Injector setup

[Nuphoenix]

I inspected my new (old) wash and saw injectors for the soap and wax on the inlet side of the Cat 310 pumps. They are drawn through lines running off the mixing tanks. People have complained of no soap/wax. Shouldn't these lines be pressurized above intake water pressure to inject product? How is the best way to correct this? They draw directly from tanks. Planning on switching to Kleen-rite Orange Cream to give the customers more show, currently it runs Kleen rite 1A as soap. Should I put a flojet pump inline to pressurize the soap?

 

[MEP001]

Are you sure they're injectors? Typically you have holding tanks for water, soap, and wax, and when the solenoids open the chemicals flow unrestricted.

You could pump the soap to the bay pumps, but I feel like that would be tricky to keep consistent. You'd need the pressure of the soap really close to the same as the water pressure. I've been told that using a pump like a Dosatron or a DEMA Mix-Rite works and I've been curious about trying it myself as it would eliminate a large tank and a lot of plumbing, but the pumps are expensive and not terribly reliable. These pumps use the water pressure and flow to draw the chemical.

FWIW I like to have a high pressure soap that cleans. Orange Cream does nothing but foam, smell and orange. I'm using a presoak for touch-free auto, it's not as strong a cleaner as I'd like but it's cost-effective and low maintenance.

 

[OurTown]

FWIW I like to have a high pressure soap that cleans. Orange Cream does nothing but foam, smell and orange. I'm using a presoak for touch-free auto, it's not as strong a cleaner as I'd like but it's cost-effective and low maintenance.

We are using JBS Fonic Wash pH Plus (PR-180) for this reason but even though it is 12 pH in the tank by the time it is diluted it is only about 8 pH in the bay. What is your pH in the bay with your presoak product?

 

[Randy]

I inspected my new (old) wash and saw injectors for the soap and wax on the inlet side of the Cat 310 pumps. They are drawn through lines running off the mixing tanks. People have complained of no soap/wax. Shouldn't these lines be pressurized above intake water pressure to inject product? How is the best way to correct this? They draw directly from tanks. Planning on switching to Kleen-rite Orange Cream to give the customers more show, currently it runs Kleen rite 1A as soap. Should I put a flojet pump inline to pressurize the soap?

Can you post a picture of what you’re calling injectors? Most gravity fed systems don’t use an injector, just a “T” with the soap and wax plumbed into the “T”. No you shouldn’t put a Flojet pump in the system. What you might have to do is install a ball valve in the water line feeding the suction side of the pump and slow close the valve until you get the desired soap without cavitating the pump. I don’t like doing this way as you’re making the pump work harder. On my 38 year old pumping equipment I have a DEMA 203C injector, but its pressure fed pumping system.

 

[mac]

First a little diagnostics. Is this in all of the bays, or just one or two. Next pull the line from the soap container to the eductor (that black odd shaped thingy). Then pull down on the float and put your finger over the metering tip. You should be able to feel if it's sucking. If yes you most likely have a clogged foot valve. If not you most likely need to replace the rubber diaphram in the valve and check the inlet screen for clogging. Have seen where chemical has built up inside the eductor. Also sometimes as the pumps age, the seals wear and they don't suck as much. You can compensate for this by partially closing the water supply valve to the pump. Be a little careful with this. When you do that have someone in the bay with the trigger pulled while on high pressure. Close the valve till the pump sounds noisy and then open till the noise goes away.

 

[MEP001]

We are using JBS Fonic Wash pH Plus (PR-180) for this reason but even though it is 12 pH in the tank by the time it is diluted it is only about 8 pH in the bay. What is your pH in the bay with your presoak product?

I don't know, I'll have to get a pH test kit or a titration kit and see.

 

[Nuphoenix]

Are you sure they're injectors? Typically you have holding tanks for water, soap, and wax, and when the solenoids open the chemicals flow unrestricted.

You could pump the soap to the bay pumps, but I feel like that would be tricky to keep consistent. You'd need the pressure of the soap really close to the same as the water pressure. I've been told that using a pump like a Dosatron or a DEMA Mix-Rite works and I've been curious about trying it myself as it would eliminate a large tank and a lot of plumbing, but the pumps are expensive and not terribly reliable. These pumps use the water pressure and flow to draw the chemical.

FWIW I like to have a high pressure soap that cleans. Orange Cream does nothing but foam, smell and orange. I'm using a presoak for touch-free auto, it's not as strong a cleaner as I'd like but it's cost-effective and low maintenance.

The setup is curren

We are using JBS Fonic Wash pH Plus (PR-180) for this reason but even though it is 12 pH in the tank by the time it is diluted it is only about 8 pH in the bay. What is your pH in the bay with your presoak product?

Haven't checked that. Looks like a test kit is going to be ordered soon.

 

[Nuphoenix]

Are you sure they're injectors? Typically you have holding tanks for water, soap, and wax, and when the solenoids open the chemicals flow unrestricted.

You could pump the soap to the bay pumps, but I feel like that would be tricky to keep consistent. You'd need the pressure of the soap really close to the same as the water pressure. I've been told that using a pump like a Dosatron or a DEMA Mix-Rite works and I've been curious about trying it myself as it would eliminate a large tank and a lot of plumbing, but the pumps are expensive and not terribly reliable. These pumps use the water pressure and flow to draw the chemical.

FWIW I like to have a high pressure soap that cleans. Orange Cream does nothing but foam, smell and orange. I'm using a presoak for touch-free auto, it's not as strong a cleaner as I'd like but it's cost-effective and low maintenance.

What are you using in the SS bays?

 

[Nuphoenix]

Can you post a picture of what you’re calling injectors? Most gravity fed systems don’t use an injector, just a “T” with the soap and wax plumbed into the “T”. No you shouldn’t put a Flojet pump in the system. What you might have to do is install a ball valve in the water line feeding the suction side of the pump and slow close the valve until you get the desired soap without cavitating the pump. I don’t like doing this way as you’re making the pump work harder. On my 38 year old pumping equipment I have a DEMA 203C injector, but its pressure fed pumping system.

My mistake, they are not injectors. Just Tees going to the pump. Soap (actually presoak) and wax is pretty weak.

 

[MEP001]

What are you using in the SS bays?

I'm using Duo-Clean from Scotch Plaid, not likely something that would be convenient to you. You might try the combination of Simoniz Correct and foam agent some people here are using - it probably comes out similar to what I use. I just got tired of mixing powders.

 

[MEP001]

My mistake, they are not injectors. Just Tees going to the pump. Soap (actually presoak) and wax is pretty weak.

You should be able to increase the strength of the products in the tanks and be good. I think we discussed once about having to throttle the water supply ball valves to force the pump to draw more chemical, but I don't like to do that. I prefer to run 1/2" hose from the tank to the pump using push-lock flare barbs (Easier to service, slightly better flow, no clamps needed) and that's enough restriction for things to work. It's usually when there's 3/4" hose going to the pumps that I need to throttle back on the water flow.

 

[Nuphoenix]

You should be able to increase the strength of the products in the tanks and be good. I think we discussed once about having to throttle the water supply ball valves to force the pump to draw more chemical, but I don't like to do that. I prefer to run 1/2" hose from the tank to the pump using push-lock flare barbs (Easier to service, slightly better flow, no clamps needed) and that's enough restriction for things to work. It's usually when there's 3/4" hose going to the pumps that I need to throttle back on the water flow.

This system runs 1/8" lines to the solenoids. Should I put in larger lines? Maybe start with 1/4" and work my way up?

 

[MEP001]

They're probably 1/4" OD lines, 1/8" ID. I prefer 3/8" OD but 1/4" is usually okay if they're all short and about the same length. With larger tubing, the main restriction is the solenoid so everything should get the same product even if the line lengths are very different.

 

[DavidM]

If you have tried all of the above, check the solenoids themselves.

I don't know what kind of solenoids you have for the soap and wax but I have had the rubber in them swell up over time. When the solenoid opened it didn't let enough product through. It took a little while to figure out that problem the first time.