiefs as I didn't know about these much before seeing your review. Thank you

 

[josher]

I realize between all of the Duprays I listed above..... the hill injection for $2,000 dollars has a self cleaning boiler and is made of stainless steel as the others are not and don't.... hmmmmmm