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 Did you know Preventative Maintenance is required by the CDC?
Yes, it is. As state by the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
“Perform preventive maintenance on sterilizers by qualified personnel who are guided by the manufacturer’s instruction.” (see Recommendations for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities C.19.i
here). Duraline provides a certification label on every autoclave following preventative maintenance – which will be looked for during an inspection.
How Frequently Does My Autoclave Need Preventative
Maintenance?
Preventative Maintenance is recommended by autoclave manufacturers to be done every 6-12 months depending on the make/model, or how often the autoclave is used. This can be found in the Operators Manual that came with your equipment (click here for your Operators Manual). New state-of-the-art
autoclaves, such as the
Tuttnauer EZ9Plus and EZ11Plus, have an LCD screen on the control panel that informs you when
a simple maintenance check is necessary. At Duraline Systems, we call to remind you when your autoclave needs maintenance.
Learn more
Why Do Autoclaves Need Preventative Maintenance?
Just as a car requires regular oil changes and annual inspections, maintenance extends the life of your autoclave.
Preventative Maintenance ensures:
- Your autoclave will be functioning at 100% performance
- Your instruments are being sterilized with every cycle
- Emergency service calls are reduced
- Risk to patients and staff is reduced
- Your office is compliant
What Happens in a Routine Maintenance?
Preventative Maintenance are completed by our certified biotechnicians, which include:
- Electrical safety checks and safety inspections
- Replace filters and gaskets as needed
- Clean the reservoir, chamber, trays & door
- Clean and inspect the sensors, valves and condenser
coils
- Verify temperature, test and calibrate the sterilizer
- Provide a comprehensive service report.
What Maintenance is Required by My Staff?
DAILY: Clean door gasket / cassette seal with mild detergent and soft cloth or sponge.
WEEKLY: The autoclave chamber (or StatIM cassette), trays and door gasket must be cleaned weekly with mild
detergent, and thoroughly rinsed.
This kit offers
the recommended cleaner and scrub pad. Use
autoclave cleaner for most autoclaves to descale the chamber, copper tubes and reservoir. For StatIM’s, coat the interior of the
cassette with
Stat-Dri every 10 cycles. For Tuttnauer autoclaves: Clean the air jet, water sensor weekly, oil door pins and the tightening bolt.
MONTHLY: Replace distilled water in reservoir. Clean and check safety valve and clean the strainer inside the chamber. Remove rack and trays and clean them and the chamber
thoroughly with mild detergent and rinse with water.
6-MONTHS: Air (HEPA) filters on StatIM’s and Tuttnauer autoclaves must be changed, to allow adequate supply of clean air during the drying cycle. For StatIM’s, the cassette seal, air filter and biological air filter must be changed every 500 cycles or 6-months (whichever comes first).
12-MONTHS: Replace the door gasket at least annually - or as needed. Schedule your annual service here.
Many autoclave parts are easy to replace; we keep thousands of parts in stock here and will help you replace the part over the phone, if needed. If you want it done professionally by a certified biotechnician, send a request here.
Click here to request an Autoclave Maintenance or repair.
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