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SS tire cleaner problem

J

John_Thomas

Member
Hello all,

The tire cleaner is bubbling air back up into the tank. Ive replaced both regulators and cleaned out the needles on all the solenoids. The procon pump is running dry and wont stay primed because of the air pushing back through the lines. I think it may be a bad check valve in the ceiling but how can I narrow it down to a particular check valve? There is a set for every bay?
When I turn the air off the chemical starts running out of the air side regulator.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Im stumped.

Thanks
 
If the tire cleaner, presoak and air lines all tee together at the boom using a common check valve, then you need a check valve somewhere between the solenoid manifold and the tank to keep presoak and air from backing up into the pump. It may have one somewhere that has gone bad. It can be a high-pressure check valve if it's after the pump, but it needs to be a low-pressure one if it's between the pump and the tank.

It's normal for chemical to come back through the air regulator when you turn the air off to it.
 
Tire Cleaner Problem

Hi,

The tire/Cleaner is plumbed with presoak into one check valve per bay up in the trough. I kinda understand what your saying but the tire cleaner has never had a check valve any other place. The pre soak has an air and chemical check valve as it enters the solenoid manifold but tire cleaner does not. I know it wont hurt to add check valves to the tire cleaner but the problem has to be somewhere else? Since they are plumbed together in the trough, could it be a bad check valve on presoak causing the problem for tire cleaner? If it is a check valve in the trough, any suggestions on narrowing down which one it is?

If I add check valves before the TC manifold do you think it would override the problem im having now and get it to start working?



Thanks for helping me think this through and I will follow your suggestions unless we can figure out something else.
 
My experience has been that if a procon pump runs dry for even a few seconds it is toast. I learned the hard way when I burned few because I didn't prime them.
 
John_Thomas said:
I kinda understand what your saying but the tire cleaner has never had a check valve any other place. The pre soak has an air and chemical check valve as it enters the solenoid manifold but tire cleaner does not.
Click to expand...
The solenoids and the Procon pump don't offer enough resistance to keep the presoak and air from backing up into the tire cleaner tank, and neither have anything in their design to prevent flow in the wrong direction. Even if there isn't and never has been a check valve on the tire cleaner system, there should be one, and it will solve your problem.
 
One of your product coils or air coils is no good or the plunger that the coil operates is stuck open. Attach a wire to number 1 on the terminal strip in the super saver which is your hot and then look on the door to see which number is tire cleaner and touch that terminal see if the CFA coil clicks. Do that for each bay till you find the one that is not working. You can also unplug the positive wire from each air solenoid so you will only hear the product coil.
 
Hey to every one who responded,

Everything posted are all great ideas and info. I will go through and put everyones suggestions to work and post what I find hopefully within the next few days..

Thanks again!
 
ratfink102 said:
One of your product coils or air coils is no good or the plunger that the coil operates is stuck open.
Click to expand...
As I said before, the solenoids aren't meant to prevent backflow. They provide maybe a couple PSI resistance. A solenoid stuck open won't cause air to back up into the tank, but it will allow flow of product or air to the bay when it's not in use.
 
I believe its the check valve at the Boom. The high pressure is pushing back through the check valve . Good Luck.
 
Thats what happened to mine ? The Check valve at the Boom was bad and the high pressure pushed back through the tire cleaner line and besides bubbling in the tank it also kept blowing seals in my Aro pump.
 
Ok,

I added a check valve after the pump and before the solenoids on the product side yesterday. As of late yesterday the air bubbles in the tank have subsided and the tire cleaner seems to be working in all bays. However it is after a long delay (30 seconds) does it reach the bays. I ordered extra check valves to replace at the booms this weekend. Im embarrased to say the check valves are 7 years old and Im sure in need of replacing.

Does anyone replace check valves on a time scale or just as needed?

Thanks to everyone who posted information for me.
 
Norwood said:
Thats what happened to mine ? The Check valve at the Boom was bad and the high pressure pushed back through the tire cleaner line and besides bubbling in the tank it also kept blowing seals in my Aro pump.
Click to expand...
You were probably seeing air from a blown diaphragm in the pump bubbling up into the tank. High-pressure backing up into it wouldn't do that.
 
John_Thomas said:
However it is after a long delay (30 seconds) does it reach the bays.
Click to expand...
Make sure the pump is fully primed and the pressure to the bays is where it should be. The pump may have been damaged running without prime. I like to run the tire cleaner liquid pressure at least 60 PSI and the air just a bit above that (Only works if there are needle valves on the air side and they're turned back to a very low flow).

If the air and liquid at the boom share a check valve, the easiest way to tell if the check valve has failed is when water comes out through the air regulator. It's meant to vent excess pressure on the outlet through a bleed hole in the side.
 
MEP001 said:
You were probably seeing air from a blown diaphragm in the pump bubbling up into the tank. High-pressure backing up into it wouldn't do that.
Click to expand...

Diaphragm was fine. The boom Check Valve Fixed it and this was last year. I know problems Can compound into multiple areas but this was my fix. Thanks for the information though.
 
Foot Valve

John_Thomas said:
Hello all,

The tire cleaner is bubbling air back up into the tank. Ive replaced both regulators and cleaned out the needles on all the solenoids. The procon pump is running dry and wont stay primed because of the air pushing back through the lines. I think it may be a bad check valve in the ceiling but how can I narrow it down to a particular check valve? There is a set for every bay?
When I turn the air off the chemical starts running out of the air side regulator.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Im stumped.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Simple as changing a $5.00 foot valve will solve you problem buddy if you havent done it yet,Regards!!
 
I had a similiar problem on a old water wizard that I bought. Turn out to be the check valve right before the foam generator at the T of air line, chemical, line and foam generator on top of the gantry. The chemical ate through the inside of the check valve.

During winter when temp was below freeze, when I purge the line with air, I would find air in the chemical tank.

The problem cost failure to two new fluid-o-tech pump before I got it fixed.
 
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