Gravity feed to city pressure switch question
- Thread starter softsuds
- Start date
ken-pro
Equipment Distributor
We got rid of the pesky water tanks years ago. We had problems with the tanks over flowing or the float valve wouldn’t come on. We installed a Generant 4HC-375B regulator with a DEMA 203C injector. We started using this set up about 20 years ago and haven’t had too many problems with them. I think over the years we’ve maybe 3 or 4 regulators. This set up is actually better for the pump, the pump doesn’t work as hard to draw a suction so the seals last longer. We’ve never had a pump head washout using the Generant regulators. A number of years ago when I was at one of the car wash conventions I asked one of the equipment manufactures why they didn’t use this system. He told me that it is a better system but it’s too expensive, it added about $125-$150 per bay to the price of the equipment.
MEP001
Well-known member
That sounds overly complicated for something that can be done by adding one more tank and a float valve. City pressure is always going to fluctuate, so it would require a regulator set below the lowest dip in pressure for the flow of soap and wax to remain constant.ken-pro said:
You would have to, otherwise the city pressure water would just flow right through the pump.softsuds said:
What are you looking for? Do you have a system you're trying to understand or are you looking for an alternative to something with which you're having trouble?
No, I have a 3bay self serve I purchased about 7 years ago. I have just about paid off the loan. I've been bandaging the thing together to keep it going and
Now it's time for a remodel. After looking at lots of equipment and getting prices, I have decided just to build it myself. So, I'm just gathering ideas on ways to do it.
I have thought about the same thing. Would you just run a line from the dosatron down to the wax / soap solenoid on the inlet of the pump ? I guess you would be injecting into the suction side of the pump at a slight pressure above gravity feed ?
MEP001
Well-known member
From what I could find out, the Dosatron costs about 5% of the water pressure to pull the chemical. If I were to use it for chemical feed to the pump, I'd keep things as simple as possible and go straight through the Dosatron to the inlet solenoid with city pressure. If it wouldn't work without boosting the water pressure, I wouldn't even consider it.softsuds said:
MEP001
Well-known member
In case you were curious about how they work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kjV-PyDKuI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kjV-PyDKuI&feature=related
Ok so if I understand you correctly, you are thinking of using the dosatron on soap or wax as the only supply to the pump when wax or soap are selected ?
Even the smaller dosatrons can handle 11 GPM so one could handle 3 bays at the same time. That's in interesting thought. You could very accurately dial in the exact final dilution on the dosatron and not worry about what happens at the pump inlet.
I was thinking of the dosatron as a replacement for a hydrominder and tank, but still injecting a high concentrate into the inlet stream of the pump for final dilution.
So, if using a dosatron as the sole water supply on wax/soap, I guess you would just build a 3-way manifold with three solenoid valves near the inlet of the pump. One for rinse, one for wax, and one for soap ? Hmmmmm
Thoughts on that ?
MEP001
Well-known member
Actually I was considering the same thing as you, replacing the gravity-feed tank with a Dosatron and using the existing wax solenoid to allow the wax to flow when called for. You could do it the other way because you only have three bays and wouldn't exceed the flow of the Dosatron, but it might shorten the life of the unit.
I think the Dosatron as a concentrated delivery system to the pump along with its own city pressure will work. I don't think the 5% loss of pressure will be a problem, but I'm not nearly certain of that.
My reason for wanting to try it was to run wax on cold without adding a large tank for cold water and a valve to switch between hot and cold. All that would be expensive and complicated.
I think the Dosatron as a concentrated delivery system to the pump along with its own city pressure will work. I don't think the 5% loss of pressure will be a problem, but I'm not nearly certain of that.
My reason for wanting to try it was to run wax on cold without adding a large tank for cold water and a valve to switch between hot and cold. All that would be expensive and complicated.
Wally
Member
Softsuds, in a day or two I will post some pictures of my hybrid set up. Hot water (street pressure) for soap, suction fed for rinse and wax. You could include hot water wax if you wanted to. It's cheap and simple to build.
Wally
Member
Softsuds, I've posted some pictures of one of my washes. I built the building and the equipment 26 years ago. I've converted it to hot water for soap (street pressure) and suction fed for wax and rinse. My gas bills dropped drastically.
http://autocareforum.biz/photogallery/thumbnails.php?album=lastupby&uid=29
http://autocareforum.biz/photogallery/thumbnails.php?album=lastupby&uid=29
O
ONEcard
Guest
Softsuds
What I have setup is this Cold water City Pressure reduced to 25psi Hot water 30 psi Using a basic watts water regulator.
Soap and Wax are injected with a Dosatron at full pressure about 60psi. All you really need is your soap and wax pressures to be 10psi higher than your Inlet pressure and your gold.
On my low pressure functions I use the dosatrons but do employ a Procon pump as a booster when driving presoak or TriFoam If just pushing water Procons will last a very long time. We have many washes running this setup NO tanks, Cut chemical cost by 20% (dosatrons are much more accurate, than hyrdominders) Never had a tank over flow or pump blow from running dry
What I have setup is this Cold water City Pressure reduced to 25psi Hot water 30 psi Using a basic watts water regulator.
Soap and Wax are injected with a Dosatron at full pressure about 60psi. All you really need is your soap and wax pressures to be 10psi higher than your Inlet pressure and your gold.
On my low pressure functions I use the dosatrons but do employ a Procon pump as a booster when driving presoak or TriFoam If just pushing water Procons will last a very long time. We have many washes running this setup NO tanks, Cut chemical cost by 20% (dosatrons are much more accurate, than hyrdominders) Never had a tank over flow or pump blow from running dry
So I guess your not using an injector on you HP pump for soap and wax, just have the dosatrons running into solenoid valves and then into the inlet port of the pump ?
On your low pressure, are you using the procon to boost the water pressure before the dosatron or between the dosatron and the individual solenoid valves for the bays ?
O
ONEcard
Guest
I have the procon pump tee'd into the city water supply with a bypass regulator. It only turns on when Presoak or Rainbow wax is called. It boost the pressure to my Dosatrons . before each Dosatron I have a pressure regulator before each Dosatron.
