Blodgett KLT-100E Installation Operation & Maintenance page 8

FUNCTIONING MODE
All electrically powered self steam generating kettles consist of a jacket containing a
permanent solution of water and antifreeze sufficient to completely immerse and protect
replaceable electric heating elements.
To minimize tampering, the Safety Valve is plumbed toward the rear of the kettle jacket.
Should any component malfunction and cause the pressure in the jacket to reach the
rated pressure of the kettle, this protective device will open automatically and release
excessive pressurized steam.
When the Power Switch is turned ON and the Temperature Control (Thermostat) Knob
dialed, the TEMPERATURE pilot light will light and contactors will close to allow power
to the elements. Steam generation will commence and continue until the preselected
temperature is reached, at which point the contactors open, cutting off power to heating
the elements. The TEMPERATURE pilot light will then extinguish. When the
temperature of the water in the jacket drops slightly, the cycle will repeat itself thus
making it possible to maintain any selected precise cooking mode temperature.
The temperature required for the cooking process to function adequately must be
greater than the boiling point of the liquid food product. Further, the higher the
temperature, the greater the steam pressure attained in the jacket and consequently the
quicker the cooking process. For example, steam pressurized at 30 p.s.i. attains a
temperature of 274º Fahrenheit.
Since air is an unsuitable media through which heat may be transferred, it has been
removed from the kettle jacket during testing at the factory. The Pressure Gauge should
indicate vacuum in the jacket in green zone on the gauge (approximately 20 - 25 inches
Hg) when the kettle is cold or has been inoperative for some time. The kettle jacket is
intended to function at all times as a completely sealed self-contained chamber and it is
especially advisable not to trip the safety relief valve during inoperative periods since this
will break the vacuum seal and allow air to enter the kettle jacket.
The Temperature Controls (thermostats) used in these kettles have been calibrated to
prevent the heating elements from generating steam pressure that would exceed the
rated working pressure of the kettle. In the unlikely event that the Temperature Control
fails and the heating elements remain energized, the Safety Valve will blow and release
the excessive pressure and steam from the jacket, consequently lowering the water level
in the jacket. The Safety Probe sensing depletion of the water level in the kettle jacket
will not only activate the LOW WATER level indicator pilot light, but also signal the Liquid
Level Control to switch off power and de-energize the circuit to the heating elements
(preventing element burn outs) until the water level is adequately replenished.
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