Vapor Steam Cleaner FAQs

What is a Commercial UL Listing and why should I care?
Almost everyone is offering lifetime boiler warranties,
what is so different about yours?
Do I want a "Continuous Fill" vapor machine?
What is the difference between a vapor machine designed
for the European market and one designed for the US market?
Is boiler design important?
Who honors the warranty and who does the warranty repairs?
Do you have product liability insurance and why is it important?
Is VaporLux® just a reseller?
The vapor machines that I see on the internet look similar,
what is the difference?
What is your Return Policy?
What are your Shipping Rates
Is vapor cleaning used just for deep cleaning?
Why would I use my VaporLux ® for weekly maintenance?
Why is the quality of the tools important?
What is the optimum temperature for this technology to operate?
Would a bigger machine clean better?
Do you have a retail store?
Can I get a discount on a VaporLux ®?

Q: What is a Commercial UL Listing and why should I care?
A: The UL Mark is one of the most recognized, accepted and trusted symbols in the
world. It means that a not-for-profit, independent laboratory has tested samples of
products to safety requirements and conducts periodic checks of manufacturers'
facilities. It says something about the products you may purchase; it's your one
assurance that steps have been taken in the interest of safety.

The UL Mark stands for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a not-for-profit, non-
governmental organization that was formed in 1894 to help reduce injury, loss of life
and property damage. To that end, UL scientifically investigates and tests thousands
of types of products, materials, constructions and systems to evaluate electric, fire and
casualty hazards; burglar resistance; or ability to detect, control or limit fires. Behind
the UL Mark is a staff of more than 5,000 engineers, scientists, chemists, technicians,
ield representatives and support staff -- a team dedicated to working for a safer world.

Third-party product safety certification is important. An independent, technically
expert organization that doesn't have a financial interest in the product's ultimate
profitability is needed to determine whether reasonably foreseeable risks associated
with the product's use have been eliminated or minimized. UL's not-for-profit,
independent status allow it to allow it to be unbiased in determining whether or not
a product meets recognized safety standards.

Manufacturers submit products to UL for testing and safety certification on a
Voluntary basis. Use of UL is not required by law. But most manufacturers are
concerned with the safety of their products and they know safety-conscious and
concerned consumers look the UL Mark on products they buy.

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Q: Almost everyone is offering lifetime boiler warranties, what is so different
about yours?
A: VaporLux® started the "Lifetime Boiler Warranty" several years ago. The reason
we did this was to demonstrate the superiority of our boilers over all competitors.
In 15 years, VaporLux® has never experienced a single boiler failure. Our boilers
are tested to 700 PSI, yet they operate at 80 PSI. Our boilers are built of 18/10
stainless steel conform to ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
standards, which is the entity that sets the boiler code for North America.
This ASME Standard also dictates the shape of the boiler which is a spherical/
cylindrical shape, VaporLux® is the only company to provide a boiler that conforms
to ASME code.

Many other providers of vapor equipment started to furnish "Lifetime Boiler
Warranties" in 2005 in an effort to bolster diminishing sales, yet they still have a
problem, their heating elements are built as an integral component of their
boilers. Thus, the boiler is warranted for life but the heating element is not. So,
if your heating element needs replacing, you must also replace the boiler.
Additionally, most providers of vapor machines are just resellers, in many
cases, they do not even inventory equipment and they certainly don't do repairs.
Who does the repairs and who honors the warranty? Well, the manufacturer does
and guess where they are located! With the exception of one company other than
VaporLux®, your machine will have to cross an ocean the slow way in order to get
repaired or wait for the parts to be shipped to the reseller.

VaporLux® performs all repairs and fulfills all warranty claims right at their facilities.
We have certified technicians that perform all service and we have 100% parts
availability 100% of the time. In most cases, turnaround time is a couple days rather
than weeks or months.

Every mechanical or electrical device ever manufactured will experience a problem
sooner or later, it is what happens after the problem occurs that matters. In the final
result, the product is only as good as the company that sold it and the best there is,
is VaporLux®.

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Q: Do I want a "Continuous Fill" vapor machine?
A: Many resellers are currently touting a feature called "continuous fill". This term
means that an auxiliary water compartment and electrically powered pump have
been added to the equipment so that the user never runs out of water and the user
can go right on cleaning forever, without stopping. At first it sounds great, but
it is actually an undesirable feature.

With "continuous fill", cold water is constantly introduced into the boiler. If there were
Common 220 volt receptacles in this country, that would be no problem, but there
isn't, and heating element size is restricted by the amount of current that we have in
this country, which is 110 volt. When cold water is introduced, the temperature in the
boiler is reduced, so the heating element is always on. This causes the heating element
to be overused and leads to premature heating element failure, since all components
have a finite life expectancy. Heating element life expectancy might be satisfactory
when used in a residential environment, but certainly not in a commercial setting.

Vapor technology produces the best result when operated within certain temperature
parameters. The lower the temperature the less effective the result is and the slower
bacteria are killed. When cold water is introduced, with a limited power source, the
boiler can never achieve optimum temperature.

"Continuous Fill" is a misnomer. The implication is that the operator never needs to
add water. The fact is that water has to be poured into the auxiliary water reservoir.
Many "Continuous Fill" machines try to extend operating time to their tiny boilers
by the addition of an auxiliary water tank. It is much less expensive to manufacture
a continuous fill machine than it is to build a boiler with adequate capacity in the first
place.

VaporLux® prefers to manufacture extremely high quality equipment designed for the
rigors of heavy duty commercial applications and that operate at optimum cleaning
temperatures than to produce a gimmick that has little practical value and only
decreases the life expectancy of its components. Cleaning time is only limited by
the size of the boiler due conformance to the ASME code.

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Q: What is the difference between a vapor machine designed for the
European market and one designed for the US market?
A: Europe uses 220 volt electricity and all machines except VaporLux® and one other
manufacturer, are designed to run on that current. All components are optimized for
220 volt current. In North America 110 volt electricity is used in standard wall outlets.

There is twice as much resistance in 110 volt electricity as there is in 220 volt
electricity. Wiring needs to be a larger diameter and components higher capacity
so that they do not overheat or melt. An analogy would be that you can only push so
much water through a water hose without increasing the diameter of the hose.

If wiring and components are too small, performance and durability suffers. Even if a
failed component in a European designed machine is repaired, chances are that it will
fail again. If wiring and components are not large enough, heating elements do not
perform efficiently, optimum temperatures cannot be achieved and they have a
tendency to fail prematurely, due to too much resistance.

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Q: Is boiler design important?
A: The boiler is the major component in a vapor machine. The performance of the
machine is wholly reliant on performance of the boiler. If the boiler design is
inefficient, performance will be substandard. The boiler will never achieve optimum
temperature. A rectangular boiler will develop eight cold spots (four on top and four
on the bottom) and preferred temperatures can not be achieved. If a boiler is too small
cleaning time is decreased.

Boilers in VaporLux® machines are spherical/cylindrical in shape, water circulates
freely, there are no cold spots and therefore our boilers can achieve the desired
temperature for vapor cleaning technology.

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Q: Who honors the warranty and who does the warranty repairs?
A: VaporLux® performs all warranty work utilizing its own certified technicians.
VaporLux® can repair and even refurbish all VaporLux® machines. Because warranty
claims are so few; turnaround time is minimal, usually in a few days.

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Q: Do you have product liability insurance?
A: Yes, VaporLux® and its wholly owned subsidiaries purchase insurance for public and
products liability exclusively from insurers that have an A.M. Best Company
financial rating of "A" or higher. A.M Best is the leading source of financial ratings
of insurance companies.

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Q: Is VaporLux® just a reseller?
A: No. Because VaporLux® is the manufacturer, we warehouse all of our own equipment
accessories and parts. Unlike most resellers we do not drop ship, we have our own
shipping, parts and service departments.

Also, unlike most resellers, we have maximum input over quality control, design
improvements and technology updates. When a machine comes to VaporLux® for
warranty service, we will retrofit that equipment with the latest technology
improvements if practical.

We never have to settle for selling equipment that is not up to our standard just because
that is what the manufacturer shipped.

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Q: The vapor machines on the internet look similar to yours,
what is the difference?
A: A lot. All other machines (except one) are designed for the European 220 volt market.
The wiring, components and electronic circuitry are all different and their design does
not conform to North American standards. Other machines may perform satisfactorily
for residential applications, but not commercial applications where extended duty
cycles are the norm where overheating and component failure will result more
quickly.

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Q: What is your Return Policy?
A: VaporLux® Return Policy
1. We want you to be satisfied with the unsurpassed cleaning ability of your new VaporLux® Equipment. If your VaporLux® does not perform as advertised and provide superior cleaning results, you may return it for a full refund within a one week trial period. This refund does not apply for application uses that are not advertised or intended by VaporLux®.
2. All equipment must be returned directly to: VaporLux®, Inc.
  15701 Martin Road
  Roseville, MI 48066
3. Prior to shipping your machine to VaporLux® for a refund, you must obtain a Return Authorization Number from VaporLux®. This may be obtained by calling (800) 467-6229.
4. Shipping is not included in the refund price. Return shipping will not be paid for by VaporLux®.
5. The unit must be received by VaporLux® within 14 days of the date that you received your VaporLux® machine.
6. The unit must be received by VaporLux® in as new resalable condition.
7. All original packaging must be intact including manuals instruction cards and videos.
8. All carts, brushes, accessories, extension cords must be returned in "as new" condition to receive a full warranty with in the trial period. If brushes, carts or accessories are in used condition upon return to VaporLux®, the price of those accessories will be deducted from your refund.
9. After the 7 day Free Trial Period, full refunds will no longer be furnished.
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Q: What are your shipping rates?
A: $10 for accessories and $50 each for steam cleaners.
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Q: Is the vapor cleaning process just for deep cleaning?
A: While vapor cleaning is truly the most effective technology for deep cleaning, surface
restoration and detail cleaning, general purpose and normal maintenance cleaning is
where the technology really shines. If this technology cleans the tough built up grease
and grime better than any other technology, it would be ridiculous to say that it would
not clean the easy stuff better and faster. In fact it is better and faster, probably twice
as fast. Imagine mopping an area without having to rinse your mop and actually
removing dirt, debris and bacteria from the surface, mopping certainly doesn't.
Imagine one-step, no touch cleaning without the use of any chemicals. Imagine
complete hypoallergenic cleaning without the use of disinfectants.

Put another way, it is impossible to clean with a VaporLux® as poorly or as
ineffectively as it is with conventional cleaning methods. Even if a poor job was done
with a VaporLux®, it would be better than the same effort put into conventional
cleaning.

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Q: Why would we use a VaporLux® for weekly maintenance?
A: The short and simple answer is that it saves money, a lot of money. Soaps and
Detergents can never be completely removed from a surface using conventional
methods. Because they cannot be completely remove, there is a chemical build
up that occurs incrementally over a period of years. Chemical leave a film and that
film causes more dirt and grime to adhere to the surface, because of this, surfaces
look old and dingy. Cleaning doesn't appear to be effective after a time, so the
surface is replaced and that usually costs a lot of money. If you didn't have to
replace the surface, you could save a lot of money, This is where VaporLux® comes in.
The surface doesn't need to be replaced; it just needs to be cleaned. VaporLux® works
the opposite of conventional cleaning methods, the more you clean with it, the cleaner
the surface gets.

Cleaning with VaporLux® is faster and less labor means less expense. Chemicals are
expensive, representing a good portion of your maintenance budget and that's
another economic reason for cleaning with VaporLux®. The cleaner your facility,
the higher the customer and employee comfort level is, that not only saves money,
it makes money. Lastly, because everything is hypoallergenic, absenteeism is
reduced and people are generally more productive.

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Q: Why is the quality of tools and attachments important?
A: Performance and longevity. This is the business end of the machine, "where the rubber
meets the road" so to speak. If the attachments aren't ergonomic the operator won't
want to use the equipment. The attachments that VaporLux® uses are just as high
quality as the machines we produce. We have heard of a competitors attachment that
actually melted.

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Q: What is the optimum temperature for this technology?
A: The optimum temperatures of operation are 260° to 300° at the tool tip. Anything over
300° and some surfaces will scorch or mark. Anything less than 260° and cleaning
efficacy is markedly degraded. For every 18° of temperature increase, cleaning ability
is increased 100%. VaporLux® equipment operates at 280° to 295° at the tip, this is the
exact optimum temperature for this technology.

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Q: Would a bigger machine clean better?
A: The answer is no it wouldn't. Larger 220, 440 and 880 volt machines are produced for
industrial applications which require more vapor volume, but because they operate at
the same temperatures as 110 volt machines, cleaning results are the same. The
amount of vapor required to clean is regulated by the attachment used, if you use
more volume than the attachment requires, the cleaning process is not as effective.

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Q: Does VaporLux® have a retail store?
A: VaporLux® does not have a retail store, but we do have office and warehouse facilities
and customers are encouraged to come in by appointment to view and demonstrate our
products.

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Q: Can I get a discount on VaporLux® products?
A: No and yes, let us explain. All VaporLux® machines are fair trade items and share the
same price no matter where they are purchased. VaporLux® attends several tradeshows
throughout the year. We feel strongly, that if you travel to one of those trade shows
to see one of our demonstrations; you are entitled to the trade show discount
that we offer at that show. See our trade show and event schedule.