Hot presoak options

[MEP001]

I'm trying to revive a solid but run-down wash - turning the existing boiler back on is not an option at the moment, but I want to at least give hot presoak. I know I could do an immersion heater, but the tank is plastic and it's running all FloJet pumps so it would be a significant cost to change to a stainless tank and Procon. The cheapest and quickest option I can think of is to run it through a small electric water heater after the pump. Has anyone tried something like this? Any thoughts on how long a household water heater will hold up to a very high pH chemical? Is there something commercially available made for this?

I've seen a wash that had an immersion heater in the tank, and the pump ran all the time with a line that looped the entire run of the wash and back to the tank. The presoak solenoids were tee'd into the line at each bay. That setup seems crazy but it was very reliable.

 

[soapy]

When I first started in this business I installed hot foam brushes that used a flow through heater on the wall of each bay to heat the foam. It gave a great show and was very unique but the heaters did not hold up for more than a couple of years. I used a standard house water heater at one location and they would last 5 to 7 years but I was not running chemical through it. Some of the IBA have a heater on the gantry that see presoak. I think that might be a solution.

 

[MEP001]

It would cost me less to pull out the boiler and install a couple of on-demand heaters than the on-gantry presoak heater. Last I checked they were around $5000, and they're 3-phase. I might try a point-of-use 2.5 or 4 gallon heater since they're 120v and just plug in, and under $200 so no big loss if it fails in a year or two.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I can't help but wonder if the small electric heater would supply / store enough volume to do the job. Could you put a small metal Can ? Paint can or bucket inside the plastic tank and put the immersion heater in that and let supply water run into that and overflow into the rest of the tank? The metal can could protect the plastic tank.

 

[Randy]

How hot do you want to run the Presoak? The max temperature you can put though a Flo-Jet G57 pump is 120 deg. I don't think a small electric water heater would last very long with presoak sitting in it. I'd replace the tank with a small stainless tank and put in a immersion heater.

 

[JGinther]

Is there a larger stainless tank anywhere there? If you have the ability to heat the tank, just run a coil of stainless 1/2" tubing (from a brewery supplier) through the tank as a heat exchanger. Have done this with fine success for heating presoak on autos at locations with heated tanks for self-serves... No real costs except for the tubing and seems to last forever...

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Found this on Amazon- 1500 watt Immersion Heater, Gesail UL-Listed Bucket Water Heater with Heating Element, Submersible Heater with Thermostat and Auto Shutoff Protection, Perfect for Home Travel and Winter Job - Silver
by Gesail
3.9 out of 5 stars 18 customer reviews | 12 answered questions
Price: $46.89 & FREE Shipping.

I’ve used something like this in my tunnel presoak and it works great.

 

[Greg Pack]

Found this on Amazon- 1500 watt Immersion Heater, Gesail UL-Listed Bucket Water Heater with Heating Element, Submersible Heater with Thermostat and Auto Shutoff Protection, Perfect for Home Travel and Winter Job - Silver
by Gesail
3.9 out of 5 stars 18 customer reviews | 12 answered questions
Price: $46.89 & FREE Shipping.

I’ve used something like this in my tunnel presoak and it works great.

I've got one of those,I think the factory cutoff will heat the water too hot, you'd have to install a separate thermostat to cut it off or buy one of the thermostat models.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I've got one of those,I think the factory cutoff will heat the water too hot, you'd have to install a separate thermostat to cut it off or buy one of the thermostat models.

Greg you might be right. I just did a quick search and saw that it has a thermostat. I think my thermostat only goes to 180 degrees

 

[MEP001]

I can't help but wonder if the small electric heater would supply / store enough volume to do the job.

It will do to start with, the presoak hasn't worked well for years so almost no one uses it now. It has plenty of time to recover. I could always go to a 10 gallon, they're still pretty cheap.

How hot do you want to run the Presoak? The max temperature you can put though a Flo-Jet G57 pump is 120 deg.

I plan on running it at least 130°. The heater will be between the pump and the solenoids to protect the pump and keep pressure on the heater.

Is there a larger stainless tank anywhere there? If you have the ability to heat the tank, just run a coil of stainless 1/2" tubing (from a brewery supplier) through the tank as a heat exchanger. Have done this with fine success for heating presoak on autos at locations with heated tanks for self-serves... No real costs except for the tubing and seems to last forever...

You're saying to heat the water and pump it through the coil in the tank to heat the presoak? That should work well and safely, but it sounds expensive. I'm really looking to get something cheap and quick together and get it advertised, and if people actually start using the presoak I'll do something more solid and permanent like that, or more likely a stainless tank, immersion heater and a Procon.

 

[MEP001]

This seems reasonably priced, should last a while and provide plenty of heat:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westing...tainless-Steel-Tank-WER010A1X020N10/304665046

 

[Greg Pack]

This seems reasonably priced, should last a while and provide plenty of heat:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westing...tainless-Steel-Tank-WER010A1X020N10/304665046

Wow, a 316 tank too. Never would have thought you could buy one of those that cheap.