The inspector came out to check my boiler..and like last time(3 yrs ago) he said i need a flow switch. I told him the raypak never had a flow switch since this was put in service about 10 yrs ago by the previous owner. Two yrs ago someone turned off the city water to my wash and when i discovered this, it was off until 10 am the next morning. I turned the water back on and nothing happened to the boiler. I thought it had an automatic low water cut off switch somewhere near the gas valve? If it didn't... then it should of overheated the boiler and blew up when i turned on the cold city water. Then he told me that alot of car wash owners (Texas) were diconnecting their boiler because of high gas bills. Two questions 1) Does anyone have an automatic low water cut off(besides the black box type) 2) Are any owners you know disconnecting their boiler and running just cold water?
boiler flow switch
- Thread starter randall
- Start date
ibspuds
Member
I flipped the boiler switch to "OFF" 4 yrs ago, havent been on since.
MEP001
Well-known member
If you're circulating water through an insulated tank, then turning off the water won't affect the boiler. Unless you cut the plumbing, the tank would stay full and the boiler would be able to circulate the water without any damage to the system.
It's not a big deal to add a flow switch to pass inspection.
It's not a big deal to add a flow switch to pass inspection.
Jeff_L
Well-known member
You run no hot water at your place? How are the results for your patrons washing? Do you have automatics using just cold as well?
I've always been told that you obtain the best results from soaps by using hot water. Myth or fact?
MEP001
Well-known member
I think that hot water is as much for the customer's perception of value as it is for cleaning. Most people keep the spray so far from their car that the water has pretty much cooled off by the time it gets to it, but there's no doubt that if you take away any one of the three benefits from SS washing (Pressure, soap or heat) you lose cleaning effectiveness where needed.
ibspuds
Member
I have 2 Ryko Automatics and the and pre-soak, Clearcoat, and Rain x are applied with heated water, everything else is cold. My hand bays are 100% cold. I had a few customers comment on the cold water but not much. I use Stanhardt chemicals and very pleased with the results.
He just wants the flow switch so that when your circulating pump burns or if you run low on water the burners don't keep cooking and start some sort of fire or steam explosion from the overheating. The low water cut a second safety is more for your protection against destroying your boiler $$
Why does one need a Raypak boiler in Texas? All most all of the broilers here have been replaced with on Demand type water heaters, we don’t have floor heat. The latest one to go was fed with a 2” water and gas line and it was about the size of a VW Beetle. It was replaced with a single On Demand heater with a 50 gallon recirculation tank, works fine, supplies plenty of Hot water and he’s saving some big bucks on his gas bill.
