Our water is about 3 grains hardness here in the PNW. No one that I know has a water softener. Our soap costs are about as low as they can get, we spend about $200 a year on Foam brush soap per location.
Foam brush problems
- Thread starter Rtharlan
- Start date
Update
After a cat pump failure and rebuild. I finally got time to put the new parts in.
New suction hoses with new foot valves.
New discharge hoses
Both hydrominders were rebuilt units i installed.
New inlet screens
Its just as it was in the beginning. Crap. Only thing i have not changed is the soap
Im going to listen to you guys now an try premixing first. Which jet should i use?
After a cat pump failure and rebuild. I finally got time to put the new parts in.
New suction hoses with new foot valves.
New discharge hoses
Both hydrominders were rebuilt units i installed.
New inlet screens
Its just as it was in the beginning. Crap. Only thing i have not changed is the soap
Im going to listen to you guys now an try premixing first. Which jet should i use?
1 gal soap to 2 gal of water
Kr cherry blossom and national cherry foam ultra
Purple tip
Pic 1 is kr cherry blossom
Pic 2 is national cherry ultra
60 psi pump
50 psi air.
I know thats probably alot but i had an hour to conduct this experiment this morning.
A little better with the national. But i yielded better results using purple and direct concentrate but not perfect by any means. Is a yellow jet really going to do anything?
Kr cherry blossom and national cherry foam ultra
Purple tip
Pic 1 is kr cherry blossom
Pic 2 is national cherry ultra
60 psi pump
50 psi air.
I know thats probably alot but i had an hour to conduct this experiment this morning.
A little better with the national. But i yielded better results using purple and direct concentrate but not perfect by any means. Is a yellow jet really going to do anything?
Attachments
It looks like your getting there. Try using a Yellow tip in the Hydrominder, it'll add a little bit more chemical to the mix. Not all soap products are the same, different manufactures have different formulas for building there products. If you change products you'll more than likely have to mess with the tips to get the same results.
A good read if you have time. Interesting, your foamer looks a lot like mine including the SMC fittings! LOL...
Foam brush plumbing...Attn: 2Biz
2Biz... This is how I make foam without a foamer... 30 psi air 40 psi FloJet Could likely turn down the psi if the supply tubing were 3/8" but those "push-to-connect" fittings won't fit on my solenoid manifold blocks. Here's an example of my FB plumbing in the roof trough with 1/4" poly supply...
www.carwashforum.com
This system is plumbed with all 1/4 line into a brass tee setup then into boom which is 3/8. Simple. But a pita.
Whats an air blowout?? Ive seen this plumbed in the ER but never knew what it was for?
I got about $50 in the foamer. Opted for all ss fittings. 3m ss scrubbers on the inside.
Last edited:
cantbreak80
Maybe I need new clubs
Wow, a real "blast from the past", 2Biz!
That really brings back some memories.
Rtharlan,
The air blowout system uses a Programmable Logic Relay to inject windshield washer fluid/antifreeze into the exposed Foam Brush or Foam Gun after each use (in freezing weather). It eliminates the need for winterized foam brush soap but requires some plumbing changes, an additional FloJet pump and a reasonable supply of washer fluid.
On a sub 32 degree day, a busy car wash will use several gallons of washer fluid. But, the foam systems won't ever likely freeze again...
unless your air compressor craps out. Don't ask me how I know.
That really brings back some memories.
Rtharlan,
The air blowout system uses a Programmable Logic Relay to inject windshield washer fluid/antifreeze into the exposed Foam Brush or Foam Gun after each use (in freezing weather). It eliminates the need for winterized foam brush soap but requires some plumbing changes, an additional FloJet pump and a reasonable supply of washer fluid.
On a sub 32 degree day, a busy car wash will use several gallons of washer fluid. But, the foam systems won't ever likely freeze again...
unless your air compressor craps out. Don't ask me how I know.
Earl Weiss
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I think 50 PSI in the air is too high.
Ive seen the write ups on those as well. Being in the aftermarket automotive industry, i tend to over build things. Lol
I had pump pressure up to move chem faster. As i had limited time to fiddle with it. But the kr cherry wasnt even pink coming out. The national was light pink. Little thicker. I figured if i was on the right track id see something that ressembled foam and not sudsy dishwater. I still have to try the yellow jet. Got cold again an snowed. So that comes first.
Sure does bring back good memories!Wow, a real "blast from the past", 2Biz!
That really brings back some memories.
My Blowdown/Washerfluid system is still flawless. Just turn it on once temps start dipping close to 32° and let it do its thing...Its been so long since I had a freezeup, it would take me awhile to figure out how to un-thaw! LOL...Glad to see you are still Lurking Around here!
Progress tonight
Using the newer national brand i premixed with a yellow jet. I couldnt get any better than the first pic. Playing with pump an air pressures. I did not try the kr cherry blossom yet.
The national brand says to dilute same as kr. And then dilute from 72:1 up to 240:1. So i threw a brown jet in and at 75:1. 50 psi on pump and about 35ish on the air. I got the second pic and the video.
So om not convinced its a soap problem yet. Since i have not tried the old soap i can only speculate. But dince it took the richest recommended jet to produce anything im leaning on a hard water problem. I only used a cheap home depot stick test.
Using the newer national brand i premixed with a yellow jet. I couldnt get any better than the first pic. Playing with pump an air pressures. I did not try the kr cherry blossom yet.
The national brand says to dilute same as kr. And then dilute from 72:1 up to 240:1. So i threw a brown jet in and at 75:1. 50 psi on pump and about 35ish on the air. I got the second pic and the video.
So om not convinced its a soap problem yet. Since i have not tried the old soap i can only speculate. But dince it took the richest recommended jet to produce anything im leaning on a hard water problem. I only used a cheap home depot stick test.
Attachments
MEP001
Well-known member
It looks pretty good in the video, but there's way too much air. The first picture makes it look like there isn't enough chemical. Hydrominders aren't precise. I can never get the same output at two different washes with the same tips.
What do you think the air should be. Guessing.
The first pic was yelllow jet. Vid was brown.
MEP001
Well-known member
It depends on if you have individual adjustments. If you have them, try opening them all about 1/4 turn and set the air to 20-25. I try to get one bay how I like it, then lock the regulator and only use the adjustments for the rest. Usually once you get it right, you won't have to change the individual adjustments again.
If there aren't individual adjustments for each bay, you'll just have to get them all to an average quality. You'll probably need the air pressure very low, maybe 20 but whatever works.
