Cleveland Steamer Oven Troubleshooting From vegetables and fish to meat and bread, steam ovens allow you to maintain natural flavors and nutrients to perfection. Cleveland’s line of steamers continue to be a top choice in a wide variety of commercial kitchens. Like any oven or cooking equipment that gets used every day, issues can pop up over time. Fortunately, we have Cleveland steamer oven troubleshooting tips to help you out.
Cleveland Steamer Oven Troubleshooting Solutions
This guide offers common problems and remedies associated with popular Cleveland units, including pressure steamers and SteamCraft® series models.
Click on the Issues Below:
- No Power Indicator Light
- Steam Generator Doesn’t Fill
- Abnormal Amount of Steam from Drain
- Too Much Steam or Water Draining By Door Compartment
- Reduced Steam Flow into Cooking Compartment
- Steam Flow Doesn’t Stop When Timer Stops
- Water Leaking from Different Areas
- Food Cooking Too Long
No Power Indicator Light
- Power off at main power switch or breaker – Turn the power on from the main external power switch or breaker.
- Broken controls or light – Both issues will need to be repaired by an authorized technician.
Steam Generator Doesn’t Fill
- Water supply is off – If you notice that the water supply to the unit is shut off, open the water supply valves.
- Clogged water line strainer and external filter – Check if the water line strainer and external filter system are clogged. Clean out any obstructions thoroughly to improve filling.
- Shorted water sensors from scaling – Scale buildup can short the water sensors. Clean any scale or deposits using a USDA-approved descaler.
- Broken solenoids or controls – Faulty controls or solenoids can halt filling. Contact an authorized technician to correct the issue.
Abnormal Amount of Steam from Drain
- Hot water connected instead of cold water – If the hot water line is connected to the condenser fitting instead of the cold water line, this can affect steaming process. Contact an authorized technician to remedy the issue.
- Water supply off – The water supply to the condenser could be turned off. Open the water supply valve to correct the issue.
- Clogged water line strainer or nozzle – See if the water line strainer or nozzle is dirty and obstructing the area. Clean both thoroughly to solve the problem.
- Clogged, broken or leaking water supply line – If there are any issues in the water supply line, contact a certified technician to replace or repair the problem.
- Broken condenser solenoid – When the condenser solenoid breaks, have it repaired or replaced by an authorized Cleveland technician.
- Broken controls, thermostat or solenoids – If any of these components are damaged, turn off electricity from the main power switch. These issues should be corrected by an authorized technician.
Too Much Steam or Water Draining By Door Compartment
- Clogged or covered drain – Clear any obstruction covering the drain. If there is a noticeable clog, clean it with a USDA-approved cleaner. Contact a licensed plumber if external plumbing issues are causing this issue.
- Improperly installed drain – The drain should be free-air vented and pitched down. If it’s not, have the issue corrected by a licensed plumber or authorized technician.
- Worn door gasket or parts – If you notice damage to the door gasket or any other door parts, contact an authorized technician to repair or replace any broken components.
- Unit not level – Whenever the steamer isn’t properly level, it can affect the draining process. Check your owner’s manual for leveling instructions, or have an authorized technician correct the problem.
Reduced Steam Flow into Cooking Compartment
- Scale buildup on generator, nozzle or solenoid – Clean any scale buildup on the steam generator with a Cleveland-approved descaler. If the nozzle or solenoid have a substantial buildup, have an authorized technician resolve the issue.
- Low gas inlet pressure (gas models only) – Have the issue corrected by an authorized technician.
- Low voltage or faulty heating elements/controls (electric models only) – Both issues will require assistance from a licensed electrician or an authorized technician.
- Broken or improperly adjusted controls – If the controls are broken or need to be adjusted, have the issue resolved by an authorized technician.
Steam Flow Doesn’t Stop When Timer Stops
- Unit operating in “manual mode” – Switch the steamer back to “timed mode” so steam flow is controlled by the timer.
- Steam valve is stuck open – Have the valve fixed by an authorized technician.
- Broken controls inside cabinet – If there are broken controls in the cabinet area, contact an authorized technician to repair the problem.
Water Leaking from Different Areas
- Leaking from bottom of cabinet – See if there is broken or loose plumbing inside the cabinet. If so, turn off the electricity and close the water supply valve. The issue will need to be corrected by an authorized technician.
- Leaking from water pipes or drain lines – Leaking coming from these areas is typically related to plumbing issues. Contact a licensed plumber to make necessary repairs.
Food Cooking Too Long
- Pans too close to the bottom – When the pans are too close to the bottom of the cabinet, it can hinder cooking time. Correct this by placing pans in racks near the top of the cabinet.
- Overloaded compartment – The cooking compartment could have too much food. Put let food in the pans or use fewer pans during each cooking cycle.
- Frozen food – When cooking frozen food, you may have to increase cooking times accordingly.
- Above sea level – Cooking times are intended for operating at sea level. Extend times based on altitude. For instance, adjust for above 2,000 feet on SteamCraft® models and above 2,500 feet on pressure models.
- Not enough steam movement – If there isn’t enough steam movement in the compartment, there could be improper connection. Check a Cleveland service manual, or contact an authorized technician to correct the issue.
- Too much scale buildup in steam generator – When there is too much scale buildup in the steam generator, use a USDA-approved descaler to clean the area.