One of my customers has been having an issue with soap staying in the line after switching to rinse. This is on the Ginsan configuration of everything packed into that stand on wheels. While that stand looks nice, it is a veritable maze of hoses, valves, and fittings. Sometimes something a s simple as following a supply line and working on it can be frustrating. We have tried replacing the soap solenoid valve and all check valves and it still does it. What is strange is that when the soap is in the rinse line, it you switch to wax for about 10 seconds and back to rinse, it goes away. Consistently. It kind of went away for a while so we forgot about it, but it's back again. On this setup, Ginsan has the soap and wax solenoid valves installed with the port marked "In" going to the pump, and the "Out" port to the supply /mixing tank. I'm going there to remove the fresh water rinse(pressurized supply) and switch the solenoid ports to see if that cures it. Any suggestions out there?
Soap in rinse for GinSan setup
- Thread starter mac
- Start date
car washing systems inc
Member
The reason i was told the sol are plumbed in reverse is that the act like a check valve. I once had a customer with a problem like this what we found is that he had replaced the high pressure hose with hydrolic hose and for some reason the hose holds a lot of soap almost like is absorbed it into the hose and would take forever to get all the soap out when it was put on rinse, changed the hose and problem was gone.
car washing systems inc
Member
Dan kamsickas
GinSan Technician
Mac
Is this happening in one bay or all bays?
Another thing to check is the solenoids above the boom. I have seen one of them fail and the high pressure actually draw chemical out or the LP lines.
You also may have a soap soleniod that is partially stuck open. Jeff is correct in stating that we plumb the soap and wax solenoids in "backwards" so that they act as a check valve.
Is this happening in one bay or all bays?
Another thing to check is the solenoids above the boom. I have seen one of them fail and the high pressure actually draw chemical out or the LP lines.
You also may have a soap soleniod that is partially stuck open. Jeff is correct in stating that we plumb the soap and wax solenoids in "backwards" so that they act as a check valve.
MEP001
Well-known member
It's set up that way to eliminate the need for a low-pressure check valve on the soap and wax lines. If you switch them and don't add a check valve, you'll allow city pressure to go back into the soap and wax tanks.mac said:
I appreciate the well thought out responses. Here's an update. I went and removed the cold water rinse from the most egregious bay, and reversed the solenoid ports. Absolutely no difference. This meant that there was only the holding tank that supplied water to the pump. I tested this repeatedly in all bays and here is exactly what happens: Push button(not rotary) for hp soap and works normal, assuming a 15 second switchover for soap and rinse is normal. Switch to rinse and after the normal switchover time the soap noticeably decreases, but doesn't go away even after 2 more minutes. That is unless you change to hp wax for a couple seconds. Then go back to hp rinse and after 8 seconds, the soap completely goes away. I tried switching the hp pump off before switching from soap to rinse, and that had no effect. This is essentially the same in all bays, but for whatever reason, is more pronounced the furthur the bay from the equipment room. This is a good one.
car washing systems inc
Member
Does the equipment have a 3 way sol valve, when you are on soap or wax it should feed out of the rinse tank. Did you try shuting off the rinse tank to see if you still get soap when you are on city water using rinse?
Ric
Cantree Member
Wax kills soap. That is why you are seeing a clearing of the lines when you switch to wax momentarily. If you what to verify that, take a soapy cup or tank of water and sprinkle a little wax in it. You can watch the suds disappear.
It's been my experience that with a hot water rinse you will never solve the problem. With a cold water rinse, it will become acceptable. That's been my experience in MI. Keep in mind "your" cold water rinse (in southern FL) would be considered lukewarm to my washes in MI
If you want perfection you must inject a few seconds of wax into the line to clear the soap when the rinse cycle is selected. This can be done via a plc, mechanical relays, etc.
It's been my experience that with a hot water rinse you will never solve the problem. With a cold water rinse, it will become acceptable. That's been my experience in MI. Keep in mind "your" cold water rinse (in southern FL) would be considered lukewarm to my washes in MI
If you want perfection you must inject a few seconds of wax into the line to clear the soap when the rinse cycle is selected. This can be done via a plc, mechanical relays, etc.
MEP001
Well-known member
I've seen something like that at one wash, somehow the soap was clinging to the inside of the high=pressure hose and releasing slowly. The wash had been plumbed with steel-braided hose, and they eventually replaced it with Synflex.
MEP I have also seen soap cling to the inside of some lines, but I don't think that is the case here, since you can make the soap go away right away be going to wax first and then rinse. I replumbed the one bay so it is set up exactly like the Magic Wand equip I sell, which here in FL is water from the holding tank only and solenoids set up with "In" to the soap and wax tank. Have never seen it in this type of setup.
