A steam tea machine is built to run all day, every day, for years — but only if it gets a few minutes of basic care around that use. Most machine problems in daily commercial use trace back to skipped daily rinsing or ignored descaling in hard-water areas, both of which are easy to prevent with a routine that takes only a few minutes at the start and end of each day. Here is the routine that actually matters, broken down by frequency so you know exactly what to do and when.
Daily rinse routine
At the end of each day, run clean water through the steam wands and rinse the milk tank before any residue has a chance to dry and stick overnight. Milk left sitting in a warm tank is the single biggest cause of both bad smells and blocked steam nozzles the next morning, and it is entirely avoidable with a rinse that takes under two minutes once it becomes routine. Wipe down the exterior stainless-steel body daily too — it takes under a minute and keeps SS 304 steel looking new for years rather than dulling under a film of dried milk splashes. Before starting each morning, it is also worth a quick visual check of the water-level glass and pressure gauge, simply to confirm both are reading normally before the day’s first brew.
Weekly descaling
If you operate in a hard-water area — much of North and West India qualifies — mineral scale builds up inside the tank and heating element over time, which slows heating and can eventually damage the element if left unaddressed for months. A weekly descale using a food-safe descaling solution (or a diluted vinegar rinse, run through and then flushed out thoroughly with clean water) prevents that buildup before it becomes a repair call. Shops in naturally softer-water regions can often stretch this to a slightly longer interval, but do not skip it entirely — even soft-water areas see some mineral buildup over months of daily heating, just at a slower pace than hard-water regions do.
Steam-wand cleaning and element care
Beyond the daily rinse, the steam wand tip should be checked for partial blockages weekly — a wand that froths unevenly, or produces a weaker steam flow than usual, is usually the first sign that a small deposit has formed at the nozzle. A soft brush or a fine pin designed for the purpose usually clears this without needing to dismantle anything. Never let the tank run dry while the heating element is active; this is the fastest way to damage an element outside of normal wear, and it is entirely avoidable by checking the water-level glass before each shift and topping up as soon as the level looks low rather than waiting until it is empty.
A monthly deeper check
Once a month, beyond the weekly descale, it is worth checking the gaskets and seals around the tank lid and wand fittings for any sign of wear — a gasket that has hardened or cracked slightly will show up as a small steam leak at the joint before it fails outright, and catching it early means a simple gasket swap instead of a bigger repair. It is also a good time to check that the pressure gauge needle returns cleanly to zero when the machine is off and cold, since a gauge that sticks or reads oddly is worth reporting to support even if the machine otherwise seems to be working fine.
Spare parts and when to call support
Keep a spare gasket set and a spare steam-wand nozzle on hand — these are the two parts most likely to wear out first in daily commercial use, and having them ready avoids a full day of downtime waiting for a part to arrive. If you notice inconsistent heating, a persistent gas smell, unusual noise from the burner, or the pressure gauge behaving oddly, stop using the machine and call support rather than troubleshooting a safety-related fault yourself — these are the situations where a quick call saves both time and risk, compared to guessing at a fix.
Warranty claims
Every Tea Coffee Store machine carries a 1-year warranty that includes the heating element, one of the most common failure points in daily-use machines like this. To file a claim, contact us with your order details and a clear description of the fault, including roughly when it started and whether it happens every time or only occasionally — reach out through the contact page and we will guide you through the next steps. As with most commercial appliance warranties, coverage is for manufacturing and component faults rather than damage from drops, unauthorised repairs, or skipped descaling in a hard-water area, so keeping up with the routine above is also what keeps your warranty claim straightforward if you ever need one. For full specs and to compare warranty coverage across sizes, see the price page.