MEASURES FOR KEEPING A DEGREE OF CONTAMINATION OF A STEAM GENERATOR INCLUDING ITS CONTENTS BELOW A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM

摘要

A steam ironing device (2) comprises a steam iron (10), a steam generator (15) for generating steam and supplying steam to the steam iron (10), and means (20) for supplying water to the steam generator (15). During operation of the device (2), scale is formed in the steam generator (15), and the water in the steam generator (15) gradually gets contaminated with ions. In order to clean the steam generator (15) and replace the water by fresh water, the steam generator (15) is regularly subjected to an auto-rinsing process. A moment at which this process needs to take place is a moment at which an amount of scale and/or a concentration of ions have exceeded a predetermined maximum. The amount of scale and/or the concentration of ions are indirectly monitored by keeping account of a total quantity of water that has been supplied to the steam generator (15) since a set starting point.