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Why is my antifreeze soap freezing :(

bigleo48

Active member
All,

So I purchased some antifreeze foam brush soap from KR. Here is my setup;

-80 lbs water pressure into a 511 hydrominder with no tip (big hose inductor). Weep completely off (nothing trickling by). Made sure and purged all the old foam brush soap out.

According to KR charts, it should be good to -10F, but freezes at 10F :(

I haven't done any checking yet, buy I want to test and see if 2:1 water/soap ratio is indeed mixing. But it should be close with no tip.

Any other ideas/experiences?

Big
 
All,

So I purchased some antifreeze foam brush soap from KR. Here is my setup;

-80 lbs water pressure into a 511 hydrominder with no tip (big hose inductor). Weep completely off (nothing trickling by). Made sure and purged all the old foam brush soap out.

According to KR charts, it should be good to -10F, but freezes at 10F :(

I haven't done any checking yet, buy I want to test and see if 2:1 water/soap ratio is indeed mixing. But it should be close with no tip.

Any other ideas/experiences?

Big

I've given up on using a hydrominder to control my Winter FB mixture. I've been manually mixng it in a 55 gal drum. My flojet pump is pulling directly from the pre-mixed drum. It's a little more labor intensive, but I have total control of the the concentration. My brushes haven't had a freeze up yet this year.
 
Hydrominder dilutions are based on 40 psi, that might be part of it.

I use the same soap, it doesnt freeze on me. I use the red tip to about 20 degrees, black to about 15, these days I close if it gets much colder than that. FWIW, I did install a pressure regulator, I run hot water through my hydrominders at 40 psi.
 
Like the last two said, you have two things against you. A 511 with no tip is 4:1, plus at 80 psi it's even leaner. If your water pressure is higher than 40, you will draw less chemical. If your pressure is lower than 40, you will draw more chemical.
 
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How can you check your water pressure at the mixing tank? I'm guessing it is the same as it is coming into the building.
 
Is it just me or have some of you that have been in this racket for 25+ years noticed how the hydrominder tip/color ratios have changed per hydrominder's usage charts over the years?
 
I remember when the Hydrominder valve body was made out of Brass. Over the years they have changed the Hydrominder. The newer ones don’t seem to work as well as the older ones used to.

As far as your foam brush freezing with anti-freeze soap. Try lowering the water supply pressure to 40 psi, the others have said.
 
Mepp & Tpopa

Thanks for the good info. My next step was going to measure the exact soap draw from the Hydrominder, but you guys have saved me a couple of steps.

So I'm gonna mix it 2:1 and that should do for my coldest days. If it gets colder I'll just turn the ball valves to weep. I can't use my second Weepmizer output cause I use it for something else. Not a big deal.

Thanks again!

Big
 
I remember when the Hydrominder valve body was made out of Brass. Over the years they have changed the Hydrominder. The newer ones don’t seem to work as well as the older ones used to.

Yea, we ran across an old brass hydrominder body a while ago. My son said "what's that":) I guess the dilution ratio I still have etched in my mind is from "the good ole days"...I remember those also:rolleyes:
 
I remember when the Hydrominder valve body was made out of Brass. Over the years they have changed the Hydrominder. The newer ones don’t seem to work as well as the older ones used to.


Guess they weren't selling enough replacement hydrominders. Now, with their plastic body and special non-corrosive screws that corrode, I bet sales volumes are up.
 
I replace the "special" screws with regular Phillips head #8 x 3/8" stainless steel wood screws.
 
I don't think you'll need anti-sieze with stainless screws in plastic, but I'm sure it won't hurt.
 
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