All of this talk of temperature without a mention of actual flow rate is flawed at best. If you want quoted figures to actually mean something, you'll have to get a lot more specific:
There's no industry standard for heat claims by a manufacturer. As a result, there are all sorts of claims, that, ultimately, can't really be compared to each other. I want to change that. And with that in mind, I propose the following, which I will be using:
500 PSI ATW, through a #6 jet, measured at 100 feet, weighted for input temperature, and run two ways- full on, with no recovery time, and 8 seconds on / 8 seconds off, with the vacuum relief set at 10" of lift and the system running at 3,400 RPM, after 5 minutes of operation. For comparison's sake, systems will be monitored at the machine (i.e. a temperature gauge on the system outlet) and at the wand (a gauge at the wand valve).
To explain what I mean by the above:
1.) There is pressure loss at the end of a 1/4" hose, of about 200 PSI. So, the pressure at the machine is no real indication of the pressure at the wand. Yet the pressure at the wand (at the jet, to be most accurate...) is the only true indication of flow rate, besides holding the wand over a 5- gal. bucket and timing it with a stop watch.
2.) As much as everyone here is into high flow, the vast majority of the industry is not. The reason is simple: Most carpet cleaners do not frequent carpet cleaning boards. (In talking with the ones I know, less than 1/2 are even on the Internet.) That being the case, a jet size that more accurately represents what the majority of carpet cleaners use is important. It's still not uncommon to find wands with #4 jet size equivalents as standard issue with HX systems. I've always used #6, and will continue to do so.
3.) 100 feet of hose allows for a realistic amount of heat loss along the way. I'll state what kind of hose is used as well. (It will be Blue Neptune, BTW...) It also should be not "live". Being on a live reel requires some distance to connect to the reel, altering the stated distance. And, if any is left on the reel, it will act as an insulator for the layers deeper in the coil. (To be useful, the type of hose used and the ambient temperature would have to be stated.)
4.) The input temperature will be measured (from the water source), and output temperature (at the machine outlet, using an external, calibrated gauge), as well as the temperature at the wand. This allows a true indication of what the heat output can be.
(In other words, such a figure won't be, "200 degrees, at the wand", etc. Instead it will be, "140 degrees rise over the incoming temperature, at x GPM".) This will allow people to know what to expect at a given input temperature (i.e., add the "X" degree figure. In the above, 140 degrees, to the input. So, if the input is 65, add 140 to it. If the input is 45, add 140 to that.)
In order to put the information into conventional terms that won't alienate people, "conventional" readings at the machine (i.e., 220 degrees ATM, @ 600 PSI, through a #6 jet) will also be given.
5.) Constant trigger of the wand with no recovery time will indicate the least temperature you can expect. It's just a constant flow through the system with no time to sit and gather more heat, before being sent to the wand.
8 seconds on / 8 seconds off, is a more real- world way to evaluate, since it's more like the wand- key cycles that most people are likely to use.
6.) Blower strain on the system makes a difference in output temperature. I want to figure it in, yet be conservative. 10" does it for me.
7.) Without an RPM, all of the above is meaningless, because RPM means as much as blower load, in terms of available exhaust heat. The reason is that the CFM of the motor increases with RPM, and as it does, so does BTU's.
8.) And lastly, a "warm up period" should be allowed. This is because it takes time for the heat sources to come up to full temperature. I'm going to use 5 minutes as the time for this. But I'm also going to measure at 10, to ensure that 5 is enough.
So, with the above figures at your disposal, you'll know exactly what to expect, in terms of performance, whether you want it in terms you're used to (the ones every other manufacturer uses... ("ATM"), or ones that actually give you a picture of how the system performs, with all variables accounted for ("ATW").
Try doing the above at Connections...
