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Foam brush Antifreeze??

I tried it once. It’s OK you have to use a lot of it to prevent the foam brush from freezing, we had to use a Black tip 6 to 1 on the Hydrominder. Up here it’ll get down into the teens at night and then by 10am it’ll be above freezing then you don’t need the anti-freeze soap and then around 5pm it’ll be freezing again so you need to use the ant-freeze soap. You almost have to be at the car wash to switch the foam brush system over to regular Foam brush soap when it’s above freezing and then again when it gets below freezing. I used a 30 gallon drum in about 2 weeks because I couldn’t get to the car wash during the day to swap it over. I had drawn up plans to build an automatic change over system but never got around to building it, maybe someday.
 
Because antifreeze foam brush soap is so expensive, you might want to look into a system that will purge the lines with it if the temp drops close to freezing and switches back over to regular stuff when it warms up. Do you have long periods where it stays below freezing for days?
 
Make your own. I buy a 55 gallon drum of methenol and drain 10 gallons from it then add 10 gallons of foam brush concentrate to it. then dilute it as follows for the temperature range you have. Final dilution ratios of this mixture, 10% is good to 25 F, 20% good to 10, 30% good to -10.
 
PA coal region, you're probably not too far from me. I use the KR premix, I budget for two 55 gallon drums per winter, sometimes use 3, sometimes only 1. Red hydrominder tip. BUT I do manually switch back and forth between anti-freeze and regular, and I do switch the tips for extended changes in the weather.
Also note that I have a smallish rural wash, ie I dont see thousands of cars let alone wash them.
Like Randy, I have mental plans to build an automated switchover, but haven't gotten to it. I also have mental plans to build a blow-down system, but cant seem to get to that either.
 
I used the KR pre mix last year and it worked well as long as I kept up with it. Had to drain the lines and change the tip when it got too cold, then back to the smaller tip when it above freezing. Took some work, but for the most part people were able to use the foam brush in the winter.
 
Methanol can be a safety hazard. It is flammable and if by chance you are inspected by the fire department you could have a problem. You might also check on your insurance to see what it says about storing flammable liquids at the wash. Some policies exclude them.
 
rph9168 said:
Methanol can be a safety hazard. It is flammable ...
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Good reminder, true. The KR pre-mixed is still about 95% methanol.
There are a bunch of old threads on this topic, search on "methanol".
As I mentioned in one of those old threads, I use methanol regularly to cook with over a hobo/penny stove, burned my fingers more times than I'll admit. And thats using an ounce or so.
I also poured a few ounces of the KR winter FB soap - after it went thru the hydrominder (red tip) - on a bay floor, and tossed in a match. Lit easily, didnt burn real hot but it did burn. Light wind blew it out. But yes, it lit easily and burned! I keep telling myself that I'm going to pre-dilute the KR stuff, but I never do.
 
In the beginning, I ordered pre-mixed from my soap distributor...Then bought a 55 gallon drum of methanol and mixed my own. 2 quarts FB soap to 4.5 gallons methanol...That got old and costly, so I took the time to design/install a blowdown-washerfluid system. That system winterizes 4 FB hoses and 4 PS and TF hoses...I use about 30-40 gallons of washer fluid per winter...

Actually, The remainder of the methanol didn't go to waist...I use it in the washer fluid tank, 1 gallon of methanol mixed with 2 gallons of water. I add a gallon of washer fluid for color and let that concoction do its thing! Since getting rid of the curly hoses, I haven't had a LP freeze up since! Its nice not to have to switch back and forth like when using the methanol soap. It takes me about 5 seconds to turn the blowdown washer fluid injection system on and its set for the winter!
 
I bought a Y connection ( for garden hose ), it feeds from both product, winter mix, and regular mix, when it drops below freezing I do switch over easily. Although winter FB product is expensive, we don't use much of it, 2~3 five gallon buckets a winter. People hardly use FB when it's below freezing.
 
Well we got 3, 5 gal buckets from KR. Going to try it put in a red tip. Should be good to 12 degrees. if it gets colder will go to black tip.
Business SUCKS anyway.. Weather was warm but rained all month except 4 days. Need SALT on the roads, but with no snow no salt.. Vacuums fell off also in the winter so far.
 
Will the product from Kleen Right damage or leave a film on the car? We blow out the lines after every wash but it seems when it gets into the teens, the hoses will freeze up, seems like a great solution.
 
Etowah
No film or issues that I have seen. Worked perfect so far this winter with no FB freeze ups, but I do have to stay on top of it and change tips according to the weather. Red tip is only good down to about 21 degrees or so. I've had them freeze up at 19 degrees with red tip. Beige will get you to 10, then Grey for down to 0.
 
slash007 said:
..... Red tip is only good down to about 21 degrees or so. I've had them freeze up at 19 degrees with red tip. Beige will get you to 10, then Grey for down to 0.
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Best to err on the side of caution. Extra cost is nominal compared to the headache.
 
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