Hydrominder Help

[Tpoppa]

I have a Hydrominder (506 I believe) that stopped drawing chemical over the last few days. It's about 18 months old.

Foot valve, tip, and educator are not clogged. Water pressure is regulated to 45 psi. If I take the chemical tube off and put my finger over the opening, rather than suction I feel a weak pulsation, same if I remove the tip. I took the educator apart and cleaned it...no change.


The manual also says check for:
d. Discharge tube or flooding ring is missing. d. Check position: Replace discharge tube if flooding ring not in place.


The discharge tube is in place, is there something else I should be checking?

 

[Randy]

Check the screen on the water inlet. That's where I've had the most problems, clogged screen.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

Replace the diaphragm.

 

[MEP001]

Does it have the plastic valve stem? I've found that when the original valve fails they don't flow enough water and it can't draw chemical properly. Replacing the valve kit will fix it.

 

[Randy]

Do the simplest thing first. Check the Screen. You might be surprised at what is inside. We have to clean ours about every 6 month or so.

 

[MEP001]

You're like a kid jumping up and down saying "Listen to me! Listen to me!" No one ever told him not to check the strainer.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Just had the same thing happen to me. Screen was good. Educator was good. Water flow seemed OK, threw in the diaphram rebuild kit, flow got better and suction is like brand new.

Question. Not sure if it has a seperate name if or I call this by the right name so I'll describe it.
The Black plastic vertical thing (Educator?) has a plastic part that screws into it horizontaly (Male 1/4" threads) and the metering tips screw into the horizontal piece. I have some horizontal pieces that are Black, and some are brown. Physical dimensions look the same thru and thru. (Except of course for my oter Black ones that accept the ultra lean tips)

Are their operational differences?

Also, where can I get the part I have seen somewhere that allows suction from 2 sources at once?

 

[DavidM]

Earl, I believe the black and brown stubs are the same other than color. They are different colors because they come with either the brown or black eductors. The brown eductors mix a stronger solution than the black.

The dual port eductors typically come from soap companies. Blendco, Ecolab and QualChem all use them. There are even quadport eductors available.
Hydrominder has recently started making a dual port but you have to buy the whole hydrominder, you can't buy just the eductor. Kleen-Rite carries it.

David

 

[Ghetto Wash]

Also, where can I get the part I have seen somewhere that allows suction from 2 sources at once?

Turtle Wax supplies them for their chemicals or build your own out of SCH 80 1/4" threaded pvc.

 

[MEP001]

I've also made them myself (out of brass since it was what I had handy). As far as I know, there isn't a chart for what tips to use for diluting an ultra-concentrate that way; I had to figure it out by trial and error.

I don't think the eductor stub color matters in regards to the chemical draw, but the eductor itself comes in black and brown. That is what allows for higher draw rates.

 

[Shorco1]

Do the simplest thing first. Check the Screen. You might be surprised at what is inside. We have to clean ours about every 6 month or so.

Your right Randy, start with the simple things, like clean the inlet water screen. However, please do not jump up and down.

 

[Tpoppa]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I rebuilt the entire assembly. It turned out to be an intermittently stuck foot valve. I seem to have the worst luck with foot valves.

 

[Randy]

Tpoppa,
Thanks for the heads up on what the problem ended up being. The Foot valve would have been the second thing I would have checked after the water inlet screen. What color foot valve are you using? Mine seem to last almost forever, I can’t recall when I last replaced one.

 

[Tpoppa]

I've had problem with the blue valves. I just ordered a couple gray ones to see if they work better with my FB soap.