If your Pelton Crane sterilizer is not heating as it should, the problem may be one you can fix yourself. Diagnosing and repairing it is not as complex as you might think.

But first, a basic understanding of what it does is in order: turn the knob to fill until the water reaches a predetermined level. You place the instruments inside and turn it over to sterilize it. Electric heating elements (3 of them) heat the water in the chamber beyond boiling point (212 degrees) and turn the water into steam.

The chamber is airtight, so when the water turns from a solid to a gas, the entire chamber fills with steam and pressure begins to build. When turned off and on, the sterilizer maintains the temperature, which in turn maintains the pressure at the desired level. This combination over a period of time (the cycle) kills all living organisms and effectively sterilizes whatever is in the chamber.

The most common problem that causes heat loss is a heating element going out. You can test to see if this is the problem with any type of ohmmeter. Unplug the unit before proceeding and leave it unplugged.

Remove the cabinet by removing the screws at the bottom of the sides and back. Once you have removed the screws, slightly lift the back of the cabinet and push it forward (there is a small lip on the front that is about ½ inch wide). Once the trim is cleaned, simply lift the cabinet up and set it aside. You will need to remove the insulation surrounding the chamber. Just lift it up and place it inside the cabinet out of the way.

Now, check all the wires around the controls and the camera to make sure none of them are broken. Located on the front of the camera towards the back is the temperature limit switch. You will notice wires under the screws on top of the overtemperature switch. With the ohmmeter set to read ohms, place one lead on one screw head and the second lead on the other screw head. If the ohmmeter needle stays to the left (doesn’t move), that means the reading is infinite. There is a complete short circuit and the overtemperature switch will need to be replaced.

The next and most common problem is the heating elements. Checking them will take a bit more work, but it’s not difficult. The three heating elements are positioned at the bottom of the chamber, so there is one near you, one at the bottom (called the center element), and one on the opposite side from you.

Each of these heating elements has a screw attached to each end with wires attached. Attach an ohmmeter lead to each end. If the meter remains in the infinite position as described above, there is a complete short circuit and the element will need to be replaced. The center element is the most common to go out, but check all 3.

If the heating elements are fine, but the temperature limit switch is bad, you can replace the switch on its own. But if you are replacing a heating element, the switch should be replaced at the same time.

We will be happy to provide you with any replacement parts you may need along with detailed installation instructions. Included with the heating elements are 3 feet of high-temperature wire so you can replace all the wiring involved in this procedure. You can also email us with any questions you may have and we’ll be happy to help.