Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and Answers

• How much does it cost to run?
• Do I need to fill the steam generator right up?
• How long do I need to steam the hay for?
• What happens if I forget to switch the unit off and it runs dry?
• How long before my horse can eat the hay?
• How do I store steamed hay?
• General recommendations
• Watch a Video Demonstration

This may vary from Country to Country and your electric service provider. You will need to calculate the usage of power against your power providers unit rate. All our steam generators are clearly marked up in kWh. The Traveller and Stable Mate steam standard steam generators are 2000watts and the Professional steam generators are 2200watts with a voltage supply of 240volts. All USA and Canada steam generator units have a maximum watts of 1500 at 110volts. 1kW=1000 watts of power so for example based on the EDF Energy UK rate for SWEB of 18.87p per kWh (1000 watts) 1 unit, to run a 2000 Watt steam generator would cost 37.74p per hour.

This will depend on the amount of hay you are steaming. If you are steaming a lot of hay you may need a full boiler of water, but if you are only steaming a small amount of hay, you would not need to fill the unit completely. It is a bit like making a cup of tea, you would not fill the kettle right up for one cup. Using just enough water to steam the required amount of hay will reduce the steam up time and so lower the running cost.

An average steam time is about 35 to 40 minuets per hay chamber on the Stable Mate and Traveller, from when the boiler is at full steam. Times for the Professional will depend on the amount of hay you are going to steam at a time. The time it takes to steam depends on the quality of the hay and how compressed it is. If you are using slabs of hay from a bale it will obviously take longer than hay pulled apart and broken up. You may need to experiment during the first few sessions to set the time to suit your hay.

The units all have built in automatic thermal power cut outs, as well as a built in timer on the new deluxe models, so the steamer will switch itself off automatically should it be inadvertently left running. It should be noted that the thermal switch will re-connect when the boiler temperature falls. Prolonged usage of this will result in damage to the boiler and we recommend that for the models without built in timers you purchase a suitable timer to plug the unit into. Any timer used should be rated at 10amp or 3 kW.

You can feed straight away after steaming, unless your horse prefers his hay cold. To your horse, it's similar to as if you were eating a bowl of soup. You start from the outer edge of the bowl as this is the coolest part, which also then gives the center of the soup more time to cool down. The hay on the outside cools very quickly and will not burn or scald the horse and we have found that horses actually prefer warm hay over wet, cold hay.

In general you should not need to store hay for long periods, it is always better to prepare the hay fresh. You can setup your steamer with a timer so that the hay is prepared in advance and ready to use. For example if you do not have much time in the mornings, you can set your steamer on a timer in order for it to start steaming at a pre-determined time before you are due arrive at the yard. This way the hay is already steamed and waiting to be fed to your horse. If you should need to store steamed hay you can leave it in the steam chamber or bag. All hay prepared should be used the same day and checked that it has not dried out in hot conditions.

1. Always read the instructions

2. Only use clean water from a main supply NOT a water butt.

3. Always make sure the unit is used on flat, even ground.

4. Make sure the unit is connected to an earth protected power point.

5. Clean the hay chamber out regularly, to ensure that the steam circulates freely.

6. Do not cover the boiler unit or restrict any of the safety features.

7. Do not attempt to use a damaged unit.

8. Keep children and animals away - STEAM IS HOT.

IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF USING THE HAY STEAMER, THEN PLEASE CONTACT US FOR ADVICE