Steam Wax Melter
Lexikon
In the steam wax melter, whole frames are hung or placed inside and melted out with steam.
In the steam wax melter, whole frames are hung or placed inside and melted out with steam. The liquid wax runs together with the condensation water into a collecting vessel, and the empty frame remains, which can be rewired after cleaning. An additional pressing step is usually not needed, although there are devices with a built-in spindle press.
The steam wax melter is the tool for planned comb replacement, because it works through the boxes one at a time. For subsequent clarifying, the wax block is heated with water and left to solidify again several times, after which the dirt is scraped from the underside. Soft or slightly acidified water and vessels made of stainless steel, enamel or copper are used, otherwise the wax saponifies and discolors.
The Bavarian State Institute names three ways to sterilize wax: thirty minutes in the steam wax melter from the point of boiling, one hour anhydrous at 112 degrees, or anhydrous heating to 160 degrees. This matters in cases of suspected disease.
The risk of boiling over should be noted. A wax pot should only be filled two-thirds full, because residual water can evaporate at 100 degrees and push the wax over the rim.