What are the advantages of the steam wax melter?
Experienced beekeepers use either a steam wax melter or a sun wax melter to melt the wax. While the sun wax melter is always dependent on good weather, you canuse the steam wax melterat any time of the year and in any weather. In most cases, the professional steam wax melters are also a little easier to clean than conventional sun wax melters, as the wax is removed specifically and flows into the collection container. You also benefit from a cleaner wax when using steam wax melters, as smaller impurities are removed by the steam process.
The advantages of steam wax melters at a glance:
- Steam wax melters can be used in all weathers and conditions
- Steam wax melters provide cleaner wax
- Steam wax melters enable targeted removal of wax
- Steam wax melters remove wax much faster than sun wax melters
In turn, steam wax melters are always powered by energy, usually electricity or gas. In this respect, the steam wax melter is a less environmentally friendly solution than the solar wax melter.
How does a steam wax melter work?
With the steam wax melter, the wax is effectively melted down and removed by the heat generated. Afterwards, the liquid wax can be easily collected in a wax bucket or other collection container for further processing. We recommend additionally using a wax sieve, which already enables coarse filtering of the wax and thus increases the purity. However, in order for the wax to flow through the wax sieve, it must be very liquid - and this is exactly where the steam wax melter impresses with its advantages. Sun wax melters do melt the wax, but the wax only really becomes liquid enough to create a wax mass that can flow through the wax strainer at very high temperatures and direct sunlight.
Buy different steam wax melter models
Steam wax melters are available in a choice of stainless steel or other metals, or plastic. Which model you choose is, of course, up to you - we provide both options for you. Nevertheless, you should pay attention to a few things when buying so that you can be satisfied with your steam wax melter. Basically, our models always consist of both components - the steam wax melter and the steam generator. In addition to the variety in terms of the material used, you can also choose whether you want an electronic steam wax melter or a steam wax melter with gas operation. Also in terms of size, you can choose from different models in the online store of the beekeeping professional - from practical steam wax melters in a handy format to larger wax melters, which are mainly suitable for professional beekeepers.
You can also get the right accessories for the steam wax melter directly from our online store - for example, wax press bags, stainless steel hand tampers for all wax melters and our high-quality wax cleaning fleece.
What should be considered when using the steam wax melter?
If you decide to use a steam wax melter, you should of course not only know the advantages compared to the sun wax melter, but also keep the disadvantages in mind. Basically, you will always need a power source to operate the steam wax melter, depending on whether you have chosen a gas-powered or electronically powered model. Steam wax melters, depending on the size of the unit, have a relatively long period of time required to heat the unit - during which time energy must be continuously available. Since many beekeepers set up hives far away from each other, this is an important factor in the wax melting process. While gas-powered steam wax melters are also suitable for use on the road, the accessories required for operation - such as propane gas - should then be factored into the purchase cost.
What should be considered when buying a steam wax melter?
If you want to buy a steam wax melter, you should first ask yourself a few questions:
- How many combs should the steam wax melter be able to melt out at the same time?
- Should the steam wax melter be operated with electricity or gas?
- What budget is available?
- Which honeycomb dimensions fit into the steam wax melter?
- How high may the required energy consumption be?
When buying a steam wax melter, the size of the device actually plays a decisive role. This not only determines how many combs can be melted out in the device at the same time, but also how high the energy consumption of the steam wax melter is. Common devices for hobby beekeepers and smaller businesses can fit between 3 and 10 combs, while larger models for industrial processing of wax also resort to steam wax melters, which can contain up to 20 or more combs. However, the energy consumption is correspondingly high. An effective steam wax melter, which can include up to 20 combs, often requires a heavy current connection and consumes up to 2200 watts per hour. Such an extensive device is therefore only worthwhile for use in industrial beekeeping or wax processing. If you only want to have wax melted out occasionally, you can instead use our handy plastic melter combination with electric operation, which includes up to 14 combs and is in a favorable price segment. The electronic steam wax melter is suitable for a wide range of hive sizes - from Dadant to Deutsch Normalmaß to Langstroth or Zander. If you prefer a stainless steel model, you will also find what you are looking for. Here we recommend the gas-powered steam wax melter with perforated honeycomb basket, which can hold up to 12 combs.
Would you like comprehensive advice on our steam wax melters? If you have any questions, simply contact the team from the Beekeeping Professional Online Shop so that we can advise you in detail. We would also be happy to explain the advantages and disadvantages of steam wax melters and sun wax melters to you in a personal conversation to make your decision easier. You can reach us by phone or by e-mail.
Bieno® Melting combination with gas burner 11,7 
