Hydrominder tips and which ones should be used.

[Kwoelke]

So i've noticed that my wax is being sucked out and i think its because I'm mixing too much of the product through my hydrominder. Then I thought to myself "I wonder if i'm using too much/too little product". I googled around and I see there is a chart but i have no idea how to read it.

I currently have a
High pressure - Soap, Wax
Low pressure - Foam Brush (adding "pre soak", "Tire/wheel Cleaner" and either a "triple foam" or a "single foam"

I want to make sure I'm not using too much but also not too little of each product.

I am ordering more tips now but which ones should I be using for each product? is there a general rule of thumb? Should I hire a professional to come do this for me?


My SS wash is also over 20 years old. How do i know which hydrominder i should be using? The old owner was cheap and didn't buy some of the right equipment and just DIY'd things to make them work and want to make sure i have the correct equipment. I see there are a few different ones on Kleen-rite and not sure which ones are the one is need.

 

[MEP001]

There may or may not be a recommended dilution ratio on the product, which you can match with the correct color tip.



I don't generally use what's recommended, I go with results. One tire cleaner may recommend 24:1 but needs to be 17:1 to really work. Another foam brush may recommend 64:1 but works just as well at 90:1.

 

[Roz]

Each chemical has a recommended dilution ratio. Sometimes as with many Kleen-Rite chemicals the ratio is reached by a combination of mixing concentrated product with water inside your equipment room plus the tip.

I always go stronger than recommended by a tip size or three as I find the recommended is a bare minimum number that companies make as high as possible so owners think their product is more cost effective than the competitor's product. Keep in mind the more soap on the car the longer the customer needs to rinse the car and the customer leaves thinking you are generous with your soap. Just one viewpoint.

 

[Kwoelke]

Each chemical has a recommended dilution ratio. Sometimes as with many Kleen-Rite chemicals the ratio is reached by a combination of mixing concentrated product with water inside your equipment room plus the tip.

I always go stronger than recommended by a tip size or three as I find the recommended is a bare minimum number that companies make as high as possible so owners think their product is more cost effective than the competitor's product. Keep in mind the more soap on the car the longer the customer needs to rinse the car and the customer leaves thinking you are generous with your soap. Just one viewpoint.

yeah, that's what I figured. I also found a bag of tips and checked to see what the owner had before.....turns out he didn't even have any tips in so the ratio was horrible. I put the recommended tip for my product but now i'm concerned people are going to complain that its not enough considering there was no tip before and the ratio was 50/50.......I have so much to look into now knowing the old owner didn't have these in. who knows what else is wrong.

 

[Roz]

Nah. If you are using a 506/511 like most places use the ratio is 4:1.

Look for recommended ratio and then go 2-3 sizes higher and see how that looks. There comes a point where you are using enough chemical that it is hard to tell the difference between no tip and a more economical tip.

 

[Kwoelke]

Nah. If you are using a 506/511 like most places use the ratio is 4:1.

Look for recommended ratio and then go 2-3 sizes higher and see how that looks. There comes a point where you are using enough chemical that it is hard to tell the difference between no tip and a more economical tip.

okay so i am using a 511

my current ratios are
Soap - Purple tip (120/1)
Wax - Beige (8/1)

you are saying I should try
Soap - there is only one high which is pink (240/1)
Wax - white (23/1) or blue (25/1)

I'm assuming the higher the color the less of the product i'm using?

 

[MEP001]

With wax I like to cut back one tip at a time until the results are no longer good, then bring it back.

If your soap dilutes at 120:1, it's probably an ultra concentrate and doesn't do much (or any) cleaning on its own. If it looks good at 120:1 but doesn't at 240:1 you may have to pre-dilute it with water to not waste it.

 

[Greg Pack]

One of the things you need to do is establish your hydrominders are operating properly. I would replace all diaphragms and clean the inlet screens. Make sure all your foot valves are working properly and your chemical and discharge tubes have not gotten hard and allowing air to get in. Also make sure that you have at least 40 psi incoming water pressure. I had an engineer at hydro tell me they will work at 25psi but the dilution will be stronger than the tip chart indicates. Once all that is confirmed you can feel more confident about your tip selection being a more accurate representation of the true dilution. Also, the charts are designed for water thin viscosity, so if you've got a chemical that flows like molasses you may have to adjust.

 

[Kwoelke]

One of the things you need to do is establish your hydrominders are operating properly. I would replace all diaphragms and clean the inlet screens. Make sure all your foot valves are working properly and your chemical and discharge tubes have not gotten hard and allowing air to get in. Also make sure that you have at least 40 psi incoming water pressure. I had an engineer at hydro tell me they will work at 25psi but the dilution will be stronger than the tip chart indicates. Once all that is confirmed you can feel more confident about your tip selection being a more accurate representation of the true dilution. Also, the charts are designed for water thin viscosity, so if you've got a chemical that flows like molasses you may have to adjust.

I will take a look at all of this! Thanks for the info.