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Manufacturer
Model
What This Guide Helps With
Addresses overheating indications, visible leakage, or water around the washer caused by utilities, drainage, seals, hoses, loading, or service-level failures.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
1. Protect Staff Immediately
Stop use of the washer if there is uncontrolled hot water, steam, significant leakage, water near electrical equipment, burning odor, or an overtemperature indication.
Keep personnel away from the affected area and follow facility spill and utility-isolation procedures.
Expected outcome: Staff are protected from burns, slips, chemical exposure, and electrical hazards.
2. Remove the Washer from Service
Do not start another cycle until the source of the condition has been identified and corrected.
If safe and within facility procedure, place the equipment in its normal shutdown state. Involve Facilities for building utility isolation when required.
Expected outcome: The hazardous condition is prevented from worsening.
3. Identify the Source Without Entering the Hazard Area
Determine whether the water appears to originate from the door, supply piping, drain connection, chemistry tubing, chamber overflow, or an external facility source.
Do not remove panels or reach into areas containing hot water, steam, energized components, or chemicals.
Expected outcome: The likely external source category is identified safely.
4. Inspect Door and Seal Areas
After the machine is safe and cool, inspect accessible door sealing surfaces for debris, damage, or a load interfering with closure.
Check whether water trails originate specifically from the door perimeter.
Expected outcome: A simple sealing obstruction is either identified or ruled out.
5. Inspect Accessible Hoses and Connections
Check visible water, drain, and chemistry connections for looseness, cracks, kinks, or active leakage.
Do not tighten or repair pressurized facility plumbing unless it falls within authorized responsibilities.
Expected outcome: Accessible external connections are intact, or a correctable external leak source is identified.
6. Check Facility Drainage
Inspect surrounding drains for backup or slow flow. A washer discharge may appear to be a machine leak when a floor or connected drain cannot accept the flow.
Escalate infrastructure drainage problems to Facilities.
Expected outcome: Facility drainage is confirmed normal or identified as the source.
7. Confirm the Overtemperature Condition
If the complaint involves overheating rather than a visible leak, record the displayed indication and cycle phase.
Do not repeatedly restart the unit to see whether the condition recurs.
Expected outcome: The abnormal temperature condition is documented without exposing the washer to repeated stress.
8. Correct Only Safe External Causes
Remove accessible debris from a sealing surface, correct an improperly positioned load, or address an approved external connection only when safe and within Clinical Engineering scope.
Do not bypass temperature protection or safety controls.
Expected outcome: Any identified external cause is corrected without compromising safety systems.
9. Perform Controlled Functional Verification
After the area is dry and safe and the cause has been corrected, run an approved test cycle while observing the washer from outside the hazard zone.
Check for recurrence of leakage, abnormal heat, alarms, drainage problems, or water accumulation.
Expected outcome: The washer completes the test cycle without leakage, overtemperature indication, or water accumulation. If so, troubleshooting can stop.
10. Escalate Any Unexplained or Recurrent Hazard
If the source cannot be confidently identified, if leakage recurs, or if an overtemperature condition returns, stop troubleshooting and keep the washer out of service.
Expected outcome: A potentially serious internal or infrastructure problem is escalated rather than repeatedly tested.
If the Problem Persists
Common external causes have been ruled out. Remaining possibilities may involve internal hoses, valves, pumps, heating controls, temperature sensing, door-sealing mechanisms, plumbing, drainage systems, or building infrastructure.
The washer should be:
- Removed from service.
- Labeled Out of Service.
- Sent for repair or qualified on-site service evaluation.
- Evaluated using applicable STERIS documentation and approved test equipment.
- Repaired, calibrated, or configured only by qualified personnel.
The surrounding area must be safe and dry, and the washer should complete appropriate leak-free and functional testing before return to service.
Knowing when to stop external troubleshooting is proper troubleshooting.
Clinical Use Tip
Water on the floor around a cart washer is both an equipment problem and an immediate staff safety hazard; secure the area before investigating the machine.
Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)
CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution
Complaint
What was reported by the clinical staff.
Example:
"Sterile Processing reported water accumulating on the floor in front of the Reliance Vision during wash cycles."
Cause
What was observed during troubleshooting.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering found debris on the loading-door sealing surface preventing complete closure."
Resolution
What action was taken.
Example:
"Clinical Engineering removed the debris, cleaned the accessible sealing surface, and verified a full test cycle completed without leakage."
Helpful Details to Include (If Known)
- Leak, water-on-floor, or overtemperature symptom
- Approximate source location
- Cycle phase when it occurred
- Door and seal condition
- Load position
- Visible hose and connection condition
- Facility drain condition
- Exact displayed message
- Evidence of steam, heat, odor, or electrical exposure
- Actions taken to secure the area
- Test-cycle result
- Final device status
Final Thought
Leak and overtemperature complaints require immediate attention to personnel safety before equipment troubleshooting begins. Rule out external sealing, plumbing, loading, and drainage causes first, verify the repair under controlled conditions, and escalate anything unexplained or recurrent.
That is successful troubleshooting.