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Manufacturer
Model
What This Guide Helps With
Addresses wet loads, visible soil, residue, or inconsistent cleaning caused by loading, spray obstruction, chemistry, utilities, drainage, or process-performance problems.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect Processing Quality
Do not release a visibly soiled or otherwise unacceptable load for clinical use. Reprocess the load according to facility procedure after the washer problem has been addressed.
Use another verified washer if needed.
Expected outcome: Inadequately processed items do not enter clinical service.
2. Confirm the Exact Quality Complaint
Determine whether the concern is retained moisture, visible soil, residue, spotting, inconsistent cleaning, or a combination.
Ask whether the issue affects every load, certain cart positions, or only specific load types.
Expected outcome: The symptom pattern is defined well enough to guide troubleshooting.
3. Inspect Load Arrangement
Confirm that carts, basins, containers, and other approved items are positioned so that surfaces can be reached by the washer process and can drain.
Look for nested items, blocked openings, overturned containers, or items shielding one another.
Expected outcome: The load is arranged to permit adequate cleaning and drainage. If repositioning resolves the problem on a repeat cycle, troubleshooting can stop after verification.
4. Check for Overloading
Confirm the rack or cart has not been overloaded beyond normal facility practice or arranged so densely that spray and drainage are restricted.
Expected outcome: The load allows normal water and air movement.
5. Inspect Accessible Spray Components
When safe, inspect accessible spray arms and nozzles for obvious debris, blockage, or inability to move as intended.
Remove only debris that can be cleared through normal approved user-accessible maintenance.
Expected outcome: Accessible spray paths are unobstructed.
6. Verify Chemistry Supply
Confirm that the approved detergent or chemistry is available, correctly connected, and not obviously depleted or leaking.
Do not compensate for poor cleaning by changing validated dosing settings without authorization.
Expected outcome: Required chemistry is available to the washer.
7. Verify Water, Steam, and Drainage Conditions
Confirm required facility utilities are available and that the washer drains normally without standing water.
Poor utility conditions or incomplete drainage can contribute to poor results or wet loads.
Expected outcome: External utility and drainage conditions are normal.
8. Confirm Correct Cycle Selection
Verify that the selected cycle is appropriate for the type of load being processed.
Do not alter validated cycle parameters in an attempt to improve performance.
Expected outcome: The normal approved cycle for the load is being used.
9. Run a Controlled Test Load
After correcting any obvious external cause, run an approved representative or test load and inspect the outcome according to facility procedure.
Expected outcome: The load exits acceptably clean and with expected drainage or drying performance. If successful, troubleshooting can stop.
10. Escalate Persistent Poor Performance
If loading, spray access, chemistry, utilities, drainage, and cycle selection are correct but performance remains poor, remove the washer from service.
Expected outcome: Potential circulation, heating, drying, chemistry-delivery, or control problems are escalated to qualified service.
If the Problem Persists
Common external causes have been ruled out. Remaining categories may include internal circulation, spray pressure, heating, drying, chemistry dosing, drainage, sensing, or control performance.
The washer should be:
- Removed from service.
- Labeled Out of Service.
- Sent for repair or qualified service evaluation.
- Evaluated using applicable STERIS documentation and approved test equipment.
- Repaired, calibrated, or configured only by qualified personnel.
Return to service should include successful functional testing and verification of acceptable cleaning performance according to facility requirements.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Visible cleanliness is a minimum requirement; a load with retained soil should never be advanced merely because the washer completed its cycle.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Sterile Processing reported carts were exiting the Reliance Vision with visible soil remaining on lower surfaces."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found debris partially obstructing accessible spray nozzles in the chamber."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering cleared the accessible obstruction, ran a representative test load, and verified acceptable cleaning performance before returning the washer to service."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Wetness or cleaning symptom
- Types of loads affected
- Position within the rack
- Load arrangement
- Spray-arm or nozzle condition
- Chemistry availability
- Utility status
- Drainage condition
- Cycle selected
- Results before and after correction
- Final device status
Final Thought
Poor cleaning should first be approached as a loading, spray-access, chemistry, utility, or drainage problem before internal failure is assumed. Protect the load, verify the result after correction, and escalate performance problems that remain unresolved.
That is successful troubleshooting.