Super-heated presoak?

[Waxman]

My presoak is heated, but by the time it reaches the car it is obviously cooler.

What about if I installed a little in-line heater just before my plastic presoak lines enter the cable mgmt. system, so the presoak was nice and hot right as it went on the car? I could also probably get power inside the elec. panel inside my gantry box and put the heater right there.

Does anyone do this? I know solubility increases with temperature, but what is the sweet spot I want to be at for squeezing the max. cleaning power from a high ph presoak?

 

[JIMT]

Waxman,
I use a small one gallon electric heater. The problem is that the first presoak that goes on the car has been in the hoses in the cold bay. I don't know if cleans better.
JIMT

 

[Waxman]

Yes I want as much of the presoak as possible to be hot. I just wonder if it's practical to put such a heater in the gantry box or not.

 

[briteauto]

Waxman,

FWIW - I have found that even with extra heated presoak, this time of year (at least in the northeast) is very difficult to heat the surface of the car for any period of time. The presoak drops in temp in the distance from the nozzle to the car, then it hits a car surface that may be 25 degrees. For the majority of the dwell time, the chemical will be pretty cold.

I have found that it is more essential with the summer films, bugs etc. to get a hotter product on the car. Fortunately, it is also easier to do this during those months.

I'm not saying you should not heat it as much as possible - I'm just not sure in these months with ambient air and automobile surface temps so cold, that you get a big difference in cleaning. Also couple that with the fact that winter mud, salt and sand tends to come off easier than the summer soils.

Sorry I cannot comment on your specific question - never tried an inline heater.

 

[Back4More]

Have you thought about installing a circulator pump for the presoak and running the lines in a loop so it is always hot? We do this in our in-bays.

Ron

 

[ted mcmeekin]

The Mk VII's have on board gantry heaters just a couple feet from front/rear nozzle headers, by the second pass presoak most of the lines have been purged.

Ted