PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-578
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 578
JANUARY 2001
etting shocked on dry ground is one
thing. Getting shocked while soaking
wet or standing in water is something
else.
That’s what can happen if your steam
cleaner doesn’t have ground fault cir-
cuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. A
GFCI will shut down equipment when
it recognizes a faulty ground.
According to Safety-of-Use Message
(SOUM) TACOM-00-016, all steam
cleaners listed below, plus any com-
mercial cleaners or pressure washers,
are not fully mission capable unless
they have GFCI protection:
Steam Cleaners . . .
These GFCI systems can be pur-
chased at hardware stores or on the
Internet at:
resident.nsf
Click on Ground Fault Protection.
Second, connect the steam cleaner
to an electric supply cord with a built-
in GFCI (250V AC or less, single-
phase).
Third, attach
a tag to the
cord that states:
This tag is
required by
Underwriter’s
Laboratory
Standard 1776.
You can get an
electronic copy
of UL 1776 or a
copy of the SOUM
by contacting
TACOM-Rock
Island’s Bob Davidson, DSN 793-6820,
e-mail
davidsonr@ria.army.mil
or Judith
Windham, DSN 793-6367, e-mail
windhamj2@ria.army.mil
or your
TACOM-RI logistics assistance repre-
sentative (LAR). To find the LAR near-
est you, log onto the Army Electronic
Product Support (AEPS) website:
You’ll need a password. Don’t have
one? Follow the instructions on-screen
to get one.
Click on LAR and then LAR Loca-
tor Service.
You can locally purchase small cords
that have a receptacle plug on one end
and a GFCI box on the other. This cord
can be used between the steam cleaner
and the electrical outlet.
Use supply cord with built-in GFCI
So what can you do to make sure
you’re protected?
First, make sure the steam cleaner is
plugged into a power outlet equipped
with a GFCI certified by a licensed
electrician.
G
-- u l p,
really?
if you think
those tales are
shockin
g...
you
should see
what happens
when you don't
use a ground
fault circuit
interrupter.
NSN 4940-
Nomenclature
00-186-0027
Skid-mounted
steam cleaner
00-473-6218
Skid-mounted
steam cleaner
01-025-9856
Trailer-mounted
steam cleaner
WARNING!
Risk of
electrocution.
This product
is provided
with a GFCI built
into the power
cord plug. If
replacement of
the plug is needed,
use only identical
replacement parts.
Do not remove
this tag.
JAN 01
PS 578
56
JAN 01
Protect Against
Faulty Grounds
use
protection
and you won’t
be writing any
shocking tales
of your
own!
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