A fixed steam machine lives or dies by its placement. A mobile unit can follow the work; a fixed unit works from one spot, with permanent electrical, water, and drainage connections behind it. The PowerDe HW02 product page lists vehicle exterior cleaning at gas stations and parking lots, interior vacuuming and disinfection, and engine-compartment cleaning, so the site survey should be built around exactly those tasks. The walkthrough below can be completed in a single visit with a tape measure, a phone camera, and access to the electrical panel — and it produces the information a supplier needs to confirm the installation before you order.
Define the work before choosing the spot
Write down what will actually be cleaned: vehicle exteriors, engine compartments, interiors, or some combination. Note the largest vehicle you will service and how many vehicles pass through per day. The work decides the position. Engine-bay work needs drainage and standing room beside the vehicle; exterior washing needs a clear path around the parking area. This list also tells the supplier which modes and accessories to configure, since the HW02 switches between dry and wet steam and includes a vacuum for interior work.
Walk the delivery route, then mark the final position
The HW02 detail page lists the machine at 1,200 × 800 × 1,200 mm including handles. Measure every door, gate, and corner between the delivery point and the intended position, and check that the floor is level and solid. The 80 L stainless steel tank is full of water during operation, so treat the loaded machine as heavy equipment that will not be moved weekly. Mark the final position on the floor with tape and leave clear space around it for refilling, draining, and maintenance access. A fixed machine cannot be shifted when the bay layout changes, so confirm the marked spot will not conflict with traffic, doors, or future equipment.
Measure reach from that fixed point
From the marked position, measure the distance to the farthest point that needs steam: the far corner of the largest parking space, the engine bay of the largest vehicle, the far side of a van. Compare those distances against the hose lengths the supplier supplies, and ask in writing whether an extension is available. This is the step people skip. A mobile machine forgives a short hose because you can reposition it; a fixed steam cleaning machine cannot, and reach has to be proven before installation, not after.
Have the electrician verify the supply
The data sheet lists 220 V working voltage and 6 kW heating power. A qualified electrician should confirm a suitable dedicated circuit, the correct socket and cable ratings, and the run from the distribution panel, and record which breaker serves the machine so maintenance can lock it out. The HW02 lists leakage, short-circuit, high-temperature, high-voltage, and water-shortage protection, but those protect the machine — the circuit itself still has to be verified at your site.
Confirm the water supply
The HW02 is listed with a tap-water inlet. Check the distance from a potable water tap to the marked position and how the supply hose will be routed, and note whether the pipe is at risk of freezing if the area is unheated. If the local water supply is hard, raise water treatment with the supplier before commissioning; scale is the slow failure mode in any heated water appliance, and it is cheaper to address at installation than after a year of service.
Plan where the water goes
Steam and wet-steam work leave water on the floor. Identify the nearest floor drain or wash bay, check the floor slope toward it, and find out whether local rules require an oil separator or grit interceptor for vehicle washing. That compliance question belongs to the site and its local authorities, not to the equipment supplier — so it is the surveyor's job to ask it before the position is fixed.
Check the room conditions
Steam at 160°C fills a closed bay with fog and warmth. Note what ventilation exists — doors that open, exhaust fans, roof vents — and ask the supplier what airflow the installation expects. Keep the chosen position dry and frost-free: the machine, its hoses, and its cables live at that spot permanently, and a wet, freezing corner shortens the life of all three.
Put it on one page and send it to the supplier
Compile the survey into a single page: the task list, a floor sketch with the marked position and measured reach distances, delivery-route dimensions, the electrician's notes, water supply and drainage details, ventilation observations, and a few photos taken from the actual positions. With that, a supplier can confirm feasibility and configuration before an order instead of guessing from a floor plan. Send your page and your questions to contact PowerDe, and the engineering team can advise on the configuration for your site.
A fixed installation is a decision you make once, so the survey is the cheapest part of the project — and it doubles as a record for operator training, electrical safety checks, and future audits. Before requesting a quote, compare your measurements line by line against the PowerDe HW02 steam cleaner data sheet: dimensions, electrical requirements, water inlet, and tank capacity. If your site cannot pass the electrical, water, or drainage steps without expensive construction work, a mobile unit from the same PowerDe cleaning equipment range may suit your layout better. Knowing which one you need before the order is exactly what the survey is for.
